{"id":82460,"date":"2021-09-08T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=82460"},"modified":"2021-09-10T09:51:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T00:51:39","slug":"yomitanzan-hanaori-japanese-textiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/yomitanzan-hanaori-japanese-textiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Yomitanzan Hanaori: Japanese Textiles Created for a Royal Family"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think of traditional Japanese culture, one of the first images that probably comes to mind is a beautiful woman wearing a kimono<\/a>, Japan’s most famous and beloved garment. However, the kimono is only one example of the variety of Japanese textiles that have been developed since the first inhabitants of Japan. Like many other traditional arts, Japanese textiles have emerged through an interaction of external influences and local techniques and have defined many of the traditions that continue to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Okinawa, a prefecture that consists of about 160 islands in southern Japan<\/a>, textiles play a very important role in the local lifestyle. Okinawan textiles were developed as items of trade with other countries and as offerings to the Ryukyu Kingdom. Since ancient times, Okinawan weavers and dyers have refined their weaving and dyeing techniques, giving shape and color to the culture and traditions of these islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, several production areas are scattered throughout the prefecture, and each has unique skills and characteristics that have been carefully passed down from generation to generation. Yomitan Village, located in central Okinawa<\/a>, is the birthplace of Yomitanzan Hanaori, a textile used by the royal family of the old Ryukyu Kingdom. But today, you don’t have to be a nobleman to enjoy them. At the Voyapon Store<\/a>, you can purchase products made by Yuntanza Hanaui\u2019s artisans to add a unique Japanese touch to your lifestyle with textiles that are closely linked with Okinawa’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Yomintanzan Hanaori? The History of the Japanese Textiles from the Ryukyu Kingdom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hanaori is a type of Okinawan textile characterized by its floral and geometric patterns<\/strong>. Although there are different types, one of the best-known, thanks to its beauty and complexity, is the hanaori made in Yomitan village. Because it takes a lot of time, effort, and concentration to make, Yomitanzan Hanaori was highly prized during the Ryukyu dynasty and only members of the royal family and residents of Yomitan village were allowed to wear this type of textile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best place to learn in detail about Yomitanzan Hanaori is Yuntanza Hanaui Business Cooperative<\/a>, a company of about 110 employees located in Yomitan village. There, Etsuko Shimabukuro, Yuntanza Hanaui Business Cooperative’s chairwoman, who has dedicated her life to weaving these traditional Okinawan textiles, explains its history. “In 1372, a man named Taiki was sent to China to deliver the first tribute from the Ryukyu Kingdom and establish a sea trade between the two kingdoms. Through this trade link, some textiles from China and other East Asian countries reached Yomitan shores, and local artisans began to develop new weaving techniques inspired by them. That was the beginning of Yomitanzan Hanaori during the prosperous Ryukyu dynasty. At that time, except for the royal family, the aristocracy, and the people of Yomitan, no one else could use it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n