Timeless Beauty
in Every Thread
What is Japanese “functional beauty?”
This question lies at the heart
of the Seiko Presage Classic Series.
Born from the concept of “gracefully wearing
Japanese beauty,” this
timepiece pairs
a traditional mechanical
movement made in Japan
with refined aesthetics
and timeless design – capturing
the essence
of Japanese
craftsmanship and understated elegance.
The Presage Museum serves as a platform
to explore evolving expressions
of beauty across Japan, in harmony with
the
philosophy behind Presage.
In this third edition,
we turn our focus to the island
of Amami Oshima.
A Special Dialogue
Between Tradition and Design
Where Heritage and Innovation Share the Same Soul
A Dialogue with Mr. Koshima, Representative
of Oshima Tsumugimura,
and Mr. Takuya Matsumoto, a designer
at Seiko Watch Corporation
Nestled in the lush natural surroundings of Amami Oshima, a quiet dialogue is taking place – between tradition and innovation, threads and looms, craft and time. This conversation unfolds between two artisans of very different worlds: Mr. Tokuharu Koshima, the representative of Oshima Tsumugimura and guardian of a 1,300-year-old textile heritage, and Mr. Takuya Matsumoto, a watch designer at Seiko and one of the people behind the brand’s Presage Classic Series. Though they work in different media, their meeting reveals a shared reverence for precision, patience, and beauty that emerges through use. What unites their crafts is not only technical mastery, but a cultural sensibility rooted in Japan’s deep relationship with nature, the seasons, and continuity.
A Harmony of Nature
and Meticulous Craft
The Philosophy Behind Precision
in Craft
When Seiko watch designer Takuya Matsumoto first encountered the intricate process of making Oshima Tsumugi, he was struck by how closely it mirrored the world of mechanical watchmaking. At Oshima Tsumugimura in Amami Oshima, Mr. Koshima walked him through the multi-step weaving process – from dyeing ultra-fine 0.3mm silk threads with traditional mud-dyeing techniques, to the delicate tying and alignment required to achieve the distinctive kasuri (ikat) patterns.
“We design watches with measurements as small as a hundredth of a millimeter,” Mr. Matsumoto noted. “The way the craftspeople here calculate and adjust patterns before even weaving a single thread – it felt like looking into a mirror of our own process.”
Mr. Koshima explained how each thread must be dyed, protected, and realigned to create patterns with almost microscopic precision. This symmetry of approach resonated deeply with Mr. Matsumoto, who saw in it a shared philosophy: nothing is left to chance. Both crafts demand patience, technical mastery, and an intuitive sense of materials. The traditional use of the shimebata loom – a breakthrough innovation developed in the Meiji era (1868-1912) – transformed Tsumugi into a textile of astonishing precision, much like how advances in micromechanics transformed horology.
Adding to this precision is the symbolic power of the kasuri technique itself: the warp and weft threads must match flawlessly to produce a seamless pattern, much like a gear train must operate in perfect synchronicity to keep time. Both are expressions of Japanese craftsmanship – the deeply rooted cultural spirit of making things with integrity, care, and respect for materials.
Tokuharu Koshima
President & CEO, Oshima Tsumugimura
Certified Traditional Craftsman
Takuya Matsumoto
Product Design Department
Seiko Watch Corporation
Designed for Everyday Elegance:
The Presage Classic Series and
the Spirit of “Functional Beauty”
The Seiko Presage Classic Series is guided by the principle of functional beauty – aesthetic beauty born from practical use. Mr. Matsumoto explained that the timepieces are not merely decorative objects and that their elegance arises from their functionality. The domed dials, for example, are designed to capture light in a way reminiscent of silk’s soft sheen. Even the smallest textural irregularities in the dial’s radial pattern are intentional, evoking the natural undulations of bundled silk threads.
“We wanted to create something that felt gentle and familiar – something people could wear every day,” he said. “Just like a favorite kimono, it should become more beautiful with use.”
The Classic Series draws its inspiration from traditional Japanese materials and craftsmanship, particularly silk. The dials feature intricate textures meant to evoke the shimmer of handwoven threads. Achieving this effect required ultra-precise manufacturing: the embossed dial pattern varies in height by just 0.02 mm, and the curvature enhances the way light dances across its surface.
Mr. Koshima saw a clear parallel with Oshima Tsumugi. “In our tradition, garments are handed down through generations. A kimono might be unstitched and resewn for a daughter, and later made into a baby’s blanket,” he shared. “That’s why we aim for timelessness. Patterns are designed to work for a grandmother and her granddaughter alike.”
