2nd generation artisan/ceo

Hiroyuki Kambayashi

Our workshop is located in Kamikasa, Kyoto, passing on the tradition of roketsuzome.

A Brief Family History

Founder, Katsumi Kambayashi founded roketsuzome studio in Kamikatsura, Kyoto, where our family has carried on the technique for over sixty years.

(Left: Katsumi Kambayashi, founder of Shobien kyoto)

 

The Craft Heritage of Kamikasa

Hata clan—immigrants from the Asian continent—dug an irrigation canal from Arashiyama. Their engineering turned the area into an aristocratic estate where agriculture, dyeing, and sake brewing thrived. Rōketsuzome itself also arrived from the continent in that same period, becoming one of the region’s signature arts.

What Makes Rōketsuzome Unique

Wax as a Resist

Wax melts at roughly  140-160°C. When we brush the hot wax into fabric, it soaks in and quickly solidifies, blocking the dye wherever it sits.

Crackle Patterns

By gently squeezing or bending the cloth, we create tiny cracks in the wax. Dye seeps through those fissures, producing delicate lightning-like lines called hibiwari (“crackles”) or rō-fubuki (“wax snow”). Every piece develops its own, never-to-be-repeated pattern of soft curves and veining—inimitable beauty born of controlled chance.

Looking to the Next Century

Even after six decades, our workshop is still considered “young” in Kyoto’s long timeline of textile history. Today only a handful of studios continue rōketsuzome, and ours is the sole atelier in Kyoto capable of dyeing extra-wide fabrics. We think constantly about how to preserve the craft and communicate its beauty a hundred years from now—so that the quiet magic of wax, dye, and hand-formed crackle will endure for generations to come.

Mission

Inheriting the Tradition of Roketsuzome, Co-creating the Future

Roketsuzome has taught us the beauty inherent in imperfection.

The hallmark of Roketsuzome is its distinctive crackle patterns.

This traditional dyeing technique has been handed down since the Tenpyō period. Historically, pieces exhibiting crackle patterns were considered flawed, and only products without these cracks were accepted as perfect Roketsuzome. With the advance of mechanized dyeing processes today, achieving flawless products is no longer a challenge. Yet, this begs the question: What truly defines Roketsuzome?

We embrace the imperfect beauty embodied by crackle patterns as the very essence of Roketsuzome. By expressing human warmth through these patterns, we aim to pass this unique aesthetic to future generations, collaboratively shaping the beauty of tomorrow.

Vision

Returning to Humanistic Craft

Rediscovering the beauty in imperfection.

People are moved and deeply touched by the human qualities reflected in handcrafted works. The unique charm arises precisely because these pieces are made by human hands. Patterns born from unexpected moments, the spontaneous beauty emerging naturally from manual creation, and the values cultivated through coexistence with nature.

In a highly mechanized world, humanity is gradually lost. A society of perfection, where there is no space for personal touch, where AI surpasses human involvement.

By interacting with objects imbued with humanity, even subtly, our hearts are moved, and our lives enriched.

We are dedicated to continuously creating works that bring human warmth and color to people's hearts.