Nabeshima Dantsu is a carpet-making technique that was introduced to Japan from China via the Silk Road from Persia about three and a half centuries ago. It is a traditional craft with a subtle exotic flavor, refined with Japanese sensibilities. High-quality cotton grown in the reclaimed lands of the Nabeshima domain was used as the material for these carpets, which were also presented to the shogunate.

It was not until the Meiji period (1868-1912) that the technique was made public and became available to the general public. Yoshijima Shinichi Nabeshima Dantsu was established in the first year of Taisho era (1912), and was authorized by the government to hand down the technique in 1943.
Today, under the trade name of “Honke Nabeshima Dantsu,” the company is the oldest weaver and the only one among several manufacturers to have inherited the hand-weaving technique from a single family. The sound of the loom thumping every day can be heard in the workshop, just as it was hundreds of years ago. It takes four to five months to complete a piece the size of a traditional tatami mat. One craftsman is responsible for the finishing touches, and Hiroko Yoshijima, the fourth generation, and Yuriko Yoshijima, the fifth generation, are personally involved in the delicate weaving process. Nabeshima Dantsu, woven with cotton, is smooth in summer and fluffy in winter, and its texture improves as it is used more and more. Even hundred-year-old pieces are brought back to Nabeshima for repair, and they are loved for a long time.

Cotton, which is suitable for Dantsu, is dyed by hand, and we are eager to create new Japanese dyes while mastering traditional colors. In design, we are constantly challenging ourselves to create artistically rich works, such as representative patterns that were presented to the shoguns, patterns infused with novelty based on ancient documents and designs, and even incorporating the essence of dyeing artists, ceramic artists, and Japanese-style painters.
Yoshijima Shinichi Nabeshima Dantsu also accepts custom-made orders. Smaller sizes that fit new lifestyles can also be made to order, taking advantage of the advantages of hand-weaving. We are expanding the possibilities of traditional techniques to include not only rugs but also tapestry-style interior decorations, harmonizing aesthetics with modern architecture.