Traditional craft
Ojiya Chijimi
小千谷縮
A crisp, crinkled ramie cloth from snowy Ojiya in Niigata that keeps the wearer cool and dry, and an Important Intangible Cultural Property since 1955.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 4 September 1975
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 小千谷縮
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 長岡市、小千谷市、十日町市
Made for hot, humid summers
Ojiya Chijimi is woven from ramie, a plant fibre that soaks up sweat and lets it evaporate quickly. Its signature is shibo, a fine crinkle that keeps the cloth off the skin, so it feels cool even on sticky days. It is made in Ojiya, Nagaoka and Tokamachi in Niigata.
Where the crinkle comes from
Ramie fibre is spun into thread, and the weft is given a very hard twist. Ikat patterns are marked on the threads before weaving and matched as the cloth is woven. In the finishing stage, the twist relaxes and the shibo appears.
From Jomon pottery to the shogun
Cloth marks on late Jomon pottery show how old weaving is here. Ojiya's ramie was presented to the shogun, and in the early Edo period weavers found how to add the crinkle for summer wear. The traditional method became a national Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1955.
Good to know
- In Ojiya, try hegi soba: its noodles are bound with funori seaweed, the same seaweed once used to size the warp threads of this cloth.
- Ramie shirts and scarves are made too, and are easier to wear every day than a kimono.
Questions travellers ask
Why is Ojiya Chijimi cool to wear?
Ramie absorbs moisture and dries fast, and the crinkled shibo stops the cloth from sticking to your skin.
Where is Ojiya Chijimi made?
In Ojiya, Nagaoka and Tokamachi in Niigata Prefecture.
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.