The Silk Threads Behind My Work

Every camera strap I make begins with silk thread.

Before the colors, patterns, and structure of a braid take shape, the character of the finished piece is already influenced by the thread itself—its texture, sheen, softness, strength, and the way it responds to the hands while being braided.

The Silk Threads I Use

For my regular collection, I primarily work with two types of silk thread dyed in Japan:

Silk thread dyed in Nishijin 西陣
Silk thread dyed in Iga 伊賀

Nishijin Silk Thread

One of the silk threads I use comes from Nishijin in Kyoto.

Nishijin has been at the heart of Kyoto's silk and textile culture for more than 1,200 years. Kyoto itself also has a long tradition of kumihimo, with braided cords being used for court dress, religious objects, samurai armor, sword fittings, and many other purposes throughout Japanese history.

I find it meaningful to work with silk from a place that has been so deeply connected with Japanese textile craftsmanship for centuries.

Depending on the colors and braiding structure, the same thread can appear quietly elegant or remarkably vivid.

Iga Silk Thread

I also use silk thread dyed in Iga, another region with a deep connection to the history of kumihimo in Japan.

Braided cords have been made in the Iga region for centuries, and the craft later developed into what is now known as Iga Kumihimo, one of Japan's nationally designated traditional crafts.

Iga is therefore not only a source of beautiful silk thread, but also a place that shares a long cultural connection with the craft that lies at the heart of my work.

As with Nishijin silk, I choose Iga silk according to the structure and character I want to create in each strap.

Different threads behave differently in the hands and produce subtle differences in the finished braid. Choosing the thread is therefore not simply a matter of choosing a color—it is part of designing the strap itself.

Each has its own character, and I select the thread according to the design, braiding technique, and the feel I want to achieve in the finished strap.

Silk has a beautiful natural luster that changes subtly depending on the light. Once many individual threads are brought together through kumihimo, the colors and reflections gain even greater depth.

This is one of the qualities of silk that I particularly love.

My Hand-Dyed Silk for Custom and Limited Pieces

For my custom-made straps and many of my limited-edition pieces, I dye the silk threads myself.

Rather than selecting colors only after the braid has been designed, I often begin by imagining how the colors will appear once dozens of threads are combined and braided together.

Some threads are dyed in a single color, while others contain several colors within one length of silk. As these threads move through the braid, the colors gradually appear, disappear, and blend with one another.

Because of this process, the final pattern cannot always be understood simply by looking at the dyed threads beforehand.

The braid reveals the design.

This element of subtle unpredictability is one of the things I enjoy most about working with hand-dyed silk.

From Thread to Kumihimo

A finished camera strap may contain many individual silk threads, prepared and arranged before the actual braiding begins.

Their colors, order, tension, direction, and the braiding structure all influence the final appearance.

This is why I consider the preparation of the threads to be an important part of making kumihimo, rather than simply a step that comes before the braiding.

For my custom pieces in particular, the process often begins long before I sit down at the braiding stand.

It begins with the silk.

I will continue adding articles about the materials and techniques behind my work, including how I dye the silk, traditional kumihimo braiding structures, and the process of creating a custom camera strap.

I hope these pages will give you a closer look at how each piece is made—and at the materials, time, and craftsmanship hidden within a finished braid.