Traditional craft
Ryukyu Kasuri
琉球絣
Okinawa's most widely made ikat, woven around Haebaru near Naha, with geometric motifs named after birds, plants and tools of island life.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 27 April 1983
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 琉球絣
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 那覇市、島尻郡八重瀬町、島尻郡南風原町
Island life in ikat
Ryukyu Kasuri uses geometric ikat motifs of southern origin, many named after Okinawan plants, animals and everyday tools and still called by their dialect names. It is mostly silk, and a summer kabe-jofu is also made. It comes from Haebaru, Yaese and Naha in Okinawa.
Shared work, steady output
Warp and weft are tied by hand to the pattern, dyed and untied, then woven on a wooden high loom with a hand-thrown shuttle. Design, tying, dyeing, preparation and weaving are split among different people, so Ryukyu Kasuri has the highest output of Okinawa's many textiles.
From trade to a weaving town
Okinawan weaving began with trade with China and Southeast Asia in the 14th and 15th centuries. Haebaru became a real production area in the Taisho era, and after the war weaving helped it recover faster than much of Okinawa.
Good to know
- Ask the shop what a motif is called: many have charming dialect names taken from birds, plants or farm tools.
- Haebaru is a short drive from Naha, so it fits easily into a city stay.
Questions travellers ask
What are Ryukyu Kasuri motifs based on?
Okinawan nature and daily life, such as birds, plants and household tools, often still called by dialect names.
Where is Ryukyu Kasuri made?
In Haebaru, Yaese and Naha in southern Okinawa Island.
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.