SHIKOKU District

Tokushima Pref. (Tokushima), Kagawa Pref. (Takamatu),
Ehime Pref. (Matuyama), Kochi Pref. (Kochi)

HOTA ORI

(p.119)

1. Produced in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: Unique cotton fabric with an uneven surface, air permeable and moisture absorbent, giving a dry touch.
3. Uses: Clothing, hand towels, "Noren"(shop curtain), wrapping cloths, sheets, etc.
4. History: "Hota Ori" was invented in 1692 by Tsunekichi Kitagawa, retained weaver of the Takamatsu feudal government. By order of the feudal lord to produce better fabrics than those in other feudal government, he invented silk fabrics which looked a little like crepe fabrics with its raised weft. After that,"Hota Ori" became one of the items used for donating to the Shogunate and the production was made a mystery to be handed down to and monopolized by his descendents.
After the Meiji Restoration (1868), Yujiro Kitagawa, one of TsunekichiÕs descendants, made the technique accessible to the public and replaced the silk with cotton.
The production was prohibited by the Goods Control Ordinance during WWII, and was revived around 1951 but today, only 2 factories are producing this traditional fabric.

TSUTSUGAKI ZOME

(p.119)

1. Produced in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture and Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: Refer to "Tsutsugaki Zome" in the Kanto District. ( p.33 )
3. Uses: Refer to above section also.
4. History: Refer to above section also.

AWA SHIJIRA

(p.120)

1. Produced in Takamatsu City, Tokushima Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: Cotton crepe, pre-dyed and crimpy. Crimps are created with the tension between the warp and weft. The indigo looks fresh and the touch is soft. It is inexpensive.
3. Uses: Clothes for summer, western clothes, small articles.
4. History: This cotton fabric was a result of improvement made on the traditional "Tatae Jima(stripe)" which had been woven in this area since the middle of the Edo Period. The Tatae Jima was woven in every home for their summer clothes.
The story goes that a woman happened to find a Tatae Jima cloth which changed into a crimp like crepe when it was drenched by rain on a summer day. Following that incident, she produced a new fabric which was given the name "Awa Shijira (crimp)" in 1969. The threads are dyed in indigo then hand woven. The market for that fabric grew and its expansion was enjoyed with a great amount of production, once as much as 2 million "tan" a year. However, the production ceased in 1937 as it was affected by the production of other fabrics which advanced into the market and also by the outbreak of war that year.
Although the production was revived in 1951, it decreased after 1973 due to little demand for traditional Kimono cloths. To the present day, the Awa Shijira is designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Tokushima Prefecture as an indigo dyed folk craft fabric. The woman, Hana Kaifu, who invented the Awa Shijira, was conferred a Medal for Distinguished Invention by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce in 1883.

IYO GASURI

(p.121)

1. Produced in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: Cotton "Kasuri" fabric, plain woven with pre-dyed threads in indigo. one of the three cotton Kasuris (Kurume, Bingo and Iyo), more popular than Kurume Gasuri.
3. Uses: Clothes, beddings, "Noren" (shop curtains), pouches, table cloths, aprons,etc.
4. History: It was created by a woman, Kana Kagiya. It was then called "Imazu Gasuri" in the Kyowa Era (1801-04). Popularized by the name "Iyo Gsuri" in the 10Õs to the 30Õs of the Meiji Era (1877-1907), half of the total production of Kasuri in Japan in the Taisho Period (1912-26) was Iyo Gasuri. In 1933, plans to increase production by the introduction of weaving machines was unfavorably affected by the control ordinance of cotton during WWII and a total stoppage by an American air raid in 1945.
When revived in 1949, Iyo Gasuri gained popularity because of its low prices but production declined drastically in the thirties of Showa(1955-64).

TOSA MEN TSUMUGI

(p.122)

1. Produced in Kagamicho Kamigun, Kochi Prefecture.
2. Characteristics: Soft cotton fabric with stripes, once called "Akaoka Jima" or "Kishimoto Jima." "Tosa Men Tsumugi" was named after WWII.
3. Uses: Everyday and working clothes, bedding, small articles.
4. History: "Akaoka Jima(stripes)" and "Kishimoto Jima" were woven since the Bunka Era(1804-18) when cotton plantations were promoted and encouraged by the feudal government of Tosa. Much of this cloth were woven for everyday and farming use through the Meiji and Taisho Periods. Today, it is not woven as a useful cloth but only as a folk craft item.

Last modified:10-December-1997