Yuzen 友禅 is a resist dyeing technique, where the outline of the pattern is drawn free-hand using a cone filled with rice paste, and colored in thereafter.

The yuzen technique, which allows artists to create highly detailed patterns that fully showcase their skills, may be the most prized technique for dyeing kimonos and accessories. That is also why the “catalogs “of those who make most famous Japanese garment are bound to include at least a few yuzen dyed garments.

The technique is named after Yuzensai Miyazaki, the highly influential 17th century folding fans artist who invented it, and effectively created a style of his own.

In the early 19th century, the yuzen dying technique became the standard of the akebono-zome clothing style, characterized by a dark grey or brown background, a narrow hem in a lighter color, and stylized flowers and leaves, symbols associated with classic Japanese literature and drama.

During the Meiji Restauration period (1868–1912) many Western influences pervaded Japan, and also affected the yuzen technique by introducing synthetic pigments and large-scale production methods like the kata-yuzen, which uses stencils.

In the early 20th century, the amalgamation of Art Nouveau-inspired motifs rekindled interest in the unmistakable yuzen style that characterizes bow ties in the Shibusa collection, like Heizei.