Approaching Amami
Amami Tsumugi Kimono Village
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.
Tsumugi is one of the world’s great textiles. It is a labor-intensive, finely woven pongee–a soft, matte fabric made from threads of raw silk. The origins of the technique used to make tsumugi go back over 1,300 years, and the fabric is believed to have been first developed in India. Amami’s version of this fabric, known as Oshima tsumugi, is one of the most highly prized, and historically was used for elegantly designed, subtly dyed kimono. Traditionally, women would do the weaving at home, in between their chores, to contribute to the family income.
