Yamagata Dantsu

The ultimate in carpets, born from collaborations with top creators

Nine of the ten TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA cars, with the exception of Dining SHIKI-SHIMA, are carpeted with Yamagata Dantsu. UMI adorns the floors of the suite rooms and KOMOREBI that of Lounge Komorebi, both patterns designed by Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama, and KOKE, designed by the architect Kengo Kuma, decorates the floors of View Terrace Kizashi and View Terrace Ibuki.
Mr. Okuyama uses an original Yamagata Dantsu shading technique in UMI to produce a dynamic depiction of waves on the level surface of the rug, while KOMOREBI evokes sunlight filtering through leaves that flutter in a gentle breeze. KOKE utilizes 26 different hues of thread and reproduces the appearance and texture of moss via a technique where a special tool is utilized to manually stab yarn up through the underside of the rug. Each carpet has a superb sheen and a smooth, comfortable texture.

Hand weaving techniques created and developed in a textile town

Yamanobe in Yamagata Prefecture has been a textile producing town since olden times. Crops in the area were frequently damaged by cold weather so, in an early Showa Era initiative to revive the local economy, craftsmen from China were invited to come and teach the basics of weaving carpets by hand. Carpet weaving has now developed into the industry for which this area is best known.
Oriental Carpet Mills, the company that makes Yamagata Dantsu, was founded in 1935. Due to the excellent quality of their carpets, they have supplied locations such as the Imperial Palace’s modern Kyuden and Fukiage Palace, the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace, and the Kyoto State Guest House. With “A Warm Welcome for Every Foot” as their motto, the entire manufacturing process is carried out by skilled artisans, from the design stage, spinning and weaving, right up to the mercerization using their proprietary finishing technique.