Ōshima-tsumugi

consider Ōshima-tsumugi one of the three finest textiles in the world (along with French Gobelin weaving, and Persian carpets in Iran).

[5] Ōshima-tsumugi kimono are hugely valued for their detailed kasuri patterns and deep black color.

Though Ōshima-tsumugi is mainly used for making kimono, small items such as coasters, neckties, and purses are also popular.

[8] The origin of Oshima Tsumugi is unclear, though it has been reported that this ancient technique goes back at least 1,300 years.

By the latter half of the Edo period (1603–1867), Ōshima-tsumugi had become a specialty of Amami Oshima and, like sugarcane, islanders had to supply the fabric to the Satsuma domain in lieu of tax.

[12] To prepare for the shimebata binding stage, 16–20 threads of about 16 meters in length, are grouped together, stretched between two posts, and covered in Igisu, a jelly-like paste made from seaweed.

The threads must dry perfectly round for the shimebata stage, in order to create sharp kasuri.

The tannin in the dye of the Techigi tree and the iron in the iron-rich mud react to create the black color, unique to Oshima Tsumugi.

[18] There are two main types of kasuri weave, the more traditional hitomoto, where to warp and two weft threads meet to make a small dot, in a similar shape to a windmill.

katasu requires one less kasuri weft thread, making it slightly quicker to weave, though the patterns are considered to be more defined in hitomoto.

Kimono produced in Oshima according to certain rules will receive a certification mark, defining it as "Honba Amami-Oshima Tsumugi".

Detail of an Oshima kimono up close.
In the mud fields
Mud dyeing paddy at the Kanai dyeing workshop
Pre-war Japanese postcard showing people dyeing Ōshima-tsumugi
Silk threads are glued together with igisu, and stretched, preparing them for shimebata.
Mud Field at Kanai Workshop showing the fine silt mud
Tanin-rich dye from the Techigi Tree (Rhaphiolepis indica var. umbellata)
Cut techigi ready to be processed and turned into dye to dye Oshima Tsumugi
Mud dyeing paddy at the Kanai dyeing workshop
Oshima Tsumugi silk threads being pulled apart to reveal white spots of Kasuri
The Sotetsu Plant (Sago Palm)
Tatsugo-gara, a traditional pattern named after the town Tatsugo-cho. The pattern depicts the sago palm, The habu snake, and flowers native to the island.