Hakata-ori originated as a weaving technique brought back by Mitsuda Yazaemon, who went to the Song Dynasty (one of the Chinese dynasties) in the 13th century (Kamakura period).
The "Dedication Pattern" is the symbol of Hakataori. The Offering Pattern, in which designs based on Buddhist (esoteric Buddhism) ritual implements and striped patterns with Confucian meanings coexist, is a precious heritage that conveys the advanced wisdom and prayers of East Asia at that time, and is unique to Hakata, the gateway to the continent. Incidentally, the name "Dedication Pattern" was given by the lord of the Fukuoka domain (Nagamasa Kuroda) in the Edo period (1603-1868), who used Hakata-ori as a gift to the shogunate.
Hakata-ori is characterized by the use of yarn-dyed threads, a large number of fine warp threads, and a strong beating of the thick weft threads, with the warp threads mainly floating to create the pattern. The fabric is thick and taut, and does not loosen when tightened. In the old days, Hakata-ori was used heavily as an obi for warriors who wore heavy swords at their waists, and these characteristics are still utilized today.
Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is located in the semicircular Fukuoka Plain, facing the Sea of Genkai to the north, with Hakata Bay divided by Uminonakamichi and the Itoshima Peninsula, and surrounded by the Sefuri Mountains to the south and the Mikoriyama Mountains to the east.
Fukuoka is a city with its own unique character and charm, combining the attractions of a large city with the beauty of nature, and blessed with traditions and culture nurtured through its long history.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Hakata Textile”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.
In 1235, Yasuemon Mitsuda left Hakata for the Sung Dynasty with the monk Ben-en (Seiichi Kokushi). During his six-year stay in the Sung Dynasty, he mastered the five techniques of weaving, shu-yaki, foil-yaki, somen, and jakomaru, and returned to Hakata in 1241 with Mitsuda Yasuemon and the monk Ben-en. Yazaemon passed on these techniques to the people of Hakata, but only the weaving technique, which he called Kanto-ori, was handed down in his family, adding his own techniques.
Two hundred and fifty years later, Yasuemon's descendant, Hikosaburo, went back to Ming Dynasty China to study weaving techniques. After returning to China, he worked with Takewaka Iemon to improve the technique and produced a thick fabric with a raised pattern like amber weaving. It is said that the name "Hakataori" was taken from the name of the land where the textile was produced, Hakata, and the textile was named "Hakataori.
Around 1955, as the economy began to recover, the number of kimono weavers and the number of kimono production increased, and at its peak in 1975, there were 168 kimono shops and approximately 2 million obi belts were produced. Today, with the development of computers and other electronic devices, new fabrics are being developed that were unthinkable a decade ago in terms of speed and delicacy. Along with changing lifestyles, HAKATA JAPAN is developing new products such as obi belts, neckties, and rugs.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Hakata Textile”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.