In 2018, koginbank designed and provided a kogin stitch pattern for the uniform of Blancdieu Hirosaki FC, a football team for working adults based in Hirosaki City.“Cherry blossom-colored kogin pattern (2018.6.16)”　
This year, they will wear this pattern on their uniforms again for the first time in several years to challenge the game. We spoke with Brancdeu Hirosaki FC, who have been facing Kogin-Zashi in Sports since 2018.

We interviewed Mr. Yuki Nishizawa, President of Blancdeu Hirosaki Co.

About of Blancdieu Hirosaki FC

Blancdieu Hirosaki FC is a football team established in 2012 by the NPO Hirosaki J-Sports Project with the aim of contributing to the creation of a bright and prosperous community through sports. in 2019, Blancdieu Hirosaki Inc. became the governing body with a view to promotion to the J-League, The team currently plays in the amateur Tohoku Adult First Division League.

The emblem is the city emblem of Hirosaki, the cherry blossoms and Mt. Iwaki, and the mascot character is Bluffe, the fairy of Shirakami. These are filled with the charms of the Hirosaki City.

To be promoted from the current amateur league to the J-League, a team must compete in the National Regional Soccer Champions League against the winner of the first division league in each region of Japan and place among the top two teams. Blancdieu Hirosaki FC participated in this Champions League last year, but regrettably lost in the first round. However, as for the strength of the team, the J-League is in sight.

Nevertheless, the J-League does not promote only on the strength of one’s game; the J-League has a provision for community-based sports clubs that can work together with the local community to create a city where sports are integrated into daily life and people can enjoy physical and mental health and enjoyment in life . Therefore, club teams need to establish independent club management within the community. They must attract a large number of customers and must be able to thrive together with the community.

Commitment to the Uniform of Kogin pattern

Regarding Blancdieu Hirosaki FC’s adoption of the kogin pattern for its uniforms, the Brancdieu Hirosaki FC Official Yearbook states the following.

“The weaving of the kogin stitching into our uniforms is a sign of respect for our predecessors who overcame hardships with their wisdom, as well as a sign of our determination to overcome any difficulties Brancdieu Hirosaki may face in the future with our wisdom.”

When we provided the pattern in 2018, we created it with the hope that the kogin pattern on the back of Nishi-kogin would back up the players like a talisman, although it is not a Sakasakabu to ward off evil spirits.

Local newspaper Mutsu Shimpo when the kogin pattern was first used on uniforms in 2018.

Kogin will be the lubricant

For the past three years, up until last year, Brancdieu Hirosaki FC has invited local high school students to compete for the uniform design. This was a competition that Brandieu Hirosaki offered local high school students an opportunity to present their work, as the National High School Fashion Championships (Fashion Koshien), held annually in Hirosaki, was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some high school students in Aomori Prefecture deepened their understanding of kogin in class for this purpose and applied for the competition.

Uniforms for 2021, bold cherry blossoms in kogin-pattern

We looked at the application forms for the adopted designs, and the explanations of the designs were well thought out in terms of the meaning and background of the patterns, and the players and supporters who judged the designs had an opportunity to learn about kogin stitching in a new way. Now, players and supporters look forward to seeing how the kogin will be designed on their uniforms every year. Also, there are many players who come to the team from other prefectures. For them, the kogin pattern on the uniform is the first entrance to know the local character of Hirosaki.

I am thrilled to see the team not only represent Hirosaki on the big stage of the J-League someday, but also create a drama that will bring people in and out of the community together, create vitality in the community, and capture the dream of promotion to the J-League. I am very excited to see the drama that is being created as the team dreams of winning promotion to the J-League.

Uniforms for 2022, with the image of cherry blossoms blooming at Hirosaki Castle, and a knotted flower modoco.

Kogin’s vitality as a local culture

The reason why they wear Kogin pattern on their uniforms is, as mentioned above, to take the spirituality of their predecessors and turn it into their own strength.
Kogin Sashimi is often focused on the uniqueness of the pattern created by threading a weft thread through a plain weave cloth with a hand needle. However, when we talk to many people who enjoy kogin-sashi handicrafts, who use kogin-sashi products, or who use kogin-sashi for product design, we find that many of them have adopted kogin-sashi because they strongly resonate with the wisdom and spirit of their ancestors who created durable and beautiful cloth in an environment where resources are scarce.

2023 uniforms with auspicious arrow pattern on the sleeves.

It has been nearly 100 years since the revival of kogin-zashi, but I feel that the fact that it has survived as a traditional craft while losing the practicality valued in folk art as people’s lives have developed is due to the strength of the desire to respect the people of the time when kogin-zashi was a way of life that has led it this far. I think it can be said that Blancdeu Hirosaki FC’s uniforms fully utilize the aspect of kogin-sashimi that conveys the history of the region and fosters local culture.
This year 2024, Blancdieu Hirosaki FC will begin league play on April 28. We look forward to another successful year reaching the J-League!