Ojiya-Chijimi y Echigo-jofu/en

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Ojiya-chijimi and Echigojofu are two classifications of the lightweight hemp textile Echigo chijimi , which has been produced for over 1200 years. These ramie weaving techniques are typical of the Uonuma region , Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

These tissues are also described in the Hokuetsu seppu.

The abundant snow in this region prevents agriculture for long periods of the year. Ramie weaving has always provided a vital source of income for farming families . Furthermore, the snowy winters provide the perfect level of humidity for working with the delicate ramie fibers, which break easily in dry conditions. During these months, the women weave the crepe. In the snow, the yarn is spun and twisted, and fabrics are woven. The fabrics are then washed in snowwater and bleached in snowfields.

The production of this fabric requires between 30 and 70 manual processes that take about five months. The yarn is spun by hand and woven on a pedal loom called an izari-bata . The kasuri designs are hand-tied, and to finish the fabric, it is washed in hot water, massaged with the feet, and finally spread out in snowy fields, where it is left for 20 days to soften in the sun.

These meticulous traditional techniques were on the verge of extinction in the mid-20th century; however, they were designated Intangible Cultural Heritage of Japan in 1955, and in 2009 were added to the UNESCO list . Around 70 people have completed a training course run by the Association for the Preservation of Ojiya-chijimi-fu and Echigo-Jofu Techniques. Currently, these students produce about 40 tan (a tan is a piece of kimono-length fabric) of this weaving technique each year.