Okinawa: Weaving Culture

"Journeys in Japan"

A former kingdom in the southern seas...

Bursting in vivid colors...

and pleasing patterns.

Created using intricate techniques that have endured the test of time.

On Journeys in Japan,

we make our way to Okinawa to explore its art of weaving and dyeing.

Sheila Cliffe is a British kimono expert.

Japan has so many different kinds of dyeing and woven textiles.

And this is a testimony to the rich climate of this country

that stretches 3,000 kilometers from north to south.

This time, in search of unique dyeing and weaving,

I'm visiting various areas in the southern islands, Okinawa.

During this trip,

I hope to enjoy a little of Okinawan culture and history, too.

So, let the journey begin.

Okinawa is a collection of 160 sub-tropical islands,

located some 1,500 kilometers from Tokyo.

Our first destination is Kijoka

on the northern end of Okinawa's main island.

It's home to a distinctive textile called "bashofu."

Hello.

Taira Mieko runs a bashofu studio here.

You're wearing bashofu. It's cool, right?

It is. Very airy.

(Bashofu workshop)

This is our workshop.

I see many processes are taking place.

Bashofu is made from a local plant fiber.

Threads are being prepared for dyeing.

What is she doing?

It is a process called kasuri musubi, which is unique to bashofu.

Sections are bound.

The covered areas?

They will be left undyed.

In a vat of local indigo called "ryukyu,"

an artisan constantly circulates and checks the threads.

Both time and labor-intensive work.

See. There are the dyed and undyed sections.

A "kasuri" or splash pattern emerges

when the resist-dyed threads are woven into cloth.

Local plants are used to create various shades.

Just extraordinary bashofu.

It takes three years to nurture the plant, right?

Then, there are over 20 steps before the cloth is complete.

Look. These are all Itobasho.

These are the plants used in the cloth.

A relative of the banana, they bear small and inedible fruit.

What are you doing?

I'm sorting out the stalk's fiber for various purposes.

This is for textiles. This, for paper.

Some go into obi sashes, kimono or table centers.

Bashofu is not only beautiful, but functional, keeping the wearer cool.

Inside the Itobasho are hollow, tubular structures.

Their holes allow sweat evaporation, which dries and cools the fabric.

No matter how good the design, patterns, dyeing or weaving

we won't get high-quality bashofu if the fiber is not excellent.

So, we put a lot of energy into our fields.

Bashofu, which was first produced here hundreds of years ago,

became known throughout Japan in the late 19th century

for its kasuri splash patterns.

Now a national intangible cultural asset,

it's a source of pride for locals.

After coming to the plantation and seeing all the processes

that the people here go through to make bashofu,

I really felt the bashofu was born and belongs in this place.

What does bashofu mean to you?

We grow the fibers ourselves rather than buying them, right?

Then, we transform them into textiles from the threads to the dying to the weaving...

This is thanks to the local people who have done all the processes by hand.

That's why bashofu has been embraced as a treasure of Okinawa throughout its history.

Okinawa had been a kingdom called Ryukyu until about 140 years ago.

For Ryukyu ceremonies, as well as gifts for foreign dignitaries,

a formal kimono was de rigueur.

"Bingata" is the only form of dyeing on fabric in Okinawa.

It uses bright reds and yellows and blues.

And it has a distinct vocabulary of design.

Let's go and see how it's made.

- Hi.
- Hello.

Shiroma Eiichi is the 16th-generation owner

of this bingata workshop in Naha.

This is where we dye fabrics.

All the work is done by hand.

Traditional bingata was created for the kimono of royalty and nobility.

The influence of China and Southeast Asia is evident in many of its designs.

Artisans cut stencil paper with a small chisel.

We place dried tofu under the paper.

It serves as a base.

- Is that tofu?
- Yes. It is.

The dried tofu eases the stencil-making process

and prevents the chisel from chipping.

We apply paste through the stencil onto the fabric to transfer the pattern.

The paste is a mix of glutinous rice and rice bran.

This must be the difficult part.

If we fail to align the stencils correctly, the pattern will be lost.

She's done a superb job.

- She's a seasoned artisan.
- She sure is.

The dyes are delicately painted in.

"Orimono" refers to thread-dyed fabrics.

"Somemono" refers to piece-dyed fabrics, including bingata.

This whitish part shows the original color of the cloth.

It's different from the color of the paste here.

When painted, the dyes emerge according to the design.

The result when excess pigment and glue are rinsed off...

Shiroma looks beyond Okinawa for inspiration.

This is batik.

It's also a somemono, but from Indonesia.

That's where bingata is believed to have originated.

I went there to study it while in my 20s.

Bingata places importance on leaving space.

But in batik, the whole space is often filled with designs.

Inspired by batik, I've been working on this type of bingata.

A classic bingata design.

This is Shiroma's new take on the tradition.

(Majikina Michiko, Head of Majikina Honryu Ryuki no Kai)

(Ryukyu dance performed to entertain visiting envoys.)

(This dance suggests a cool breeze in summer time.)

(Ryukyu dance features the finest kimono.)

(This costume weaves in both bashofu and bingata techniques.)

("A fine performance is not possible without a fine kimono.")

(Ryukyu dance owes its sophisticated beauty to the weaving and dyeing of Okinawa.)

