Elements
Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu: techniques of making ramie fabric in Uonuma region, Niigata Prefecture
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000181 Country Japan ICH Domain Traditional craft skills Address The Secretariat of the Holding Group is located at:nShiozawa Textile Industry Association, 107-1, Mokuraiden, Minami-Uonuma city, Niigata Prefecture, 949-6435, JAPAN The members of the group live mainly in the Uonuma region of Niigata Prefecture (Southwestern Niigata Prefecture)
| Description | The materials and techniques used to produce high-quality, lightweight ramie textiles known as Ojiya-chijimi and Echigo-jofu, has been developed under its distinctive climatic conditions and transmitted from generations to generations in the long history of the community. After World War II, under the influence of a rapidly-changing society, it fell into a decline. With a strong determination to protect their own cultural heritage, however, the people concerned with textiles and weavings joined forces and reconstructed its base for the conservation and transmission of this intangible cultural heritage themselves. It has been rooted in the community as its cultural identity. In 1955 “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” was designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and “Association for the conservation of techniques for Echigo-jofu, Ojiya-chijimi-fu,” founded by the community, was recognized as the Holding Group of this technique. This Association strongly recognizes “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” as its own cultural heritage and makes every effort to preserve and transmit them. Ojiya-chijimi and Echigo-jofu has a long history. Ramie weaving began in ancient times around Uonuma region in Niigata Prefecture, and we have a remains presumably dated back to the eighth century. In the seventeenth century it was dedicated to Tokugawa Shogunate. As suitable to the hot and humid summer of Japan, clothes made of ramie weaving have been a favourite of many people in various classes for centuries. Thus, those textiles have been constantly produced as a cultural pride for the people of the community, and its producing technique has been transmitted from generations to generations until today. The production area is such a heavy snowfall area as closed by snow during a half of a year, and hence its production technique makes a good use of its distinctive nature and climate. The yukizarashi method is well-known as a unique part of the production process, in which the woven textile is spread on the snow, and bleached by the ozone released as the snow evaporates. The traditional ikat (kasuri) designs are made from threads that were tied before dyeing. They feature various colours in geometric patterns or abstract patterns of plants, or combinations of these. These traditional patterns are still being used by people today, who bring a contemporary sense to the traditional designs. Thus, the community has inherited the traditional producing technique of “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” and constantly recreated this intangible cultural heritage by production with the specific technique. Sophisticated manufacturing of those textiles, process with traditional tools and distinctive utilization of snow are required for the designation as important intangible cultural heritage in this case. It is needless to say that the people of this Association shall fully understand the meaning of their own intangible cultural heritage, cooperate each other and respect mutual skills. Because they are determined to transmit to the next generation what they have inherited from the ancestors, they make every effort to widely disseminate it and hold a workshop for it. The community has constantly recreated a sense of identity and continuity through the conservation and transmission of this important intangible cultural property. The making of “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” is a complex, detailed process. The process must meet specific conditions in order to qualify for Important Intangible Cultural Property status. These conditions have been carried on and transmitted by the Association and the people involved up to the present. ▶Conditions of Designation -TEUMI (Hand-twisted ramie thread) Ramie fibers are split by fingernail and shredded into very fine threads. Further manipulated and moistened by the hands and mouths of threadmakers, the ends of each strand are twisted together to form a continuous thread. An additional tight twisting of the weft threads gives Ojiya-chijimi its characteristic crepe texture. This work takes place during cold winter months when the humidity from snow keeps the ramie threads pliable. -TEKUBIRI (Hand-tied ikat (kasuri) threads) Skeins of ramie thread are bound with cotton thread in a predetermined pattern before being immersed in a dye vat. This method of hand-tying is known as tekubiri. The bound areas resist the dye. When untied, placed on a loom, and woven into a fabric, the kasuri pattern emerges. -IZARIBATA (Use of a body-tension loom) Utilizing a simple body-tension loom (izaribata), the weaver sits on a wooden plank raised slightly off the floor with her legs outstretched underneath the loom. Her foot is slipped into a sling that manipulates a bent, wood lever attached to string heddles. A cloth beam (chimaki) is then placed against the weaver’s abdomen and secured by a strap that is brought around the small of the back. In this position the loom becomes an integrated extension of the weaver’s body. She can achieve subtle adjustments to warp tension by simply shifting her weight. An extremely high degree of skill is required to weave ramie thread as fine as human hair without the thread breaking. -YUMOMI, ASHIBUMI (The SHIBOTORI finishing method) The woven cloth is soaked in hot water and rubbed to remove any starch (yumomi). Afterwards, the cloth is soaked again in hot water and washed by trampling or massaging it with one’s feet (ashibumi). This process softens out the creases in jofu cloth and gives chijimi cloth its beautiful crepe-like texture. -YUKIZARASHI (Snow bleached) Wet lengths of ramie cloth are placed on top of snow-covered fields. For ten to twenty days the textiles are exposed to the bleaching properties of sunlight, which is intensified by the white snow. The cloth is further lightened by the penetration of ozone ions from the melting snow. