Traditional craft
Tokamachi Gasuri
十日町絣
A relaxed, folk-style silk ikat from the snowy town of Tokamachi in Niigata, made for kimono you actually wear out and about.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 1 November 1982
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 十日町絣
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 十日町市、中魚沼郡津南町
Silk ikat for everyday wear
Tokamachi Gasuri blends traditional beauty with a modern feel. It has the sheen and soft hand of silk, but it is meant for casual outings and stylish wear at home rather than ceremonies. It is made in Tokamachi and Tsunan in Niigata.
Printed, tied, then dyed
The warp and weft threads are stretched on a frame and the pattern colours are rubbed in by hand against a ruler made from the design. Those parts are then tied tightly with cotton thread or flat rubber, and the whole skein is dipped to dye the ground colour. The weaver matches warp and weft motifs by hand at the loom.
Ramie skills, moved to silk
The ikat skills of Echigo's ramie cloth took root here in the early 18th century. They were applied to silk once warp ikat succeeded in the late 19th century, and weft ikat followed in the early Meiji era.
Good to know
- Tokamachi makes several kinds of kimono cloth, so compare this ikat with Tokamachi Akashi Chijimi, its sheer summer sister.
- Small kimono accessories in Tokamachi Gasuri are an easy way to own the pattern without buying a full bolt.
Questions travellers ask
What is Tokamachi Gasuri used for?
Mostly kimono cloth and small kimono accessories for casual, everyday wear.
Where is Tokamachi Gasuri made?
In Tokamachi and the town of Tsunan 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.