He admired the Presage dial’s silk-inspired texture and coloring, which reminded him of the subtle light play across Tsumugi fabrics – especially the way thread thickness and dye absorption create dynamic reflections. The ideas behind the Presage design, he noted, perfectly captured the essence of functional beauty, or beauty that emerges through time, wear, and emotional connection.
Woven by Place:
Amami’s Nature and
the Beauty of the Land
“Oshima Tsumugi could only have been born in Amami,” Mr. Koshima stated. The dyeing process relies on the region’s unique soil – rich in iron due to a meteor impact 1.5 million years ago. The resulting red mud allows for a deep, stable dye when combined with tannin-rich plant extracts like sharinbai, also known as Yeddo Hawthorn, a flowering evergreen shrub that grows wild along the Japanese coast. More than a technique, mud-dyeing is a direct expression of place.
This unique natural context is integral to the fabric’s identity, just as the sense of season and locality is essential to many forms of Japanese craftsmanship. As Mr. Koshima explained, the patterns found in Tsumugi often reflect elements of the local landscape – from sago palm leaves to fish – rooting the art form in its surrounding ecology.
Mr. Koshima added that the Japanese sense of beauty – often described as subtle, restrained, or even quiet – arises precisely from this deep engagement with nature. It is about living alongside nature, revering its power, and drawing inspiration from its changes.
Passing Down Beauty:
Innovation with Respect for Tradition
Toward the end of their conversation, both men turned their thoughts to the future. Preserving tradition, they agreed, requires more than replication – it also needs evolution.
“We now create everyday items using Oshima Tsumugi, not just kimonos,” Mr. Koshima said. “From bags to jackets, we want this fabric to be part of people’s daily lives. That’s how the craft stays alive.”
While remaining rooted in its core principles, Oshima Tsumugi has expanded into a range of modern applications, from vests and coats to interior accents. This innovation isn’t a departure – it’s an affirmation of relevance. As Mr. Koshima put it, “Handcrafted goods should bring joy and a sense of richness to everyday life. That’s what we want our customers to feel, even in fleeting moments.”
Likewise, Mr. Matsumoto emphasized that a watch, while steeped in tradition, should remain relevant. “I hope that through Presage, we can help people reconnect with traditional Japanese materials and values in a modern context.”
As someone who designs watches, Mr. Matsumoto expressed his hope that Presage will spark curiosity about traditional crafts like Oshima Tsumugi. “If our timepieces lead people to explore the story of Japanese silk or discover
the beauty of kasuri patterns, even indirectly, then we’ve succeeded in passing something on.”
Both men agree that tradition must live within the lives of the next generation. That means investing in education,
creating hands-on experiences, and nurturing future artisans. The challenge, they said, is not simply to preserve the past – but to give it new life in a world that continues to change.
Through dialogue and shared ideals, both hope to keep Japanese beauty thriving for generations to come.
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The tatsugo pattern combines stylized motifs of the back of the habu snake – a venomous species native to the region – and cycad leaves, layered with abstract expressions of Amami Oshima’s rich natural landscape. Named after the village of Tatsugo where it was first produced, this design reflects a deep connection to place and tradition.
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Shiro-Oshima is a refined textile woven with undyed white silk for the base, incorporating color only in the patterned kasuri threads. The natural sheen of the white silk gives the fabric a sophisticated yet understated elegance.
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At the Oshima Tsumugimura, artisans are reimagining the fabric for modern life by creating everyday garments such as gilets and shirts – making this traditional textile not only timeless, but wearable in daily life.
Preserving the Legacy
of Amami Oshima Tsumugi
With a lineage stretching back over 1,300 years, Honba Amami Oshima Tsumugi is one of Japan’s most revered textile traditions. Once offered to the Imperial Repository in Nara’s Shosoin, this silk fabric is prized for its subtle sheen, astonishing lightness, and intricate kasuri (ikat) patterns – a hallmark of Amami’s enduring artistry.
Mr. Yasunori Kuroda, Director of the island’s official Tsumugi cooperative, spoke about what makes this craft unique. “Oshima Tsumugi isn’t just beautiful – it’s deeply practical,” he says. “It resists wrinkles, handles moisture well, and feels incredibly light against the skin.” This makes it ideal for both traditional kimono and modern-day applications.
