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Unravel the various threads that make up the colorful culture and traditions of Okinawa.
A former Kingdom in the southern Seas Bursting in Vivid colors And pleasing patterns Yeah foreign 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 dying Sheila Cliff is a British kimono expert has so many different kinds of dying and woven textiles and this is a testimony to the rich climate of this country that stretches three thousand kilometers from
North to south this time in search of unique dying 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 1500 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 bashof Runs a bashofu studio here foreign is made from a local plant fiber Threads are being prepared for dying foreign s are bound Aries hi in a vat of local indigo Indica called Duke Artisan constantly circulates and checks the thread both time and labor intensive work Google Or Splash pattern emerge Emerge dyed threads are woven into cloth Local plants are used to create various shades Foreign These are the plants used in the cloth a relative of the banana they bear small and inedible fruit Market Um Bashofu is not only beautiful but functional keeping the wearer cool Inside the Ito Basho are Hollow tubular structures Their holes allow sweat evaporation which dries and cools the fabric study foreign Which was first produced here hundreds of years ago became known throughout Japan in the late 19th century for its kasuti 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 that Basho food was born and belongs in this place is foreign Ceremonies as well gifts for foreign dignitaries a formal kimono was de regare Is the only form of dying 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 foreign Is the 16th generation owner of this bingata Workshop in naha hi foreign Foreign excellence The dried tofu eases the stencil making process and prevents the Chisel from chipping Um foreign Delicately painted in Refers to thread dyed Fabrics Refers to peace dried Fabrics including bingata Um the result when excess pigment and glue are rinsed off foreign looks beyond Okinawa for inspiration Is Foreign A classic Bean Gata design This is shiroma’s new take on the tradition Foreign Foreign foreign Oh okay Foreign 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 begin rediscovering his treasure a few decades ago hi Siri foreign Has five distinct techniques and uses silk linen Basho food or cotton this is one of uema yukari’s creations Sticky it is Who teaches the technique to the Next Generation artisans United foreign All right most apprentices like uemma go on to launch their own Studios dying and weaving are not the only buq Kingdom Legacies this restaurant specializes in Royal buq cuisine snake that’s enough Thank you in the early 15th century a Chinese emperor appointed a Duke King to celebrate a banquet with generous amounts of pork was served to the visiting delegation Foreign Foreign 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 dying and weaving walking Owens developed their own kind of Cuisine and the flavors are very delicate and delicious about an hour’s flight from naha
Lies ishigakujima the second largest of the yayama islands this kimono is made of Yaya majofu and I’ve come to this island to discover the secrets behind this fine cloth and the delicate color foreign For over 35 years the fivers of choma or Ramya are as strong as him 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 palate According to tied up these Hues Define from old times Islanders went into the mountains to collect the plants They had to produce quantities of yayamajofu as a poll tax This drove up its value and only the privileged could wear it Choma thread is vulnerable to dry hair so it’s perfect for ishigaki jima’s high humidity foreign Foreign foreign 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 yayama foreign This brings us to the end of our dying 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 subtropical 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 dying and breathing 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 should we go next until next time see you [Applause] From Tokyo it takes about three hours by air to naha from there a one-hour flight will take you to ishigakichima