Traditional craft
Ushikubi Tsumugi
牛首紬
A tough, slubby silk from a mountain village below Mount Haku in Ishikawa, spun from cocoons that two silkworms built together.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 9 June 1988
- Type
- Woven textiles
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 牛首紬
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 白山市
Silk from twin cocoons
Ushikubi Tsumugi is woven from tamaito, a thick, knotty thread reeled from cocoons spun by two silkworms together. The slubs and soft sheen look best once dyed, giving the cloth a rustic yet elegant feel. It is made in Shiramine, in the city of Hakusan in Ishikawa.
Fourteen steps, mostly by hand
From sorting the cocoons to reeling, twisting, scouring, dyeing and weaving, there are about 14 main steps, most done by hand in one workshop. Making the thread is the step that decides the quality.
A weaving legend from 1160
The name comes from Ushikubi, the old village below Mount Haku. Legend says that after the Heiji rebellion, a defeated Minamoto warrior named Ohata fled here, and the women of his household taught the villagers to weave. The cloth sold across Japan in the late Edo period and peaked around 1935.
Good to know
- Coasters, table runners and cushion covers in Ushikubi Tsumugi are a lighter buy than kimono cloth and show off its soft, airy texture.
- The village sits in the Hakusan mountains, so it pairs well with a trip to Hakusan National Park.
Questions travellers ask
What is tamaito?
Thread reeled from a double cocoon, made by two silkworms together. It is thick and knotty, which gives Ushikubi Tsumugi its texture.
Where is Ushikubi Tsumugi made?
In Shiramine, Hakusan city, Ishikawa Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Haku.
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.