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Ojiya-chijimi and Echigo-jofu has a long history. Ramie weaving began in ancient times around Uonuma region in Niigata Prefecture, and we have a remains presumably dated back to the eighth century. In the seventeenth century it was dedicated to Tokugawa Shogunate. As suitable to the hot and humid summer of Japan, clothes made of ramie weaving have been a favourite of many people in various classes for centuries. Thus, those textiles have been constantly produced as a cultural pride for the people of the community, and its producing technique has been transmitted from generations to generations until today. The production area is such a heavy snowfall area as closed by snow during a half of a year, and hence its production technique makes a good use of its distinctive nature and climate. The yukizarashi method is well-known as a unique part of the production process, in which the woven textile is spread on the snow, and bleached by the ozone released as the snow evaporates. The traditional ikat (kasuri) designs are made from threads that were tied before dyeing. They feature various colours in geometric patterns or abstract patterns of plants, or combinations of these. These traditional patterns are still being used by people today, who bring a contemporary sense to the traditional designs. Thus, the community has inherited the traditional producing technique of “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” and constantly recreated this intangible cultural heritage by production with the specific technique. Sophisticated manufacturing of those textiles, process with traditional tools and distinctive utilization of snow are required for the designation as important intangible cultural heritage in this case. It is needless to say that the people of this Association shall fully understand the meaning of their own intangible cultural heritage, cooperate each other and respect mutual skills. Because they are determined to transmit to the next generation what they have inherited from the ancestors, they make every effort to widely disseminate it and hold a workshop for it. The community has constantly recreated a sense of identity and continuity through the conservation and transmission of this important intangible cultural property. |
| Transmission method | The materials and techniques used to produce high-quality, lightweight ramie textiles known as Ojiya-chijimi and Echigo-jofu, has been developed under its distinctive climatic conditions and transmitted from generations to generations in the long history of the community. After World War II, under the influence of a rapidly-changing society, it fell into a decline. With a strong determination to protect their own cultural heritage, however, the people concerned with textiles and weavings joined forces and reconstructed its base for the conservation and transmission of this intangible cultural heritage themselves. It has been rooted in the community as its cultural identity. In 1955 “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” was designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and “Association for the conservation of techniques for Echigo-jofu, Ojiya-chijimi-fu,” founded by the community, was recognized as the Holding Group of this technique. This Association strongly recognizes “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” as its own cultural heritage and makes every effort to preserve and transmit them. Partial subsidies for expenses related to programs for training successors and for public exhibitions organized by holding groups, collectively recognized holders, or local authorities. Since 1967 government funding has been made available to support the ongoing practice of traditional techniques in the production of “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu”. Every year since 1968, instructive courses have been held by the Association and supported with funds provided by national, prefectural and local governments up today. In addition to a course intended to pass on the technique of spinning thread from ramie (Course on Ramie Spinning Techniques), a second course was introduced in 1973 to teach the technique of using the body-tension loom to weave ramie cloth (Course on Body-tension Loom (izaribata) Weaving). These courses continue to be offered. Each course takes five years to complete. To date, 143 people have completed the Course on Ramie Spinning Techniques while 32 people have completed the Course on Body-tension Loom Weaving. The success of these courses can be seen the number of graduates of now teaching the body-tension loom courses in Ojiya and Shiozawa. Practitioners of ramie-spinning techniques are few in number, but have deep roots in the area, so the techniques are being passed on. In 1995 edited was a forty-year anniversary book on the designation system of important intangible cultural property owing to the efforts of the people concerned; the history of efforts of the people who protected intangible cultural heritage was documented. Moreover, in Tokyo in 2005 held was a special exhibition on the transmitted technique of “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” as the fifty-year anniversary of the designation system of important intangible cultural property; works by the Association were displayed and various productions were practiced on the spot before the visitors for the dissemination of them. The exhibition titled ”The Skills and beauty of craftsmanship in Japan – Important Intangible Cultural Properties and the People who support Them”, a project to collect and display works produced by holders and holding groups, is held at museums and galleries throughout Japan. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has held the exhibition “The Skills and beauty of craftsmanship in Japan – Important Intangible Cultural Properties and the People who support Them” every year since 1997. Works of “Ojiya-chijimi, Echigo-jofu” are displayed in the exhibition every year, giving the people of Japan a chance to learn about this heritage. When the exhibition was held in 2007 in Niigata Prefecture, which the location of Ojiya-chijimi and Echigo-jofu production, the members of the Association perform some production process on the spot before visitors. The pamphlets were also distributed on that venue in order to introduce this intangible heritage so that many people would know its history, substance and the status quo. Producing video documentation of techniques that are Important Intangible Cultural Properties In 1980-81 the Agency for Cultural Affairs made a film documenting the craft technique of Echigo-jofu with a full cooperation of the community. Since then, the community has actively cooperated with the recording and documentation of this intangible cultural heritage. Some of them were already submitted to UNESCO as a reference. Thus, “Association for the conservation of techniques for Echigo-jofu, Ojiya-chijimi-fu” as the Holding Group has been making voluntary effort for the protection and transmission of this intangible cultural heritage. |
| Community | Association for the conservation of techniques for Echigo-jofu, Ojiya-chijimi-fu(Hereinafter “Holding Group”) |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2009 |