Kijōka-bashōfu

Kijōka-bashōfu (喜如嘉の芭蕉布^?) is the Japanese craft of making cloth from the bashō or Japanese fibre banana as practiced in Kijōka in Ogimi, Okinawa. Like linen, hemp, ramie and other long vegetable fibres it does not stick to the skin in hot weather; as such it is suitable for the climate of Okinawa. Kijōka-bashōfu is recognized as one of the Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

Bashōfu formed part of the tribute to Ming dynasty China, while 3,000 rolls were listed as due after the Satsuma invasion of Okinawa in 1609. As well as the payment of bolts of plain, striped and kasuri bashōfu as tribute to the Ryūkyū kings, the cloth was used in daily wear by commoners. Production increased in the Meiji period with the introduction of the takahata (高機^?) loom. After the Battle of Okinawa, production declined dramatically. Formerly made across the Ryūkyū islands, bashōfu production is now localized in Kijōka.

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