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Kamakura Yoshitarô was a 20th century traditional textile artist, designated a [[Living National Treasure]] for his skill at the traditional art of ''[[katazome]]'', or resist-dyeing. Kamakura was also an influential scholar of Okinawan history, publishing works on ''[[bingata]]'' (Okinawan resist-dyeing textile arts) and other aspects of Okinawan culture and history, as well as numerous photographs of historical sites in Okinawa. He also amassed a very significant collection of historical documents and artifacts. Much of his original handwritten notes remain in the Okinawa Prefectural University of the Arts (Okinawa Geidai) Library or other collections today; much of these, a mixture of direct transcriptions of [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] documents and Kamakura's own thoughts or interpretations, have also been published in modern type, as ''Kamakura Yoshitarô shiryôshû''.<ref>Okinawa kenritsu geijutsu daigaku fuzoku kenkyûsho 沖縄県立芸術大学附属研究所 (eds.), ''Kamakura Yoshitarô shiryôshû'' 鎌倉芳太郎資料集, 2002-2015 (five volumes).</ref>

Kamakura Yoshitarô was a 20th century traditional textile artist, designated a [[Living National Treasure]] for his skill at the traditional art of ''[[katazome]]'', or resist-dyeing. Kamakura was also an influential scholar of Okinawan history, publishing works on ''[[bingata]]'' (Okinawan resist-dyeing textile arts) and other aspects of Okinawan culture and history, as well as numerous photographs of historical sites in Okinawa. He also amassed a very significant collection of historical documents and artifacts. Much of his original handwritten notes remain in the Okinawa Prefectural University of the Arts (Okinawa Geidai) Library or other collections today; much of these, a mixture of direct transcriptions of [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] documents and Kamakura's own thoughts or interpretations, have also been published in modern type, as ''Kamakura Yoshitarô shiryôshû''.<ref>Okinawa kenritsu geijutsu daigaku fuzoku kenkyûsho 沖縄県立芸術大学附属研究所 (eds.), ''Kamakura Yoshitarô shiryôshû'' 鎌倉芳太郎資料集, 2002-2015 (five volumes).</ref>

Originally from [[Kagawa prefecture]], Kamakura graduated from the [[Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko|Tokyo School of Fine Arts]] in 1921, and taught at the Okinawa Prefectural Number One Girls' High School & Normal School for the next two years (from May 1921 until March 1923). During that time, he engaged in extensive research into Okinawan culture. He returned to Tokyo in April 1924 and re-enrolled in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, in order to continue his research; learning two months later of plans to tear down [[Shuri castle]], he joined up with [[Ito Chuta|Itô Chûta]], professor of architecture at [[University of Tokyo|Tokyo Imperial University]], to campaign for the castle's preservation. Over the next three years (into 1927), he traveled to Okinawa several times, conducting surveys of Okinawan art, including taking copious notes and numerous photographs of historical architecture and art objects. Though much of Kamakura's materials were lost when he lost his home to fires in 1945, some 81 volumes<ref>''Kamakura Yoshitarô shiryôshû (nôto hen)'', vol. 4, Naha: Okinawa University of the Arts (2016), xxviii.</ref> of his notes and photographs stored at the School of Fine Arts survived, and remain vital resources today.

Originally from [[Kagawa prefecture]], Kamakura graduated from the [[Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko|Tokyo School of Fine Arts]] in 1921, and taught at the Okinawa Prefectural Number One Girls' High School & Normal School for the next two years (from May 1921 until March 1923). During that time, he engaged in extensive research into Okinawan culture. He returned to Tokyo in April 1924 and re-enrolled in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, in order to continue his research; learning two months later of plans to tear down [[Shuri castle]], he joined up with [[Ito Chuta|Itô Chûta]], professor of architecture at [[University of Tokyo|Tokyo Imperial University]], to campaign for the castle's preservation. Over the next three years (into 1927), he traveled to Okinawa several times, conducting surveys of Okinawan art, including taking copious notes and numerous photographs of historical architecture and art objects. He organized exhibitions of Okinawan art in Tokyo in 1925 and 1928 which included objects from the private collections of [[Ifa Fuyu|Ifa Fuyû]], [[Okada Saburosuke|Okada Saburôsuke]], and others, and which are said to have inspired artists such as [[Kikuchi Keigetsu]].<ref>Nitta Setsuko, "Oppression of and Admiration for Okinawan Textiles: Commercial Items and Art Objects," Okinawan Art in its Regional Context symposium, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 10 Oct 2019.</ref>

 

Though much of Kamakura's materials were lost when he lost his home to fires in 1945, some 81 volumes<ref>''Kamakura Yoshitarô shiryôshû (nôto hen)'', vol. 4, Naha: Okinawa University of the Arts (2016), xxviii.</ref> of his notes and photographs stored at the School of Fine Arts survived, and remain vital resources today.

Kamakura continued his research after the war, and in 1973 was named a Living National Treasure, as holder of knowledge on ''kata-e-zome'' (stencil dyeing) techniques. His photographs, today in the collection of the Okinawa Prefectural University of the Arts, were designated [[Important Cultural Properties]] in 2005.

Kamakura continued his research after the war, and in 1973 was named a Living National Treasure, as holder of knowledge on ''kata-e-zome'' (stencil dyeing) techniques. His photographs, today in the collection of the Okinawa Prefectural University of the Arts, were designated [[Important Cultural Properties]] in 2005.