这种丝绸也被称作紬丝。由于其表面凹凸不平而且光泽度较差，穿着时不易滑落，所以通常用它来制作披肩、围巾或头巾。这种布料的制作过程同样十分费时，但它们广受消费者青睐，越穿越为柔软。
十多个世纪以来，日本丝绸持续蓬勃发展，并在工业化进程中发挥了重要作用。上至皇室生活，下到农场生产，丝绸在日本的生活日常中举足轻重，甚至在日本与西方的贸易关系中扮演着重要角色。
（来源：Patra）
Many parts of Asia are well-known for their silk textiles. When we think about silk production, China is usually the country that comes to mind. However, other places, such as India, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan, have a long history of producing this sublime fabric. Although they tend to focus more on China’s sericulture production than other countries, in part because of silk’s almost mythical origins and in part due to the sheer volumes of silk that are produced and exported yearly. Yet Japan’s sericulture industry is also important to note. Silk-reeling, weaving, dyeing and producing has led to the rapid modernization and industrialization of the country, as well as giving some incredible works of art like kimonos.
The family run silk farms of Japan
As it became a luxurious commodity in Japan, every house and farm could raise silkworms and in some cases the government would provide farmers with 20kgs of silkworms to get them started. The women of the farm would, then, ensure the worms would be properly fed with mulberry leaves, while the men were responsible for negotiating and selling the product. Silk production in Japan is full of tradition and rituals. For example, at the end of silk farming every summer the Japanese empress marks with a special ceremony, by feeding mulberry leaves to silkworms. This practice has survived right up to the present day. Raising silkworms privately by no means meant that the quality suffered, as they even developed a way to have colored silk by feeding the silkworms dyes mixed with ground mulberry leaves!
Selling silk
At some point, China and Japan competed with each other in silk exports, and Japan even managed to overtake China in the beginning of the 20th century. By 1905, Japanese raw silk exports exceeded the Chinese, and within a few decades, Japanese silk exports gained dominance in the world market. However, the state of the Japanese economy after the Second World War along with the introduction of synthetics and nylon and cheaper imports from China made the Japanese silk industry almost obsolete.
As years (and centuries) passed, the production of silk was industrialized with two main centers in Japan. The first was in Nishijin, a district of Kyoto, and the second in Gunma Prefecture, some 400 kilometres away from Kyoto. Factories in Kyoto produced a distinct type of fabric, called Nishijin ori, which was silk brocade. Nishijin silk became very popular, as it was the preferred fabric for kimonos. It’s no wonder, then, that the place where silk was first developed coincides with where the kimono was born, in Kyoto. Back then Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the home of the Imperial Palace. Gunma on the other hand was where sericulture was industrialized and where a lot of silk factories were operating from.
Types of Japanese silk
Nishijin ori
Japanese started creating this silk brocade over 1,000 years ago. The process it takes to weave is very time-consuming, but it is so beautiful to look at! Due to its expensive nature, kimonos made from Nishijin were only used for state functions or weddings. This silk brocade is heavy due to all the layers of embroidery and its thick threads, so now only obi belts are made of this fabric.
Chirimen silk
This Japanese silk is also known as silk crepe. Most of the kimonos nowadays are made of this fabric, as this type of silk is light enough and has a wonderful drape. Chirimen can be spun into different forms, such as Kinsha silk, a lighter and finer silk often worn in summer, or Omeshi silk. Kimonos worn by the imperial court are made from Omeshi, a heavier and more luxurious silk, while new ones made from Omeshi silk are extremely rare.
Tsumugi silk
This type of silk is also known as silk noil. Uneven and less lustrous, this silk has a good grip and, so, is used for shawls, scarves or wraps. Time-consuming to make as well, it is a cherished fabric and the more it’s worn, the softer it becomes.
For over 10 centuries, Japanese silk has continued to flourish and played a role in the industrialization of the country. From imperial court life to little farms, silk is prominent in the daily life in Japan and is even important in the trade relations of the country with the West.
(Source: Patra)
《ISU NEWS》
2023年第1期目录
ISU Chairman Zhang Guoqiang Visits Ufficio Italiano Seta and Intersoie France
国际丝绸联盟主席张国强走访意大利、法国丝绸协会
“The 4th Philippine Silk Summit” is Held in the Philippines
“第4届菲律宾丝绸峰会”在菲律宾线上线下召开
The Strategic Research and Consulting Project of “Silk Industry High-quality Development” of Chinese Academy of China is Crowned with Success
中国工程院战略研究与咨询项目“丝绸产业高质量发展”顺利结题
The Exhibition Entitled “Glory on Silk—French Textiles: 18th Century to the Present” Kicks off
“荣归锦上：18世纪以来的法国丝绸”展开幕
Chinese Traditional Clothing Debuts at Venice Carnival, Italy
中国传统服饰亮相意大利威尼斯狂欢节
Xinnuo Launches Machine-Washable Silk Functional Technology
信诺可机洗丝绸功能技术发布
History of Japanese Silk
日本丝绸发展历史
Silk production in Uzbekistan
乌兹别克斯坦丝绸生产
Fondazione Antonio Ratti
安东尼奥拉蒂基金丝绸博物馆简介
返回搜狐，查看更多