Image: Wikimedia Commons
Ushikubi Tsumugi is a silk fabric that has been woven for about 800 years in Shiramine (the former village of Ushikubi), at the foot of the sacred Mount Hakusan in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Its greatest characteristic is the use of 'tamamayu,' double cocoons spun jointly by two silkworms, as raw material; the thread is drawn out by hand from cocoons boiled in hot water, a traditional reeling method called 'zaguri.' This tamaito thread contains irregular slubs yet is rich in elasticity and stretch, producing fabric with a distinctive supple sheen and durability. It is strong enough to resist tearing even when caught on a nail, earning it the nickname 'nail-puller tsumugi,' and its high practicality, able to withstand everyday use, has long been valued. In Shiramine, a heavy snowfall region with steep terrain and little farmland, sericulture became a valuable source of cash income from early times, and tsumugi weaving was carried on as women's handiwork. Today the tradition continues to be preserved, centered on weaving workshops in Shiramine.
Origin
The name Ushikubi Tsumugi comes from the fact that, until the early Meiji era, Shiramine was called Ushikubi village, after the guardian deity Gozu Tenno (literally, 'Ox-Head Heavenly King'). According to tradition, the wife of a certain Ohata, a Genji clan refugee who fled to Ushikubi after his defeat in the Heiji Rebellion of 1159, taught the local villagers the art of weaving, and this handiwork has continued to support life in the mountain village for roughly 800 years since.
History
Located at the foot of Mount Hakusan, Shiramine is a heavy snowfall region with accumulations reaching 3 to 4 meters, and with much sloped terrain and little farmland, sericulture and weaving were long a valuable means of cash income. The zaguri technique of drawing thread from tamamayu double cocoons has been passed down through generations, and following national Intangible Cultural Property and Traditional Craft designations in the Showa era, it developed from a mountain village livelihood into a fine silk fabric known nationwide.
Features
Its greatest characteristic is the use of tamamayu, double cocoons spun jointly by two silkworms, as raw material, with the tamaito thread hand-drawn directly from cocoons boiled in hot water using the zaguri technique. The irregular slubs that appear in the thread give the fabric a distinctive texture and sheen, along with excellent durability and breathability. Prized for being sturdy enough to be called 'nail-puller tsumugi,' it also combines a supple feel highly regarded by wearers.
Techniques
Zaguri (Hand Reeling)
A reeling technique in which tamamayu cocoons are boiled in a kettle while two threads are drawn out simultaneously by hand, adjusting the thickness as they go. It requires great skill and produces the tamaito thread that gives Ushikubi Tsumugi its distinctive texture.
Shakuri
A process in which the scoured thread is firmly stretched and released, restoring the permanent-wave-like crimp inherent to silk fiber and finishing it into a lively, resilient thread rich in trapped air.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Sorting Tamamayu
Double cocoons spun jointly by two silkworms are sorted out.
- 2
Zaguri
Thread is drawn by hand from tamamayu cocoons boiled in hot water to spin tamaito thread.
- 3
Scouring and Shakuri
After removing sericin from the thread, it is given a crimp to finish it into a lively thread.
- 4
Weaving
The fabric is woven on a handloom, using tamaito as the weft and raw silk as the warp.
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Artisans & Workshops
白山工房
A weaving workshop for Ushikubi Tsumugi handling everything from thread-making to weaving in-house. Alongside tours of the production process, the workshop also offers a hand-weaving experience.
Official site →How to Buy
- 白山工房公式オンラインショップ
- The official online shop of Hakusan Kobo, the weaving workshop for Ushikubi Tsumugi. It carries a wide range of Ushikubi Tsumugi products, from kimono fabric to stoles and small goods.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
織りの資料館 白山工房
石川県白山市白峰リ311
By reservation only (9:00–12:00 / 13:00–16:00, last entry 15:30). Admission is 400 yen for adults and 250 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The hand-weaving experience is 500 yen, and the cocoon-doll-making experience is 400 yen. Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance.
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