Atelier Shimura, the dyeing and weaving brand that carries on the artistic spirit of Fukumi Shimura (志村ふくみ), a Living National Treasure, celebrates its 10th anniversary with an exhibition and sale at its gallery in Setagaya, Tokyo. The event runs from Friday, October 30 to Tuesday, December 22, 2026. The venue presents three new kimono, "Dawn" (夜明け), "Twilight" (夕暮れ), and "Moonlight" (月光), handwoven with silk threads dyed with plants.
A Celebration of Color: "Nihohitatsu"
The exhibition is titled "A Celebration of Color: Nihohitatsu" (色への祝祭—にほひたつ—). A line from the Man'yoshu reads "In the spring garden, peach blossoms glowing crimson" (春の苑 紅にほふ桃の花). The word "nihofu" (にほふ) in it refers not to a fragrance but to the way color shines beautifully. People of old saw the light of life in the color of flowers and in the dawn sky.
Atelier Shimura was founded in November 2016 as a brand that carries on the artistic spirit of dyer and weaver Fukumi Shimura, and it now reaches its 10th anniversary. Over the years it has kept to the idea of "receiving the colors of the lives of plants."
The theme of the exhibition is light as it shifts through the day. The three new kimono each capture one moment:
- "Dawn": the moment when darkness loosens and the world quietly awakens
- "Twilight": many colors of light melting together and wavering in the space between day and night
- "Moonlight": soft light opening in the deep dark
The glow ("nihohi," にほひ) of these three times of day is transferred onto plant-dyed silk threads and woven into hand-woven tsumugi (pongee silk) fabric. Visitors can see all three at the gallery in Setagaya.
Exhibition Overview
- Dates: October 30 (Fri) to December 22 (Tue), 2026, 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM (closed Wednesdays and Thursdays; open on national holidays)
- Venue: Atelier Shimura Gallery & School Tokyo, Setagaya, 6-17-7 Soshigaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0072
- On display and for sale: the three new kimono, a new "Mina Obi" (ミナ帯) from the collaboration with mina perhonen (ミナ ペルホネン), plain-colored kimono (iromuji), eba kimono (kimono with pictorial designs), fashion items such as plant-dyed brooches, and small items made from fabric pieces. Custom-made kimono orders to suit visitors' requests are also accepted.
- Days Atelier Shimura representative Shoji Shimura (志村昌司) is present at the gallery: October 31 (Sat) and November 1 (Sun)
A Weaver's Words on "Twilight"
What thoughts went into the design of "Twilight"?
"One of the themes this time is 'Twilight.' We let our imagination grow while talking about the sunset scenes that everyone remembers. While we were searching for the design, I was struck by the sunset sky I happened to see through an airplane window... 'This is it!' That was the moment the image of the kimono came together all at once."
Related Events
Talk Event: "Atelier Shimura's Craftsmanship: What We Inherited From Fukumi Shimura"
Shoji Shimura, representative of Atelier Shimura, and the production team, who were taught directly by Fukumi Shimura, talk about the thoughts behind "light in transition," the theme of the new kimono, and about the 10 years of Atelier Shimura.
- Date and time: October 31 (Sat), 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Venue: Atelier Shimura Gallery & School Tokyo, Setagaya, 6-17-7 Soshigaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0072
- Fee: ¥1,100 (tax included)
- Capacity: 12 people
10th Anniversary Lecture: "The Power of Cloth"
To mark the brand's 10th anniversary, a lecture titled "The Power of Cloth" (布のちから) is held with Edo culture researcher Yuko Tanaka (田中優子). Tanaka's book 『布のちから――江戸から現在へ』 (Asahi Shimbun Publications; literally "The Power of Cloth: From Edo to the Present") regards cloth as a "medium" that connects people and nature. It looks again at the lives of the Edo period, when a single piece of cloth was used with care and passed on, through to our relationship with cloth today. Her perspective resonates deeply with Atelier Shimura's plant dyeing and hand weaving, which transfer the lives of plants onto cloth as color. On the day, Shoji Shimura serves as interviewer, and the two discuss cloth, people, and nature.
- Speaker: Yuko Tanaka (Professor Emerita, Hosei University)
- Interviewer: Shoji Shimura (representative of Atelier Shimura)
- Date and time: December 6 (Sun), 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
- Venue: Arcadia Ichigaya (アルカディア市ヶ谷, Shigaku Kaikan), 4-2-25 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073
- Fee: General ¥3,850 (tax included); students ¥2,200 (tax included, student ID required at reception)
- Capacity: 54 people
About the Speaker
Yuko Tanaka is Professor Emerita at Hosei University, Specially Appointed Professor at the Edo-Tokyo Research Center (江戸東京研究センター), President of the Isis Editorial School (イシス編集学校) at the Editorial Engineering Institute (編集工学研究所), and co-representative of the "Women's Group Seeking Peace and Opposing Military Expansion" (平和を求め軍拡を許さない女たちの会). She has served as Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and as President of Hosei University. Her specialties are early modern Japanese culture and comparative Asian culture, and her research covers Edo-period literature, art, and everyday culture. She often draws on Edo-period values and the systems of a sustainable society to address contemporary issues such as gender, military buildup, and media.
Kimono Try-On and Purchase Consultation Session
A try-on session is held at Atelier Shimura Gallery & School Tokyo, Setagaya, for those considering a purchase, giving them time to look at the kimono at leisure. Visitors can feel the colors of plants and the texture of tsumugi while meeting a "special kimono" to accompany them for life. People who are not usually familiar with kimono are also welcome.
Details and applications for the try-on session
Details of the exhibition and sale are also available on the official website.
