The exhibition sales of broom - Naiya - Rie Yokohata
The hot days are still continuing, but how are you all doing? The sun is shining brightly, but according to the calendar it is already the beginning of autumn, the beginning of autumn. I was thinking that this year I would go to the pool or the beach before it gets cooler, and I went to the river as usual. As I was playing until the sun went down, despite my age, I heard the sound of cicadas coming from somewhere... It was a rare sound for someone like me who was born and raised in Tokyo. It brought back memories of the summer holidays I spent at my grandparents' house in the countryside when I was a child, and I remember feeling a kind of emotion in my heart and happiness.
When do you feel happy? When you spend time with loved ones, when you laugh, when you eat delicious food... I think it's different for each person, but there are surprisingly many moments in everyday life that make you feel richer. This time, we will introduce some events that will make you feel happy in your daily life.
For ten days from September 14th (Saturday) to September 23rd (Monday), we will be holding an exhibition and sale of brooms by Naiya Yokohata Rie.
Now let me introduce you to Naiya's Yokohata Rie.
After working as a designer in the apparel industry, he trained at a broom shop for eight years before going independent in 2021. He lives in the Satomi region in northern Ibaraki Prefecture, and he does everything from sowing the seeds to threshing, drying, and making the brooms himself! In addition, the broom corn used as the raw material is grown without pesticides. The harvest season is the hottest time of August. It is said to be the most physically demanding task. And that's because he does not harvest all at once, but instead does the painstaking work of harvesting only those that are at the same level of growth, which he does from early morning to late at night for a month. By doing this, the brooms are made into a very comfortable sweeping broom and the grass is less likely to fall out. He wants to preserve the scenery in a natural way where "you can get a comfortable tool when you want it."
One of the attractions of brooms is that they don't make a loud noise like vacuum cleaners. They are great for quick use when your children are taking a nap or at night. They have a long history, even appearing in the Kojiki as a ritual tool, and it is said that displaying them at the entrance of your home will ward off evil and bring in happiness.
You can see it when you actually hold it in your hand, but this is the work of artisans. The length of the handle and the angle of the tip are designed to make it easy to sweep, so you can sweep without bending your back. The rustling sound when sweeping, the smooth feel of the handle, the lightness when you hold it, the beautiful appearance, and the unique scent of broom corn are all so soothing that I personally want to smell them forever.
The thread, which blends beautifully with the color of the grass, is dyed every winter using garden trees. The pussy willow dye, which uses the flower spikes of the pussy willow, which literally blooms and looks like a cat's tail, produces a pale beige pink. Just looking at it is soothing to the soul. We hope that visitors will pick up the many attractive brooms and experience them while thinking about how they will use them starting tomorrow.
The seeds that were planted grow vigorously in the summer sunshine, and through the craftsmanship of the artisan, they become a broom that blends seamlessly into everyday life. It is something that is certainly a part of everyday life, but also something that can enrich the soul.
All of our staff are looking forward to seeing everyone's happy faces, knowing that these brooms will be supporting your daily lives from tomorrow.
*The images shown may differ from the actual items as they include past items.
