Traditional craft
Chibana Hanaori
知花花織
A raised flower weave from the Chibana area of Okinawa City, still worn by women dancing the usudeku ritual for good harvests and health.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 25 July 2012
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 知花花織
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 沖縄市
Flowers that float on the warp
Chibana Hanaori is a figured weave in which the pattern threads float along the warp. On the back, the unused pattern threads run long and loose, which is how you recognise it. It is made in Okinawa City in Okinawa.
Two ways to make a flower
In the sokobana method, the weaver lifts extra flower heddle frames one by one, following the design, so the pattern rises as a double weave. In the tibana method, she picks up the warp threads of each motif by hand with a needle-like stick.
Still danced in
It was woven in old Misato village, now the Chibana, Noborikawa and Ikehara areas of Okinawa City, and its techniques were settled by the late 19th century. The war almost destroyed it, but Chibana Hanaori costumes are still worn at usudeku, a traditional dance praying for good harvests and good health.
Good to know
- Turn the cloth over: long loose threads on the back are the sign of real warp-float hanaori.
- Small items and obi are the easiest buys; Okinawa City is about 30 to 40 minutes' drive from Naha.
Questions travellers ask
How can you tell Chibana Hanaori?
The pattern floats along the warp, and on the back the pattern threads run long and loose.
When is Chibana Hanaori worn?
It is still worn for usudeku, a traditional dance that prays for good harvests and health.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.