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yokodana-kimono-blog

Ohshima Tsumugi Mura: Pics-Info - Ohshima Tsumugi Making in 2021 Japan

April 03, 2021 Yoko Lewis

Amami Ooshima Tsumugi Sightseeing Garden

Amami Ohshima Tsumugi Sightseeing Garden
Amami Ohshima Island, Japan

Ohshima Tsumugi-Mura: Contemporary Maker on Amami Ohshima Island, Japan, 2021

What's this about?

In our routine searches for images and information about the vintage Japanese textiles we sell, we came across a Japanese language website which is somewhat of a tourist (Sightseeing) destination on Amami Ohshima island in Japan, the place where various mud and plant-based pongee silk fabrics have been made by hand for centuries. We were happy that they have an English version of this website, and were equally pleased to see some information and pictures of the making of Ohshima Tsumugi that might be of interest to our customers/site visitors and Japanese textile enthusiasts. Below is their 'about us' paragraph:

About Ooshima Tsumugimura
 Ooshima Tsumugimura is a natural garden surrounded by subtropical vegetation where you can learn and experience the processes how Ooshima tsumugi is produced from white silk thread. Amami Ooshima tsumugi is the high-class silk pongee which symbolizes Amamian history, pride and folklore culture from ancient times, since 1300 years ago. It is made by a unique dyeing method using mud. Natural mud-dyed Ooshima tsumugi gathers the eternal admiration of all japanese women for its sumptuous shine, touch and rustles on the skin. The pongee of Ooshima tsumugimura has noble dignity, represents traditional artisan skills of a kimono, which will continue to shine and transmit as a cultural inheritance.... 

See their full web site HERE. And perhaps add Ohshima Tsumugi Mura to your itinerary should you visit Japan in the future.

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Here at yokodana.com we sell these kinds of  Ohshima silks (see them here), but ours are vintage, and some of them as old as from the 1930s. These fabrics have become extremely popular with quilters and fashion designers as well. Last year one of our customers used some of our old tsumugi silk to make a jacket that she entered into a competition. Carol Lambright's full showcase of  how she made the jacket below -- with pictures -- can be seen HERE.

Carol Lambright, Fashion, Ohshima JacketCarol Lambright USA (2020)



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