Its quality begins at the thread level. Artisans pre-dye silk threads using a shimebata loom, binding sections with cotton to create negative space for patterns. These threads are then dyed using a method unique to Amami: first soaked in tannin-rich juice from the local sharinbai plant, then repeatedly immersed in iron-rich mud. This results in Oshima Tsumugi’s signature deep black and subtle luster.
What distinguishes this fabric further is that the patterns are not applied on the surface, but dyed into the threads themselves. During weaving, each tiny section must align with precision. “Even a few millimeters of misalignment will cause the entire bolt to fail inspection,” Mr. Kuroda explains. Each finished piece undergoes a rigorous multi-point quality inspection, earning its official certification only after passing all criteria.
This level of perfection brings challenges – chief among them, a shrinking pool of artisans. “Many of our skilled craftspeople are aging,” Mr. Kuroda notes. “To ensure the future of Oshima Tsumugi, we’ve partnered with companies and educational institutions to launch a structured training and internship program.” The program includes mentorship, hands-on experience, and financial support, providing young people a realistic path into the craft.
By combining respect for tradition with modern outreach, the cooperative is working to keep Oshima Tsumugi alive not just as a cultural artifact, but as a living, evolving art form.
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The creation of Oshima Tsumugi begins not with weaving, but with drawing the pattern – pixel by pixel. Using a dot-based schematic, artisans meticulously design where each dyed and undyed section of silk thread will appear in the final fabric. To achieve this, cotton threads are tied onto raw silk threads using a tool called a shimebata (tightening loom). These cotton ties resist dye, allowing artisans to selectively color each silk strand according to the pattern. Once dyed and untied, the threads are aligned in both warp and weft, and the design gradually emerges with astonishing precision during weaving.
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The dyeing process begins by immersing silk threads 20 times in a tannin-rich sharinbai extract, followed by a single dip in mineral-rich mud. This cycle is repeated 4 to 5 times, allowing the colors to deepen from reddish brown to a rich black – achieved through the harmony of nature and craft.
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Amami’s mud-dyeing draws on iron-rich island soil, replenished naturally by rainwater and forest runoff. Threads dyed with sharinbai are immersed in this mud, where iron reacts with plant tannins to deepen the color. Repeated over 85 times, the process yields a deep, enduring black – rooted in nature’s quiet chemistry.
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For brightly colored patterns, the cotton thread in the areas where the color is to be applied is partially undone, and the dye is carefully applied to these areas. If too much dye is applied at once, it will bleed sideways, so the fabric is turned inside out and the same color is applied to the reverse side.
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After dyeing, the tightly bound cotton threads are carefully removed to reveal undyed areas on the silk beneath. These untouched sections form intricate patterns, precisely protected during the process. When arranged in order, each strand reveals a design dyed in perfect alignment – an artful balance of preparation, precision, and patience.
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As warp and weft threads are painstakingly woven together, the hidden pattern gradually emerges – aligned point by point with meticulous care. Each section is matched with precision, revealing the full design only through time and mastery. This is the quiet rhythm of patterned weaving in motion.
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After weaving just 7 centimeters, artisans pause to realign each thread, correcting even the slightest pattern shifts. With only 30 to 40 centimeters completed per day, progress is slow but deliberate. Creating one full bolt of fabric takes nearly two months – a testament to the patience and precision behind every piece.
Things that Express the Beauty of Japan
×
Seiko Presage Classic Series
Exploring the Natural
World Heritage
of Amami Oshima
Where Nature Breathes Culture:
Amami’s Living World Heritage
A Natural World Heritage
Unlike Any Other
In July 2021, Amami Oshima was inscribed as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site – not just for its breathtaking scenery, but also for the remarkable biodiversity that makes it truly unique. The island is home to an exceptional number of endemic species – including the Amami rabbit and the Amami long-haired rat – and forms part of a rare subtropical forest ecosystem that evolved in isolation. But what makes Amami especially compelling is that this rich natural environment is not untouched wilderness. It is closely interwoven with the lives, customs, and beliefs of the people who live there.
Kazuya Moriyama
Deputy Director,
Amami-Oshima World Heritage
Conservation Center
Protecting Culture Through
Nature Conservation
Mr. Kazuya Moriyama, Deputy Director of the Amami-Oshima World Heritage Conservation Center, plays a key role in connecting environmental protection with cultural awareness. “Conservation isn’t just about protecting plants and animals,” he explains. “It’s about passing down a way of living with nature.”
