About Ashikaga Ori
Ashikaga ori is a silk and synthetic fiber textile produced in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. As the oldest textile production area in the Kanto region, it has a history dating to the Heian period, and during the Kamakura period it became nationally known as 'Ashikaga silk.' During the Edo period it produced a wide range of textiles including meisen, obi fabric, and Western-style fabric, and after the Meiji era it established mass production through modernization. Designated as a nationally recognized traditional craft alongside Yuki tsumugi as a representative Kanto silk textile production area, it continues to produce obi fabric, Western-style materials, and interior textiles today.
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.