Okinawan Craftsmanship
As a hub of trade, Okinawa has blended many cultures since ancient times and developed a culture all its own. By flexibly absorbing the cultures of Japan, China, Southeast Asia and the United States, making use of Okinawa's own natural blessings, and refining them into forms suited to Okinawa's climate and people, it has developed its craftsmanship. Look forward to highly original products you will not find in any other production area.
Glossary of crafts
- Bashofu
- Cloth woven from fibers taken from the itobasho, a type of banana plant.
- Bashoshi
- Ryukyu washi paper made from itobasho, like bashofu. A rustic paper with a strong fibrous texture, different in character from other washi.
- Ryukyu kasuri
- A textile woven with colorful geometric patterns unique to Ryukyu. The subtle texture that only hand weaving can give makes it popular.
- Bingata (Ryukyu dyeing)
- A traditional dyeing technique representative of Okinawa, characterized by vivid colors and designs with motifs from nature.
- Hana-ori
- A textile woven with floral patterns. Its techniques differ from one production area to another. In the past it was a prestigious kimono worn by royal nobility and officials.
- Ryukyu glass
- A glassblowing craft representative of Okinawa. Rich colors combined with distinctive air bubbles give the glass its Okinawan character.