NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉

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2007/1/12


八重山上布 Yeyama-joufu Yaeyama Joufu Fabric

Jp En

Yaeyama joufu (high-quality ramie) fabric is woven on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. The small dark-brown 'kasuri' (scratched) patterns against the white background on this material give a very refreshing look.

In the early 17th century, the Satsuma clan invaded Ryukyu (Okinawa) and imposed taxes on the Okinawans. Many people were made to weave fabric to be sent as tribute to their rulers, hence the development of the Yaeyama joufu technique.

After regulations were abolished at the end of the Meiji period, the craftworkers organized guilds and Yaeyama joufu became a popular cottage industry.

The materials for the ramie and the many kinds of dye are all natural, and are turned into beautiful fabric by the hands and wisdom of the people. The cloth is dried in the May sun and the dyes are fixed by seawater.

Many people love this high-quality ramie because it suits the subtropical climate: it is refreshing and light enough to to let air pass through.
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本場黄八丈 Honba-Kihatijou Honba-kihachijo Fabric

Jp En

Honba-kihachijo fabric is a graceful, yellow, brown and black cloth woven in Hachijo, Hachijo Island, Tokyo.

In former times, people from Tokyo passed the techniques of silk production to Hachijo Island. The islanders developed the technique in the Muromachi period, and presented their silk fabrics as tribute.

In the Kanei period, the island craftsmen started to weave an 'eagle-colored' fabric using camphor bark. In the Kansei period, they developed the dyeing techniques used for the production of kihachijo.

Kihachijo's characteristics are its unique dyeing and weaving techniques that were developed in Hachijo's island climate. The colors are mainly yellow, brown and black, and are all natural vegetable dyes from the island.

Kihachijo does not discolor, in fact, the more you wash it, the more vivid it becomes.
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2007/1/9


阿波正藍しじら織 Awashouai-Sijiraori Awashouai-Shijiraori Fabric

Jp En

Awashouai-shijiraori is a type of fabric that was first made in the early Meiji period. It was a refined version of a cotton fabric made in the Aba region (today's Tokushima Prefecture) of Shikoku.

Because commoners in the Edo period were forbidden to use silk, merchants were motivated to be creative with cotton fabric, and developed a cloth called 'tataeori'. There are many theories as to what led to the improvement of this fabric, but the most likely one is that it developed from the natural patterns that appeared when the wet fabric was dried in the sun.

Awashouai-shijiraori is colored with a natural dye from the 'abaai' (indigo ptianze) plant. Awashouai-shijiraori has a creased texture that gives it a leather-like feel. It's coolness and crispness is perfect for summer clothing. Despite the simplicity of the color tone, the fabric's elegance and rich quality are unmistakable. In 1978, Awashouai-shijiraori was designated a Traditional Handicraft of Japan.
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NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉 - 日本語に切り替える NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉 - to english

"Nippon-kichi" leads you to places, people and things that reveal a certain Japanese aesthetic.

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