The purpose of this study was to understand how resources in the Gosen textile production area were deployed in the postwar period and the area’s production structure, so as to support the continued survival of local small and medium-size textile producers. We interviewed members of Gosen weaving cooperatives and a representative weaving company. The scale of production in the Gosen area has reduced gradually since 1975, as shown in the number of weaving companies, production quantity, and shipments: that is, the production base has been weakening. Both high-ranking and low-ranking companies have coexisted in the area. Respondents emphasized that Gosen weaving companies have maintained a traditional technique, called Nureyoko. These findings highlight two factors necessary for the continued survival of weaving in Gosen: it is necessary to build a new production system as soon as possible, and to maintain traditional techniques and high-quality Sirokiji, while at the same time developing new weaving goods which consumers want. ( E-mail: zhangjuanrq@hotmail.co.jp)

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the position of the kinran sector and its production and marketing structures in the Nishijin textile production area in order to revitalize the kinran sector. We interviewed members of Nishijin weaving cooperatives and a representative kinran weaving company. The position of the kinran sector has been rising, but shipments have decreased since 1975. Labor has become better organized in both kinran weaving companies and related companies, but kinran companies remain small-scale family businesses. The market is predominantly temples, so demand is small. Three factors could revitalize the kinran sector: to catch demand from temples as soon as possible, to cooperate with all temples in both production and marketing, and to assist sales promotion with Nishijin weaving cooperatives. (Juan Zhang, Email:zhangjuanrq@hotmail.co.jp)

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Tyrian purple (6,6′-dibromoindigo) is the oldest known dye, and has been used since pre-Roman times in the Mediterranean region. In its reduced form in a vat, it dyes fibers a brilliant violet. Although this dye is stable in the solid state, the leuco-form used in vat-dyeing is unstable in light, giving leuco-indigo by debromination; fibers then become dyed a bluish shade. We examined how to prevent the influence of light on this dye in the vat. We found that light of 300-500 nm wavelength promoted debromination, and that good vat-dyeing could be achieved by excluding light of such wavelengths.( E-mail: sawada@ge.meisei-u.ac.jp)

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In general, leathers are hard to dye. Thus, most methods for dyeing leather involved painting a dyestuff on the leather and binding it with a varnish. In particular, vat-dyeing is very difficult, because dyed leathers suffer from hardening, deterioration, and rapid exfoliation of the pigment owing to rubbing. To overcome these problems, we developed new dyeing methods of evacuating leathers or irradiating them with ultrasonic waves in a dye solution containing an auxiliary agent made of a weak base. Applying this dye solution to silk cloth led to more brilliant colors. ( E-mail: sawada@ge.meisei-u.ac.jp)

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The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between reeling conditions and the physical properties of raw silk yarns reeled by the “cocoon filament entangled” method. Tension tests showed that certain properties of the raw silk yarns were not affected by interactions among several reeling factors. But properties were affected by individual factors of cocoon cooking time, rotor rotation speed, and reeling speed, which influence the interlacing of yarns. These factors and cocoon numbers greatly affected the fineness of reeled raw silk yarns. A significant difference is observed when the fineness of the raw silk yarn is correlated with the various cocoon-cooking time. The fineness depended on the ratio of sinking cocoons to floating cocoons. Raw silk yarns reeled by this method gave silk threads with a very soft, rich feel. (E-mail: okajima@silk.or.jp)

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We investigated the fluorescence of silkworm cocoons under ultraviolet light, a feature which has attracted little attention till now. Evaluating the intensity of fluorescence with Scion Image software, we expressed the highest intensity as 100, and rated the intensities of fluorescence of 111 silkworm races. Different races showed different strengths and weaknesses of intensity. Arranging the intensities step by step, we found that differences in the color and intensity of fluorescence influenced the spectrum curve. ( E mail : ichida@kit.ac.jp)

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A new silk material, called “Silkfill”, was developed for the manufacture of silk bed pads instead of floss silk and Silkwave. “Silkfill” is reeled up from 1,500 to 2,000 wet cocoons onto a big wheel at 50-60 m/min, and is then dried in the skein. This dried skein is as hard as a board because of the adhesive sericin on the fibroin filaments, and so it must be degummed to separate the fibroin filaments. After degumming, it is dried and treated to become a pad on a drafting machine, and then made into a bed pad. “Silkfill” is bulky, but light, and has good recovery from deformation. Fitting monitors showed that bed pads made of “Silkfill” feel light, warm, and soft, and they fit to the body. These features are useful also for knee covers, mufflers, jackets, coats and other items. (E mail: ctaka@nias.affrc.go.jp)

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