Japanese
EnglishWhat is Chirimen craftwork?
Chirimen* (crepe fabric) craftwork is said to have begun in the Edo period amongst well-educated upper-class women. When they made kimono, they kept the scraps and sewed them into dolls, animals, flowers and more. The fabric is very vivid and beautiful. The wrinkled texture, called “shibo,” gives the pieces added appeal, thus Chirimen continue to be loved by many people who appreciate handicrafts.
About Chirimen craftwork
About Chirimen fabric
Chirimen fabric has a unique uneven texture known as “shibo” (squeezing) which gives it characteristics of bright lustre, warmth and a gentle feeling. Chirimen made of silk, polyester or rayon is now common. Each material has good points and bad points and it is difficult to say which is best. We mostly use polyester and rayon for our Chirimen handicrafts which makes it possible to do soft and fine work. Therefore, even though everything is made by hand and is of high quality, unlike mass produced products made overseas, it is possible to offer our products at relatively affordable prices. While we do not normally deal with silk Chirimen, should you have a wish for one please contact us.
Spring
We produce charming handiworks to adorn festivals such as the Peach flower (Girl’s Day) festival (March 3) and lovely, majestic decorations for the Boy’s Day festival (May 5) and more.
Summer
We mainly produce fine works to conjure up an image of a fresh and cool feeling in the summer.
Autumn
We mainly produce decorations that conjure up images of the vivid autumn colours and elegant moonlit nights characteristic to autumn.
Winter
We focus on producing charming pieces to adorn Christmas and New Year as well as decorations for the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac.
Aoshima Chirimen Craftwork
Each product is carefully handmade
In addition to sewing, kimekomi and paste crafts are carefully made from moulds, and most of the products listed on our online shop are our original productions. We endeavour to be able to offer products that have been polished and refined by our techniques over many years, so please also visit the gallery on our website.
Please be advised that since all processes are done by hand, some products will be made to ship after we receive the order. You will be able to see which products will be custom made in each description.
*Kimekomi is a wooden doll with Japanese costume made from cloth with the edges tucked into grooves in the wood.
The joy of viewing, the joy of craft-making
Most of the items handled at the shop are of two kinds: production kits and finished products.
Handicraft production kits contain cloths and decorations for you to make Chirimen crafts. You put together the kit yourself from purchased items. Since the production kit is not itself a finished product, please make sure of the contents when you purchase a kit.
However, we are always pleased to make handicraft production kit collections for you as a finished product. Please contact us about it if you wish.
Examples of Chirimen pieces
Contact us
For inquiries about Chirimen crafts and to make comments about our shop, please fill out the form below.
If you receive no reply after 2 to 3 days, please contact us again by phone.
We will not use your personal information for other purposes.
Before submitting your inquiry, please read the privacy policy in advance.
Please understand that it may take time to reply depending on the situation of inquiries and questions.
To contact us directly, please call 0544-26-2903.
| Company Name | Aoshima Co., Ltd. |
| Shop Name | Shugei no Aoshima (Aoshima Handicrafts) |
| Address | Shizuoka Prefecture, Fujinomiya City, Omiya-Cho 15-4 |
| TEL | 0544-26-2903 |
| FAX | 0544-26-4852 |
| Work Hours | 9:30 – 19:00; Closed by 18:00 on Wednesday |
| Holidays | None except for New Years and Obon (mid-August ) |
| CEO | Aoshima Akifumi |
| HP | https://www.aoshima-shugei.jp/ |
