Traditional craft
Omi Jofu
近江上布
A cool ramie cloth from the east shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga, with refined ikat patterns and a crinkled finish that keeps it fresh on hot days.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 30 March 1977
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Kansai
- Official name in Japanese
- 近江上布
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 東近江市、愛知郡愛荘町、犬上郡多賀町
Fresh and cool against the skin
Omi Jofu is woven from ramie or hand-spun hemp in Higashiomi, Aisho and Taga in Shiga. Ramie absorbs moisture well, so it feels cool and fresh to wear. It is finished with shibotsuke, a crinkling treatment special to Omi.
Two kinds of ikat
There are two types. Weft ikat is printed through stencils onto weft wound on a frame. Warp-and-weft ikat is printed with a comb on both threads, which must then be matched as the cloth is woven, and is the top grade.
Water, humidity and merchants
The clear water of the Echi River, the humid air and the travelling Omi merchants helped hemp weaving grow here from the Kamakura period. In the Edo period the Hikone domain promoted it, dyeing techniques advanced, and the refined ikat of Omi Jofu was born.
Good to know
- Ramie handkerchiefs, table linen and summer scarves are easy, useful buys and dry fast after washing.
- Higashiomi is an easy train trip from Kyoto, and nearby Hikone has one of Japan's original castles.
Questions travellers ask
What is Omi Jofu made of?
Ramie thread or hand-spun hemp thread.
Where is Omi Jofu made?
In Higashiomi, Aisho and Taga on the east side of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
- Esashi: the herring town that outshone Edo
- Hida no Takumi: 1,300 years of master woodworkers in Takayama
- Iga and Koka: in search of the real ninja
- Lake Biwa Canal: the waterway of hope from Otsu to Kyoto
- Lake Biwa: villages that live with the water
- Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage: Japan's 1,300-year journey of the heart
- The railway across the sea: Nagahama, Tsuruga and Imajo
- The Six Ancient Kilns: pottery born and raised in Japan
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.