Art tights in collaboration with Neputa paintings will go on sale this winter. Manufactured and sold by "tokone" (Tokyo).

The products to be released are leggings, tights, arm covers, and two types of masks. The company made the announcement on August 26. The motifs are all Neputa peony paintings drawn by the Neputa painter Seiryuin (Yashima) Ryusen. Tsugaru Cyber Media (Joto-Chuo, Hirosaki City) Mr. Jo Okawa, whose grandfather is Tokujiro Okawa, who is known as a master of the Neputa group, made a proposal to create a collaboration between Neputa paintings and art tights.

Okawa said, ``The coronavirus epidemic forced the cancellation of the Hirosaki Neputa Festival. was.”

Tokone manufactures and sells legwear through cross-genre collaboration based on the concept of “wearable art”. In recent years, they have collaborated with fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto and musician Yuya Uchida, and in recent years have sold art tights that make use of the image of the anime "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba".

Creative director Hazuki Sugai, who was unable to visit Hirosaki due to the corona crisis, said, "It's the first time we've collaborated with a traditional festival. is important, but I could only know about Neputa from the internet and materials, and it was difficult to get a sense of the atmosphere and reality." “While respecting the Neputa paintings, which are characterized by their beautiful lines, I was fumbling about how far I could break them down. I wanted people who didn’t know Neputa to wear them because they thought they were cool, but I also wanted people participating in the Neputa to wear them. I wanted to make something."

Mr. Sugai stayed in Hirosaki from August 2nd to 6th for product photography. I experienced the Hirosaki Neputa Festival for the first time. The photos were taken during the festival, and with the cooperation of the Neputa Association of the Higashi District Neputa, graduates of the fashion vocational school "Sunmode School of Design" (Shimoshirogane-cho) were appointed as models. Mr. Sugai said, "This shoot was made possible thanks to various connections and the kindness of the people of Hirosaki."

During his stay in Hirosaki, he also met Mr. Yashima, a Neputa painter, for the first time. Mr. Sugai said with a smile, "(Mr. Yashima) is a very tolerant person, and he was pleased with the finished art tights."

Mr. Sugai, who will adjust the details based on the information he obtained during his stay in Hirosaki, said, "We are not just selling products, but as a piece of work that conveys the culture of Neputa to many people. I want to make it something that will be accepted,” he said enthusiastically.

It is planned to be sold at Tokone's mail order site and a physical store in Hirosaki.