Interview with Tomio Kusudo
Why did you open a rush grass shop?
Kusudo
Rush grass was my family’s business. We made tatami mats and also worked as rush grass brokers.
Toraiya Honpo also shares things from the local area.
I learned about IGUSA GLASS in fall 2019 and fell in love with it at first sight. Then I learned that Toshifumi Imayoshi of “IGUSA LABO” was working to preserve things from the past, and thought that was just like us.
I started this because I wanted people to rediscover the rush grass of Kurashiki and Hayashima.
Rush grass production and processing are disappearing from Kurashiki, and are now limited even across Japan. We have to preserve them.
Today, the only person growing rush grass in Kurashiki that can be sold as a product is Toshifumi Imayoshi of IGUSA LABO.
IGUSA LABO handles everything from growing rush grass to manufacturing rush grass products. He grows it, processes it, weaves it, and sells it—“a one-person sixth-sector industrialization.”
I want us all to help promote rush grass.
What was rush grass production like in the past?
Kusudo
Around my family home, every local government grew rush grass. It was laid out in long rows along the roads, so much that cars couldn’t get through.
People came from all over Japan to help harvest the rush grass. They stayed overnight, too. We had people come from Kochi Prefecture.
Families that grew rush grass had large homes because they hosted the helpers. Hayashima Town has many grand houses because they belonged to rush grass growers.
People worked from early morning until late at night. It was lively back then.
There was even an “Igusa Department” at the prefectural government office. “Hanamushiro industry” was also a business category.
It was that prosperous. When did things start to change?
Kusudo
The development of the Mizushima Industrial Complex during the Showa era was one of the factors. Rush grass tips also began to wither due to smoke emissions, and the work became difficult.
Rush grass production is very hard. It’s planted in the middle of winter and harvested in the middle of summer—a tremendous amount of physical labor.
Many parents began to think, “We can’t have our children take over. They’d be better off working at the industrial complex, where they’d have a secure future,” and more and more farms closed.
Production also declined as rush grass from Kyushu and overseas gained ground. It was people from Kurashiki who taught people in Kyushu and overseas how to grow rush grass, though.
Even so, we continued selling it around Japan until about 1980, and new tatami mats were still being showcased at competitions until around 2008.
A lot of it was also sold as folk crafts in the Bikan Historical Area, but that has declined now, too.
By around 2010, only a few farms in Kurashiki were growing rush grass. The people responsible for production were born around the early years of the Showa era. They were no longer at an age where they could keep doing such hard physical work for long.
At this rate, it would all disappear.
Our lifestyles have changed, and we have fewer opportunities to come into contact with tatami and rush grass.
Kusudo
More homes don’t even have a single tatami room, and even those that do sometimes use synthetic fibers.
Rush grass absorbs moisture in summer and releases the moisture it has stored in winter, regulating the humidity in a room.
However, rush grass doesn’t do well in enclosed spaces. If there isn’t good airflow, it absorbs too much moisture and gets moldy.
But modern homes are highly airtight, and the tatami base is different, too. Tatami bases used to be made of straw, but now they’re made of polystyrene foam, so the rush grass can’t breathe.
You just need to open the windows and let the air in.
I think demand will grow from what it is now if more people learn about the benefits of rush grass.
Some children these days may never have seen a real woven rush mat. At Hanamushiro, we make sure they can see and touch the real thing.
It’s great that you can see, touch, smell, and experience it. Does Kurashiki rush grass have any distinctive features?
Kusudo
The “Okayama No. 3” variety grown in Okayama is thick and sturdy, with a rugged feel.
The rush grass Imayoshi grows is really good. The spongy tissue inside is firm. His sleeping mats are especially top quality. You only understand when you touch them.
What do you think makes rush grass appealing, Mr. Kusudo?
Kusudo
Maybe being able to stretch out and lie down. You can lie down anywhere.
It doesn’t feel that cold even in the middle of winter, and it feels pleasant against your skin in every season.
You opened in March 2020, but the impact of COVID-19 must have been significant.
Kusudo
There aren’t any tourists. But I feel like this situation may actually have been a good thing.
It’s given us time to think carefully about what the shop should be and work on it at a relaxed pace.
If we’d been operating, we wouldn’t have had the time, and we might have rushed things and ended up as an ordinary souvenir shop. I feel like we’ve been given time.
Is there anything you’d like people to know?
Kusudo
I want people to know that Kurashiki was a city of hanagoza woven rush mats.
I think the best thing is to let children touch them. That way, the tradition can continue.
Please come and touch the real thing.
Bring rush grass into your life
When you hear “rush grass folk crafts,” you might think, “Maybe they’re old-fashioned?”
However, many products are made to suit modern lifestyles, with a sleek, modern feel.
The shop is filled with the scent of rush grass, which alone seems relaxing. I felt nostalgic and refreshed.
Igusaya Hanamushiro is also a place to experience the culture, filled with a desire to cherish and preserve it.
The workshops are also recommended for families!
Come and experience rush grass at Igusaya Hanamushiro.
Igusaya Hanamushiro details
| Name | Igusaya Hanamushiro |
|---|---|
| Address | 6-21 Honmachi, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-427-0122 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday If Monday is a public holiday, the following day |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | Igusaya Hanamushiro | Toraiya Honpo |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
