In Japan, the textile industry has developed in various regions based on the tradition of kimono culture. Each region has a wide variety of dyed and woven fabrics that have been nurtured by the local climate. Beginning with the Meiji period (1868-1912) and continuing until the 1950s, the textile industry was the center of Japan's manufacturing industry and supported the Japanese economy as the mainstay of the export industry. However, postwar technological innovations that promoted mass production and mass consumption, as well as the westernization of lifestyles, have largely eroded the market share of traditional crafts, which require manpower, labor, and expense. Currently, textile production areas are facing the problem of a lack of successors. As the trends of population decline, falling birthrates, and aging population continue, it is presumed that the number of bearers will continue to decline, and the survival of traditional craft techniques and culture is in jeopardy.
日本では着物文化の伝統を背景に、全国各地で繊維産地が発展してきました。全国各地には、それぞれの風土によって育まれてきた多種多様な染物や織物があります。
明治の殖産興業に始まって昭和30年代まで、繊維産業は日本の製造業の中心であり、輸出産業の主力として日本経済を支えてきました。ところが、戦後の技術革新による大量生産・大量消費の促進、生活の洋式化等により、人手や手間・費用を要する伝統工芸のシェアが大きく奪われ、産地は後継者不足の問題を抱えています。人口減少や少子高齢化の傾向は続くことから、担い手は減少を続けることが推測され、これまで守り受け継いできた伝統工芸の技術や文化の存続が危惧されています。
