Traditional craft
Haebaru Hanaori
南風原花織
A textured flower weave from Haebaru near Naha, one of Japan's newest recognised crafts, with raised patterns that have names like kwankwan hanaori and chippugasa.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 26 January 2017
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 南風原花織
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 沖縄県 鳥尻郡南風原町
Patterns you can feel
Haebaru Hanaori builds its patterns from the weave structure itself, so the flowers stand out in relief. The motifs have their own local names, such as kwankwan hanaori, chippugasa and kyan hachimai. It is woven in Haebaru in Okinawa, the same town as Ryukyu Kasuri.
Silk, cotton, ramie and wool
Weavers may use silk, cotton, ramie or wool, mainly sheep's wool, which makes this one of the few traditional crafts that allows wool.
A Meiji-era weave, newly recognised
The cloth has been made in Haebaru since the Meiji era and was recognised as a traditional craft of Japan in 2017.
Good to know
- Run your hand over it: the raised flowers are part of the weave, not printed or embroidered.
- Haebaru is close to Naha, so you can see both its ikat and its hanaori in one short trip.
Questions travellers ask
When was Haebaru Hanaori recognised?
It became a traditional craft of Japan on 26 January 2017.
What is Haebaru Hanaori made from?
Silk, cotton, ramie or wool, mainly sheep's wool.
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.