Japan Heritage story
Arimatsu: an Edo-era tie-dye town in Nagoya
江戸時代の情緒に触れる絞りの産地
Twenty minutes by train from central Nagoya, Arimatsu is a 400-year-old shibori tie-dye town on the old Tokaido road. Indigo shibori curtains sway in front of merchant houses, as in Edo-era prints, and you can still buy a shibori towel just as travellers did 200 years ago.
Key facts
- Theme
- Festivals and rituals, Textiles and dyes
- Era
- Edo
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 江戸時代の情緒に触れる絞りの産地
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- ～藍染が風にゆれる町 有松～
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 愛知県（名古屋市）
The story
Shibori is an ancient way of dyeing: cloth is bound and gathered before dyeing, then the threads are pulled out to leave white patterns. Arimatsu has more shibori techniques than anywhere in the world, and it is a national traditional craft. In the Edo period, under the protection of the Owari domain, Arimatsu shibori was a luxury presented to the shogun and the town's wealth.
About 200 years ago the comic novel *Tokaido Dochu Hizakurige* sent its heroes Yaji and Kita through Arimatsu, where Yaji bought a shibori towel. The craft dipped after the Meiji Restoration but recovered, and shibori merchants helped bring the railway and a station to Arimatsu. Today it is made into kimono and yukata as well as clothes and accessories.
What to see
- Arimatsu old townscape: about 800 m of Edo-era merchant houses along the Tokaido, with no overhead power lines.Google Maps 有松 町並み (opens in a new tab)
- Arimatsu-Narumi Shibori Kaikan: exhibits, shop and live demonstrations by master craftspeople.Google Maps 有松・鳴海絞会館 (opens in a new tab)
- Shibori workshops: dye your own handkerchief or scarf in town.
Plan your trip with the Aichi prefecture guide and see more history and heritage.
Good to know
- Take the Meitetsu line from Meitetsu Nagoya Station to Arimatsu, about 20 minutes.
- Try a shibori workshop and take home a one-of-a-kind souvenir.
- Look for shibori clothes that roll up small enough to fit in your hand.
Questions travellers ask
What is shibori?
A tie-dye technique where cloth is bound and gathered before dyeing, so the bound parts stay white and make patterns.
How do I get to Arimatsu?
Take the Meitetsu Nagoya Line from Meitetsu Nagoya Station to Arimatsu Station, about 20 minutes.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.