Ushikubi textiles are famous for their shiny and durable fabrics.
Ushikubi textile comes from the small city of Hakusan (formerly Ushikubi village) in western Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture, famous for its shiny fabric and high durability despite being woven from silk.
The fabric is advertised as being so durable that it can even be called Kuginuki-tsumugi (釘抜紬, silk fabric that can pull out nails) , because even nails will pop out of the Ushikubi fabric.
Legend has it that in the 4th year of Baoyuan (1159), during the riots of the Heiji period, a certain couple went to the foot of Hakusan mountain in Mushikubi village to take refuge. The wife taught the villagers here the craft of weaving silk; Since then, Ushikubi village’s durable textile products were born and are famous throughout the country.
Although during the Second World War, the production of Japanese handicrafts in particular and Ushikubi textiles once stopped, but after the war, the mulberry fields and silkworm farming were restored and the village was restored. Ushikubi is back in action. In 1988 (the 63rd year of Showa), Ushikubi village textiles were recognized as “National Traditional Handicrafts”.
An item made from Ushikubi textile.
Ushikubi woven fabrics are different from ordinary woven or silk fabrics in that they are woven from silkworm cocoons released by two silkworms at the same time , not one (also known as Tamamayu 玉繭).
Because the above type of cocoons will create two strands of silk when weaving and are easy to tangle if not spun by a skilled craftsman, they were also called K uzumayu くず繭 (leftover/discarded silkworm cocoons). .
However, with the craftsman’s hand- sharpening skills and the Zaguriseishi loom (座繰製糸, weaving on a silk reel fitted with gears to speed up the rotation), silk thread became a kind of yarn. The fabric is very durable, has high elasticity and stretches very well.
With high durability, breathable fabric and soft, beautiful shine, Ushikubi handwoven fabric is used not only for Kimono or Obi (Kimono belt), but even some Paris fashion collections also use this textile to make modern western clothing.
In addition, Ushikubi fabric can also be used to sew everyday fabric items such as wallets, pen bags… , hard to fray of the fabric.