About Echigo Jofu
Echigo Jofu is the pinnacle of linen textiles produced mainly in Minamiuonuma City and Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture. It has a long history, having been offered as tribute to the imperial court as a specialty of Echigo Province since the Nara period. It is woven on handlooms using ultrafine threads spun by hand from the thin fibers of ramie (choma), with the characteristic process of bleaching white using 'yuki sarashi' (snow bleaching) by spreading the fabric on snow. In 2009, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage as 'Echigo Jofu and Ojiya Chijimi Fabrics,' internationally recognized as the pinnacle of Japanese linen weaving.
Techniques & Materials
Craft terms are shown in the original Japanese — these are proper names with no standard English equivalents.
Techniques
Materials
Where to see & buy
Workshop names are in Japanese; links go to their official sites.
- 越後上布・小千谷縮布技術保存協会