House of Okajima

Once hidden as linings in kimonos, these artisanal fabrics—crafted using the decades-old dyeing technique known as kata-yūzen—are now revealed for the first time in a large-format book. With more than 400 pages, the book is the definitive account of what the Okajima name stands for. It features original photographs from the family’s workshops and a carefully curated selection of patterns from the Okajima archive, each accompanied by a caption describing its context, history, and culture.

As a tribute to the family’s craftsmanship, the book is presented in a Hako Chitsu, a traditional Japanese folding box sealed with wooden bone clasps and designed to mimic the look and feel of screen-printed silk. Three different types of paper and special inks render each pattern on the pages with the depth and richness of the original textiles.