An everyday textile,

reserved for the aristocracy was created during the Ryukyu reign.

Highly regarded, it was forbidden

for the cloth to leave the hands of the royal family.

When the kingdom was annexed by Japan 140 years ago, it was forgotten.

Artisans began rediscovering this treasure a few decades ago.

What is this textile called?

It's called Shuriori brocade.

And this conceit here is known as hanakuraori.

It combines the flower pattern weaving with roori, which lends translucency.

Shuriori has various styles.

It's very flexible so you can combine various techniques.

Highly versatile, Shuriori has five distinct techniques

and uses silk, linen, bashofu or cotton.

This is one of Uema Yukari's creations.

This is lovely.

- How do I look?
- Perfect!

I've heard that Shuriori once went extinct.

That's right.

So, how did you acquire the techniques?

There is a place that teaches it. And I went there.

(Naha Traditional Textile Business Cooperative)

- Hello.
- Hi. Welcome.

Yamashiro Yukiko is a Shuriori artist

who teaches the technique to the next-generation artisans.

They are preparing paste for the threads and boiling plants to make dyes.

I offer a 9-month basic training course for future Shuriori artists.

My students come here with no knowledge and learn from scratch.

Graduates made these samples.

You can see the various Shuriori techniques.

I've heard that Shuriori once vanished. How did you revive it?

The art of Shuriori was lost following the abolition of the Ryukyu kingdom and later due to war.

So my mentors went to museums in Tokyo and Berlin where old Shuriori had been preserved.

They studied and revived the craft.

They passed down what they'd learned to us.

Now, it's our responsibility to pass the baton to the next generation.

What inspired you to learn Shuriori?

I so enjoyed an introductory course that I decided to take it up.

I love kimono.

I like the idea that someone will wear what I have created.

Most apprentices, like Uema, go on to launch their own studios.

I love to work with the threads this way.

It's my work, but I could not live without this precious time.

Dyeing and weaving are not the only Ryukyu kingdom legacies.

This restaurant specializes in royal Ryukyu cuisine.

Hello.

So, this is Ryukyu cuisine. What are its characteristics?

A subtle flavor and luxurious use of pork.

In the early 15th century, a Chinese emperor appointed a Ryukyu king.

To celebrate, a banquet with generous amounts of pork was served

to the visiting delegation.

It tastes like a light consomme.

What's in it?

Pig's intestines.

It has no overpowering aroma, nor is it oily.

These appetizers would have been served to guests who travelled from afar.

I know this is rafute, pork belly.

So soft and tender.

I thought that under the influence of China and Southeast Asia,

the food was going to be hot and rather oily.

But just as in dyeing and weaving,

Okinawans developed their own kind of cuisine.

And their flavors are very delicate and delicious.

About an hour's flight from Naha...

lies Ishigakijima, the second largest of the Yaeyama Islands.

This kimono is made of "Yaeyamajofu."

And I've come to this island

to discover the secrets behind this fine cloth and the delicate color.

(Ishigaki Traditional Textile Cooperative)

You must be Taira-san. I'm Sheila.

Taira Keiko has been producing Yaeyamajofu for over 35 years.

I'm so happy to see you on Yaeyamajofu kimono.

Thank you for wearing it.

This is called choma, or bu, in our dialect.

It's a ramie from Yaeyama. She is twisting it into threads.

The fibers of "choma," or ramie, are as strong as hemp.

Twisting the fiber into threads requires long experience and skill.

The threads are then dyed according to the pattern.

Natural dyes from local plants

create a diverse, earthy palette.

According to Taira, these hues define Yaeyamajofu.

From old times, islanders went into the mountains to collect the plants.

They had to produce quantities of Yaeyamajofu as a poll tax.

This drove up its value, and only the privileged could wear it.

Choma thread is vulnerable to dry air.

So, it's perfect for Ishigakijima's high humidity.

The textile will not be done for a final step.

What are they doing?

They are soaking the textile in the sea.

The process gives it a final touch.

This is all done at neap tide for a long soak.

What effect does it have?

We soak the fabric in seawater for six hours to settle the colors.

It brings out the ideal hue from the browns

and the natural color of the choma.

This method eliminates impurities and excess dye.

And the exposure to the fierce sunlight helps the colors to settle.

It's a secret behind the distinctive colors of Yaeyamajofu.

What does Yaeyamajofu mean to you?

That's hard to describe. I've never thought about it.

But I can say that it's something I love.

It's probably my life purpose. It gives me energy.

It is the best thing ever.

I love it! Just love it!

This brings us to the end of our dyeing and weaving trip to Okinawa.

The patterns and colors used here are unique in all Japan.

It is all about how to stay cool in this sub-tropical climate.

And the passion that goes into producing these cool fabrics.

Looking to the future,

they dare to return to the roots

and find strength there to move forward.

They use techniques almost buried in time

and bring them to the next generation.

And everything produced is

the result of the mutual cooperation

between these Okinawans and nature.

Japan's dyeing and weaving is never just about making clothes.

It's also a window onto history and the climate.

And I discovered that wearing these textiles in the place

where they were made is a wonderful, comfortable experience.

So, where shall we go next?

Until next time. See you.

From Tokyo, it takes about three hours

by air to Naha.

From there, a one-hour flight

will take you to Ishigakijima.