Traditional craft
Kaga Nui
加賀繍
Kanazawa's hand embroidery, stitched one needle at a time in gold, silver and coloured silk, first for Buddhist temples and later for lords and their wives.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 20 May 1991
- Type
- Other textile crafts
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 加賀繍
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 金沢市、能美市、白山市
Pictures stitched in gold and silk
Kaga Nui is hand embroidery that draws patterns and pictures with gold and silver thread and silk in many colours, one stitch at a time. The effect is rich but warm. It is made in Kanazawa, Nomi and Hakusan in Ishikawa, on kimono, obi, fukusa cloths, screens, hanging scrolls and framed pieces.
Fifteen techniques
Embroiderers use silk, lacquered, gold and silver threads, including flat gold and silver foil thread, on a silk ground. Around 15 traditional techniques build up fine, dignified patterns stitch by stitch.
From temple altars to the lord's battle coat
Kaga Nui came from Kyoto in the early Muromachi period, as Buddhism spread in the Kaga region, to decorate altar cloths and monks' robes. In the Edo period it adorned the jinbaori battle coats and belongings of the shogun and lords, and the kimono of their wives. The Kaga lords prized learning and culture, and under their care it grew into a craft as famous as Kaga's gold leaf and Kaga Yuzen.
Good to know
- Workshops now make stoles and silk lamps as well as kimono, which are easier gifts to carry home.
- Kanazawa is also the home of Kaga Yuzen and gold leaf, so you can see three of Kaga's decorative crafts in one city.
Questions travellers ask
Is Kaga Nui made by machine?
No. It is hand embroidery, stitched one needle at a time.
What threads are used?
Silk, lacquered thread, and gold and silver thread, including flat foil thread.
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.