Traditional craft
Chichibu Meisen
秩父銘仙
A silk from the Chichibu hills of Saitama, known for its iridescent sheen and big floral patterns, printed on the warp with a technique patented in 1908.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 26 December 2013
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- 秩父銘仙
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 秩父市、秩父郡横瀬町、秩父郡小鹿野町、秩父郡皆野町、秩父郡長瀞町
Silk that changes colour as it moves
Chichibu Meisen is woven with a weft in a complementary colour to the warp, which gives the cloth a shimmering, beetle-wing sheen that shifts as you move. Many designs are large, colourful flowers and plants. It is made in Chichibu and the nearby towns of Yokoze, Ogano, Minano and Nagatoro in Saitama.
A patented technique
Weaving here began in the Edo period. In 1908 Chichibu makers patented their own hogushi-nassen method, in which the pattern is printed onto the loosely tacked warp before weaving. It made Chichibu one of the great Meisen towns of the early 20th century.
Good to know
- Hold the cloth at different angles in the light: the colour shift is the easiest way to spot real Meisen.
- Besides kimono cloth, Chichibu Meisen is made into bags, accessories and interior goods, which are easier to take home.
Questions travellers ask
Why does Chichibu Meisen shimmer?
The weft is a complementary colour to the warp, so the cloth seems to change colour as the light moves across it.
Where is Chichibu Meisen made?
In Chichibu and the towns of Yokoze, Ogano, Minano and Nagatoro in Saitama.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.