Yaeyama Jōfu・Yaeyama Minsā

Yaeyama jōfu, a traditional fabric made with thread derived from the ramie plant, is broadly divided into two types: printed (through rubbing and printing on weaved fabric) and dyed (where threads are bundled and tied during the dyeing process to produce patterns on the cloth). Of the many types of textiles seen in Okinawa, only Yaeyama jōfu uses the rubbing and printing (surikomi) method when producing dyed patterns on the cloth. Popular in use as summer kimono, the allure of Yaeyama jōfu lies in the contrast of its reddish brown patterns against a lightly-colored background. While the origins of the fabric remains unknown, it has been said that fishermen from what is now Jeju Island in South Korea who drifted ashore to Yonaguni in the year 1477, observed that ramie cloth was being woven in Yonaguni. After the establishment of a system of tribute payments under the Ryukyu Kingdom, Yaeyama jōfu was woven under the supervision of the royal government, resulting in the production of elaborately patterned fabrics. The textile weaving industry developed to become one of the major industries in Yaeyama, even after the abolition of capitation taxes.

Yaeyama minsā is a type of kasuri made by weaving cotton warp threads dyed with indigo or fukugi. Min means “cotton”, and sā means “belt”, a literal reference to minsā’s proportions as a narrow belt with a width of one and a half to three inches. In recent years however, minsā expanded to include belts of larger widths. The exact origins of minsā are unclear, although it is believed to have already been in existence in the Yaeyama region in the early 18th century, as the use of cotton is mentioned in records denoting a system of dress codes to differentiate members of the aristocracy and official court ranks.