Art of the kimono - Amami Oshima, Japan

This morning we ported on the beautiful island of Amami Oshima, one of 8 islands in the Amami archipelago, only a few of the islands that sit within the 745 mile stretch of sea between mainland Japan and Taiwan. Villages like Amami are built facing the water with the backdrop of steep mountain slopes covered with thick, lush forests. 

Amami - Japanese island

welcome to Amami

Like other Japanese cities we’ve visited, the people are warm and hospitable, although actual communication with them is next to impossible. We had not booked an excursion for today so we decided to go out on our own. We noticed that several of the excursions included a visit to the Kuninao Village to see how kimonos are made. With directions from the port agent, Ronnie was able to get us there and back, but it was an experience! Another adventuresome couple went with us. It did involve a fair amount of walking in order to catch buses as well as a trek through the village. The temperature was more pleasant than some we’ve endured but between it, the sprinkling rain and all the walking, my clothes were completely wet by the time we returned to the ship. 

most cars are square and box-like

Our ride up was on one bus; however our ride back involved 3 different buses, using local currency of course. We had been told that a “must do” in Japan was visiting a 100 Yen Store, equivalent to Dollar Tree in the U.S. ha! We spotted one on the way out, so decided to stop there on our way back to the ship. By this time, it was almost 1:30 and we were getting hungry so we bought some snacks and continued our way back to the port. We were excited to find Cheetos – but guess what? They taste nothing like Cheetos at home! It’s hard to know how to buy packaged goods unless it’s the rare recognized brand. All the writing is of course in Japanese so it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s in a package. We’ve all noticed that the Japanese people are so friendly and helpful. One of our (3 different) bus drivers even got off the bus and pointed for us to make sure we knew which way to walk. None could speak a word of English and we didn’t have a translator with us, so it was not easy! Thankfully the other couple were good sports so we made a memory.

The Village itself was interesting. There was a very nice retail outlet where all of their products were sold. Everything was extremely expensive, but after taking the tour and seeing how labor intensive the fabrics are to make, we could appreciate the prices more. We were told that some pieces can take as many as 10 months to for certain pieces to be completed, with the craftspeople working 8 hours a day with an hour off for lunch.

Even the people who greeted us and took our money at the Village could not communicate with us, nor could the guides. However, shortly after we arrived, one of the tour groups from the ship arrived, so we tagged along behind them trying to hear their guide who was interpreting in English.

 

area where iron-rich mud dyeing takes place

drying fabrics that have been mud dyed

various colors of dyed thread

 

Unfortunately, I missed much of what was being said but I was able to find some information about them later on their website. https://amamioshimatsumugi.com/#tsumugi Rather than trying to regurgitate what it says, I'll simply copy and paste in case anyone is interested in understanding more about the dying and weaving process.

 

 

 

Along with Persian carpets and Gobelin tapestries, Oshima Tsumugi silk pongee is one of the world's three great textiles.
Its historical record can be traced back to the Nara period, approx. 1,300 years ago, and the textile is still produced in various locations in Kagosima Prefecture including Amami islands. Due to its origin in Amami Oshima island (one of Amami islands), its official name is recognized as “Authentic Amami Oshima Tsumugi.”
The unique dying method uses the Amami's iron-rich natural mud as a dye. This makes the silk threads into beautiful and luminous black. After being taken off the loom, each plain weave textile has a unique and detailed graphical pattern made of over a million dots dyed onto each single silk thread before they are set onto the loom. It takes more than six months to produce the final product through over 40 processes. Authentic Amami Oshima Tsumugi has unique features distinctive from any other textile.

 

 

 

 

Amami’s textiles have been made of various natural fibers, including banana (“Basho”), ramie, cotton, and silk.
The origin of Amami Oshima Tsumugi can be traced back to 1,300 years ago or more, and this textile has the longest history and tradition in Japan.
The unique weaving and dying methods have been passed on through generations. After introduction of “Shimebata,” or binding looms, the silk was dyed in the bound form, allowing very distinctive and unique splashed patterns. Today’s Oshima Tsumugi silk pongee is now recognized as a very unique textile in the world.
In the mid-Edo period (1700s), the Satsuma clan (today's Kagosima Prefecture) prohibited the residents in Amami islands from wearing kimono made of Oshima Tsumugi.
The Oshima Tsumugi was only supplied for the Satsuma clan as part of a tax. After the Meiji period (late 1800s), many women in Amami islands have been engaged in Oshima Tsumugi weaving, contributing to their family income at a great extent.

extremely detailed pattern

every stitch must follow pattern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

adding colored dye

 

In Amami Oshima, the kimono was not only a cloth: it has been believed to protect the wearer’s soul with a supernatural power.
When wearing a new kimono for the first time, the wearer used to pray to the east for the health of her/himself with some purifying salt in the mouth. People in Amami islands call Oshima Tsumigi “nono” with certain affection to the textile.

 

craftswoman hard at work

line by line, thread by thread

every single thread must be exact

how would you like to do this tedious work - all day, every day?

From what I've read, these high-end kimonos at one time could cost more than $10,000 US each. Now they range between $3,000-$6000 each. I suppose it's understandable given the amount of time and labor that goes into each garment.

If you've made it this far down this post, here's a bit of kimono trivia for you. Is a kimono worn by crossing the left side over the right or vice versa? Answer: It is worn left side over the right, unless you're dead, in which case it is worn right side over the left.