Weave　(p. 101 )

1. Produced in Yasumachi Yasugun, Shiga Prefecture.

2. Characteristics: Cotton fabric woven with threads dyed in indigo.

3. Uses: Clothing.

4. History: Farmers in this district grew cotton to weav cloth for their own use. They spun and had dyers dye the threads. The situations changed around 1948 and the need for indigo dyed cotton decreased. Only one factory keeps the tradition today. The technique was designated as "Intangible Cultural Property" in 1958.

Dyeing Method

Indigo is put into wooden vats and fermented at the natural temperature in early summer, with no additional heating. The technique is identical to that preserved in "Kurigoma Shoai Zome" in Miyagi Prefecture.