What is Koginzashi?
What is Kogin embroidery?
Kogin embroidery is a type of sashiko featuring geometric patterns created by farm women in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture during the Edo period. Only hemp cloth was permitted to be worn even in the harsh winter. In such an environment, people survived the harsh winter by filling the holes in the linen cloth with thread to reinforce and increase the warmth . The technique of stitching one layer at a time while moving the needle sideways prevents missed stitches and is very logical in terms of fulfilling the practical purpose of reinforcement and cold protection. The purpose of filling the holes was the geometric patterns called modoko that we enjoy today.
When farm girls reached the age of 5 or 6, their mothers gave them needles and thread, and they learned simple patterns and gradually more complex patterns. When they got married, they brought 3 to 6 kimonos with Kogin embroidery. The girls would gather together with their Kogin embroidered and enjoy embroidering to create more attractive designs.
◆Types of Kogin embroidery
Kogin has developed into designs with different characteristics in three regions separated by the Iwaki River. It is clear that the local characteristics have had a great influence on the patterns.
Area: Kuroishi City, Hirakata Town, Minamitsugaru District (now Hirakawa City), Onoe Town, Minamitsugaru District (now Hirakawa City), Ishikawa District, Hirosaki City
Characteristics: Most of the items are embroidered on coarse cloth woven with thick linen threads. The patterns are generally bold and large , with no stripes and the same pattern applied from the front to the back.
*The above photo is a work created in imitation of Higashi Kogin.
Area: Nakatsugaru District, Nishimeya Village, former Iwaki Town (now Hirosaki City), former Soma Village (now Hirosaki City), Funazawa District, Ozawa District
Characteristics: Made of finely woven cloth made from fine ramie threads, the pattern is intricate . The shoulders have alternating stripes of black and white threads, hence the name "Striped Kogin." The back of the body has a "kutsuwa-tsunagi (inverted hump)" pattern, which is said to ward off vipers.
[Three-striped Kogin] Kogin downstream of Mt. Iwaki
Area: Former Kanagi Town (now Goshogawara City), Former Shariki Village (now Tsugaru City), Former Kizukuri Village (now Tsugaru City)
Characteristics: The front and back of the body are decorated with three vivid, thick stripes . Repeated cold weather and poor harvests have meant that people did not have the means to spend their time on Kogin embroidery, so surviving examples are extremely rare.
How to read Kogin (personal opinion)
I think that Kogin can be pronounced either "koginsashi" or "koginzashi". I call it "koginsashi" because of the sound I've heard, but there are also many people who call it "kogin". "Even in our generation, there are differences in Tsugaru dialect, and I think the voiced consonants are just a small difference.
*As of April 2022, the explanation of Kogin embroidery on the wall inside the ticket gate at Hirosaki Station read "Koginsashi," and at the Kogin Festival the furigana was written as "Koginzashi."
References
The following references are very interesting books both as photo collections and as reading material.
⚪︎Tanaka Chuzaburo. The world of Michinoku antique fabrics .
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2009. (ISBN978-4-309-76131-2)
⚪︎Supervised by the Hirosaki Kogin Research Institute. The definitive collection of techniques and patterns for Tsugaru Kogin embroidery, including basic knowledge, basic and applied techniques, and Modoko patterns .
Seibundo Shinkosha, 2013. (ISBN978-4-416-61390-0)
Satonobo