Traditional craft
Nishijin Ori
西陣織
Kyoto's most famous silk: richly patterned brocades woven for the imperial court for centuries, now also made into ties, scarves and bags.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 26 February 1976
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Kansai
- Official name in Japanese
- 西陣織
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 京都市、宇治市、亀岡市、城陽市、長岡京市他
Figured silk in many forms
Nishijin Ori is yarn-dyed figured silk made in many varieties in small batches: tapestry-weave tsuzure, nishiki brocade, damask donsu, satin shuchin, ikat and tsumugi. The multi-coloured brocades are known for their lavish thread work and fine detail. It is made in Kyoto city and nearby Uji, Kameoka, Joyo and Nagaokakyo.
A team of specialists
Weaving a piece takes many steps: planning, pattern making, preparing thread, setting up the loom, weaving and finishing. Almost all are split among specialists, each a master of one stage.
Named after a battlefield
Weaving in Kyoto goes back to techniques brought by the Hata clan before the Heian period. The name Nishijin, Western Camp, comes from the Onin War of the 15th century: weavers gathered where the Western Army had made its headquarters, and the district has woven for the court and its culture ever since.
Good to know
- Ties, scarves, shawls and handbags are the easiest Nishijin pieces to bring home, and look very different from kimono cloth.
- Nishijin is a district in northwest Kyoto, so it fits easily into a day of temple visits there.
Questions travellers ask
Why is it called Nishijin?
Nishijin means Western Camp. Weavers settled where the Western Army had its headquarters during the Onin War, and the name stuck.
What kinds of products are made from Nishijin Ori?
Kimono cloth, obi, gold brocade and stage curtains, plus ties, scarves, bags, tapestries and table linen.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
- 800 years of Japanese tea in Uji and southern Kyoto
- Kitamaebune: the merchant ships that made Japan's port towns rich
- Lake Biwa Canal: the waterway of hope from Otsu to Kyoto
- Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage: Japan's 1,300-year journey of the heart
- Tango chirimen: 300 years of silk on Kyoto's north coast
- Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo and Maizuru: Japan's naval port cities
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.