Launch of the 3rd 'Upcycled Kaga Yuzen Tenugui' on April 6 (Mon): A Collaboration Between Traditional Craft Project 'Kaga Yuzen' and Upcycled Paper Yarn 'TSUMUGI' to Connect Tradition and the Global Environment to the Next Generation
The Upcycle Association, in collaboration with Maida Sengakogei and Kyoto Seika University, will launch the 3rd 'Upcycled Kaga Yuzen Tenugui' on April 6. It combines traditional Ishikawa dyeing techniques with sustainable paper yarn.
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- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 20:00
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The Upcycle Association (Location: Osaka City; Representative Director: Hiroshi Morihara), which develops new initiatives that go beyond traditional recycling boundaries through cross-industry collaboration, has produced the 3rd "Upcycled Kaga Yuzen Tenugui" in a traditional Japanese craft collaboration with "Maida Sengakogei" (Location: Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture; Representative: Kenji Maida). This product, part of the "TSUMUGI" project that upcycles used paper resources and unused thinned wood into paper yarn, will go on sale starting Monday, April 6, 2026.
## A Collaboration Project to Connect the Traditional Techniques of "Kaga Yuzen" and the Global Environment to the Next Generation
Kaga Yuzen, perfected during the Edo period, is characterized by its color palette known as "Kaga Gosai" (indigo, crimson, ochre, dark green, and royal purple) and its picturesque patterns featuring realistically depicted flora. Unlike Kyoto Yuzen, it rarely uses finishing decorations like gold leaf or embroidery, drawing out natural beauty solely through delicate dyeing techniques. At its peak, there were over 350 artists, but today, issues such as a lack of successors have made passing down these cultivated techniques to the next generation a significant challenge.
Amidst this, a project was launched in June 2023 where students from "Kyoto Seika University" create "tenugui" (traditional hand towels) using Yuzen dyeing under the supervision of Hitoshi Maida, a Yuzen artist at "Maida Sengakogei" who participates in the Upcycle Association. The second installment of these products was released in April 2025. The fabric uses "TSUMUGI," a paper yarn promoted by the Upcycle Association made from reborn paper resources and thinned wood, making this a project that passes both traditional techniques and the global environment to the next generation.
## A Collaboration Project to Connect the Traditional Techniques of "Kaga Yuzen" and the Global Environment to the Next Generation
Kaga Yuzen, perfected during the Edo period, is characterized by its color palette known as "Kaga Gosai" (indigo, crimson, ochre, dark green, and royal purple) and its picturesque patterns featuring realistically depicted flora. Unlike Kyoto Yuzen, it rarely uses finishing decorations like gold leaf or embroidery, drawing out natural beauty solely through delicate dyeing techniques. At its peak, there were over 350 artists, but today, issues such as a lack of successors have made passing down these cultivated techniques to the next generation a significant challenge.
Amidst this, a project was launched in June 2023 where students from "Kyoto Seika University" create "tenugui" (traditional hand towels) using Yuzen dyeing under the supervision of Hitoshi Maida, a Yuzen artist at "Maida Sengakogei" who participates in the Upcycle Association. The second installment of these products was released in April 2025. The fabric uses "TSUMUGI," a paper yarn promoted by the Upcycle Association made from reborn paper resources and thinned wood, making this a project that passes both traditional techniques and the global environment to the next generation.