「西陣」の由来
【広報担当のあれこれ日記】
伝統工芸の西陣織でも有名な地域、「西陣」。西陣織に携わる人が多い京都市の北西部を中心に広い地域を指します。
では、何故、西陣と呼ぶのか…？それは、室町時代に起こった応仁の乱が関わってきます。
Origin of 'Nishijin' (西陣）
[Journal of PR people]
Nishijin' is an area famous for its traditional Nishijin brocade.It refers to a large area centering on the northwest part of Kyoto City where many Nishijin brocade making peoples are involved in .
So why do they call it Nishijin...?
Because it is related to the Onin War（応仁の乱）which occurred in the Muromachi period.
京都で織物作りは、5世紀頃から始まります。平安遷都とともに、宮廷の織物を管理する「織部司（おりべのつかさ）」という役所が置かれ、上京区黒門上長者町辺りに住んでいた職人に高級な織物作りを奨励したことに伴い、発展しました。その結果、この一帯には織物職人が多く集まる場所になります。
The textile manufacturing started around the fifth century in Kyoto. After the transfer of the capital in the Heian era, an office to manage the textile for the court called "Oribe no Tsukasa" was founded and the craftsmen lived near Kamichoja-machi in Kuromon, Kamigyou-ku were encouraged to manufacture the high-class textile. Then the the textile manufacturing has been developed. As a result, the area has many textile craftsmen.
応仁の乱の時には、一時離散していましたが、戦が終わると職人達が京都に戻り、織物作りを再開します。その職人が戻ってきた場所が、西軍の総大将・山名宗全率いる西軍の陣地が置かれていた辺り。
その頃から、西軍の陣地があった場所＝「西陣」と呼ばれるようになりました。
During the Onin War, the craftsmen had for a time spread out in different locations but after the war, returned to Kyoto and continued fabric production. The place where the craftsmen returned was where the west army led by a general named Yamana Mochitoyo had occupied. Since then, it came to be called "Nishijin," which means west camp.