The center focuses on community-based education, where children learn about local ecology and share their discoveries through presentations and storybooks. These efforts have a real impact: rather than imposing top-down restrictions,
such programs empower younger generations to influence their elders. “When a child stands up and explains why protecting native wildlife matters,” says Mr. Moriyama, “even uninterested adults begin to listen.”
The island
has also succeeded in eradicating invasive species like mongooses, once introduced to control venomous habu snakes, thanks to a dedicated coalition of local and national teams. This unprecedented effort has become a
Crafting Japanese Aesthetics
from Nature
Looking at the Seiko Presage Classic Series, Mr. Moriyama said the following about the design: “There’s a quiet beauty in how something as intricate as a watch can express a natural rhythm – like the slow precision of nature
itself.”
He also noted how Japanese aesthetics are often born from living with the land – not dominating it. “The softness of light on silk, the curve of a dial – these are expressions of how Japanese people see beauty in restraint
and time.”
In both textile and timepiece, Amami’s heritage continues to tick quietly forward – a reminder that true elegance is crafted with care and worn with understanding.
Amami Oshima’s registration as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site is rooted in its role as a biodiversity hotspot, home to species found nowhere else on Earth. The creatures on this island have evolved in isolation for millions of years. But this delicate balance is easily disrupted by invasive species and environmental changes. That’s why strict conservation efforts are in place – to protect not just the land, but the entire living network it sustains. Safeguarding Amami’s nature means preserving a global ecological treasure for future generations.
Things that Express the Beauty of Japan
×
Seiko Presage Classic Series
Brown Sugar Shochu
Crafting Bold Tradition:
Brown Sugar Shochu Rooted
in Refined Beauty
Reviving Flavor and Tradition
in Brown Sugar Shochu
At Yayoi Shochu Brewery on Amami Oshima, fourth-generation owner and head brewer Hiroyuki Kawasaki carries on a legacy that began in 1922 with his great-grandmother. In a time when awamori and sweet potato shochu dominated the scene, Yayoi stood out for producing brown sugar shochu – a distinctive style of shochu made with brown sugar and rice koji, unique to Amami and protected by a special legal designation.
While past generations of the Kawasaki family handled the business side, Hiroyuki entered the brewing process himself in 2007 and now leads production with deep hands-on involvement. His vision is clear: rather than chasing popularity with mild, easy-drinking shochu, he is committed to reviving richly flavored, highly aromatic expressions that honor the traditional character of brown sugar shochu.
“I saw people turn their noses up at shochu when I was young,” Mr. Kawasaki recalls, “but I always thought the scent was beautiful.” That early memory drives his dedication to craft shochu that stands out for its boldness and depth, even if it’s not for mass appeal. “I want to make a drink that’s chosen, not just sold,” he says.
Hiroyuki Kawasaki
Fourth-generation CEO of Yayoi Shochu Brewery
Tradition, Innovation,
and the Beauty of Craft
For Mr. Kawasaki, tradition is the unwavering axis of his craft – but innovation has its place too. Drawing from his background as a researcher, he actively explores new methods and brewing equipment. His guiding principle is: “Try it, test it, and trust your senses.” Only techniques that prove themselves through sensory evaluation and intuition are incorporated into his evolving brewing philosophy.
When he encountered the Seiko Presage Classic Series, Mr. Kawasaki was struck by its understated elegance and how it channels the Japanese concept of “functional beauty.” “It reminded me of wabi-sabi,” he says, referencing the traditional appreciation of imperfection and timeworn beauty. “It’s not about boldness, but about subtle harmony – something I also try to achieve in my shochu.”
Having traveled internationally to promote his brand, Kawasaki has visited renowned art museums across Europe. “I love Van Gogh and Gauguin, but I always come back to the quiet dignity of Japanese aesthetics,” he reflects. “There’s power in restraint, and in honoring time and craft.” Whether in shochu or a wristwatch, that philosophy of refined simplicity continues to resonate.
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In the first stage of making brown sugar shochu, moromi – a blend of rice malt, water, and yeast – ferments in earthenware pots. It will later be transferred to tanks, where brown sugar and water are added for the next stage of fermentation.
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Yayoi Shochu Brewery is committed to atmospheric distillation, which is distilling at normal atmospheric pressure resulting in a stronger aroma and richer flavor for its brown sugar shochu.
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The shochu is aged in barrels made from white oak by Japanese craftsmen. The charring on the inside of the barrels imparts a unique depth to the shochu as it ages.
