textilesAugust 01, 2026

Omi Jofu

Omi Jofu (近江上布) is a textile produced in the Koto region of Shiga Prefecture, designated as a Traditional Craft by METI in 1977. It belongs to the category of jofu — high-quality plain-woven cloth made from fine hemp or ramie thread — and is distinguished by its kasuri (ikat) patterning and crepe-like texture. The craft is part of a broader tradition of Japanese Woven Textiles encompassing fine ramie and hemp cloths produced across the country.

History

Jofu was historically offered as tribute to the shogunate and other authorities, and ranked among the three major hemp cloths of the medieval to early modern period alongside Nara-sarashi and Echigo-chijimi under the name Takamiya-fu. The original main production area of Omi Jofu was Takamiya in Inukami District, present-day Hikone City. During the Edo period, the Hikone Domain actively protected and encouraged jofu production, contributing to the craft's growth. By the end of the Edo period, counterfeit copies of these hemp cloths had begun to appear on the market. During the Meiji era, production of Takamiya-fu declined and the centre of activity shifted to Aichi District and Kanzaki District — present-day Aiho-cho and Higashi-Omi City — where it developed into what is now recognised as Omi Jofu around the 1950s.

Documentary evidence of the tradition's material characteristics includes a Kirimonocho (切本帖) dated 1819, which was donated to the Notogawa Museum in Higashi-Omi, Shiga Prefecture in 1986 and subsequently identified by Shin'ichiro Yoshida of the Early Modern Hemp Cloth Research Institute as a sample book of Takamiya-fu. In 2007, the Notogawa Museum held an exhibition titled "Approaching the Mystery of Omi Jofu" to further investigate the craft's origins.

Omi Jofu's influence extended to other regional traditions: in the first year of Bunsei (1818), craftsmen were invited from Omi — which had been a production area for hemp thread used in Omi Jofu — contributing to the birth of Noto Jofu: Fine Ramie from Ishikawa.

Techniques & Production Process

Omi Jofu is woven using ramie (rami) thread for both warp and weft, a practice that has become standard. The weft thread is given a strong twist to produce a crepe-like texture characteristic of the cloth. In the Takamiya-fu tradition, ramie was used to make white threads to accentuate pattern white threads, while cannabis threads ranged from unbleached to half-bleached. As of 2014, Iwashima hemp (岩島麻) is used in production. All dyes used in Omi Jofu are chemical dyes.

The finishing process makes use of abundant spring water from the Suzuka Mountains. In preparation for finishing, 10 to 20 tan (反) of cloth are joined together to facilitate processing. During the shibo-tori (shrinkage processing) stage, cloth measuring 1 shaku 5 sun (approximately 45 cm) shrinks to 9 sun 5 bu (approximately 29 cm). To prevent the shibo from stretching, the cloth is immersed in a caustic soda solution of concentration 16–18. In the sizing process, cloth is dried at approximately 300 degrees in a drying room.

How to Identify Omi Jofu

Omi Jofu is produced in two principal kasuri variants. Shiro-kasuri (white kasuri) features small geometric patterns rendered in navy or brown on a white background. Kon-kasuri (navy kasuri) expresses medium or small pictorial patterns and geometric patterns in white on a navy background. The cloth has a characteristic crepe-like texture arising from the strong-twist weft thread, and its surface quality reflects the ramie fibre used for both warp and weft. Stripe patterns also appear alongside kasuri in the jofu tradition, and the cloth is used for summer kimono.

The Craft Today

Omi Jofu continues to be produced in the Koto region of Shiga Prefecture, centred on the area of present-day Aiho-cho and Higashi-Omi City — the districts to which production shifted during the Meiji era. The craft's national designation in 1977 (covering kasuri and kibira varieties) provides an institutional framework for its preservation. The finishing process retains its dependence on spring water from the Suzuka Mountains, linking contemporary production to the geographical conditions of the region. Omi Jofu belongs to a family of related ramie textiles found across Japan, including Echigo Jofu: High-Quality Ramie from Niigata, Miyako Jofu: Refined Ramie from Okinawa, and Yaeyama Jofu: Fine Ramie from Okinawa, each distinguished by its regional techniques and materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Omi Jofu made from?

Omi Jofu is made from ramie (rami) thread, used for both warp and weft. As of 2014, Iwashima hemp (岩島麻) is among the materials used. All dyes applied in production are chemical dyes.

When was Omi Jofu designated as a national Traditional Craft?

Omi Jofu (kasuri and kibira varieties) was designated as a national traditional craft in 1977.

Where is Omi Jofu produced?

Omi Jofu is produced in the Koto region of Shiga Prefecture, particularly in the areas corresponding to present-day Aiho-cho and Higashi-Omi City, which became the main production centres following a shift from the original Takamiya area during the Meiji era.

What are the main pattern types of Omi Jofu?

The two principal kasuri pattern types are shiro-kasuri, which features small geometric patterns in navy or brown on a white background, and kon-kasuri, which features medium or small pictorial and geometric patterns in white on a navy background. Stripe patterns also appear in the jofu tradition.

What is the significance of the Suzuka Mountains spring water in production?

Spring water from the Suzuka Mountains is used in the finishing process of Omi Jofu. For finishing, 10 to 20 tan of cloth are joined and processed together, with shrinkage processing, caustic soda treatment, and a high-temperature drying stage among the steps involved.