Thanks to the abundant waters of the Aichigawa River, high humidity, and the activities of Omi merchants, hemp weaving flourished in this region from the Kamakura period onward.
During the Edo period, the industry further developed thanks to the efforts of the Hikone Domain, which controlled the area around present-day Hikone City on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, and it became a stable local industry. From that time on, dyeing techniques also advanced significantly, giving rise to the elegant ikat patterns unique to OMI Jofu (Ramie Textiles).

• Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques/raw materials

  Technology/techniques

  1. In the case of raw fabric, it shall be raw fabric woven using the following techniques or methods:
  (1) The fabric shall be plain weave using hemp yarn for the warp and hand-spun hemp yarn for the weft.
  (2) The yarn used for the weft should be soaked in water.
  (3) A "claw loom" shall be used for weaving.

  2. In the case of ikat weaving, the ikat fabric shall be woven using the following techniques or methods:
  (1) The fabric shall be plain weave with pre-dyed yarn.
  (2) Kasuri yarn shall be used as weft or as both warp and weft.
  (3) By manually matching the patterns and selvages of the ikat threads, the ikat pattern and selvage markings are aligned to create the ikat pattern.
  (4) The dyeing method for the ikat thread shall be either the "comb pressing method" or the "pattern method" using a "feather ruler".
  (5) When creating wrinkles, do so by hand.

   

  raw materials

  The yarn to be used must be hemp yarn or hand-spun hemp yarn.

   

• Work scene

  Work scene

  Process 1: Design

  I design the fabric. Since I create separate patterns for each color, I need as many patterns as there are colors. Also, I have to consider the placement of the patterns so that there are no visible seams between the patterns.

  工程2： 染色

  The weft threads are wound onto a metal frame in a process called feather winding. A pattern is then placed on top, and dye is applied using a koma-squeegee. After steaming the threads in a steamer for about 10 minutes, they are rinsed with water and dried. Yokokasuri, in which only the weft threads are dyed to create the ikat pattern, is common, but there is also combined ikat where the warp threads are dyed as well. Other dyeing methods such as tie-dyeing and comb-press dyeing are also sometimes used.

  

  Step 3: Separating the Kasuri pattern

  The yarn, which was wound together during the initial winding process, is separated into individual strands and re-wound to create skeins. These skeins are then re-wound onto a bobbin, and finally onto a small bobbin. This completes the weft yarn.

  

  工程4： 整経

  The number and length of warp threads needed for weaving are adjusted. A reed threader is used to pass the warp threads through the reed and spread them to the weaving width. Next, the warp threads are passed through the heddle to create a shuttle channel for the weft threads.

  

  Process 5: Hand-woven

  We weave with the utmost care to ensure that the ikat pattern does not shift. Recently, we have also been hand-weaving wide fabrics such as clothing material, so the variety of looms has increased.