Fujifu wisteria fabric

Yushisha is a traditional Tango Chirimen weaving company founded in the mid-Meiji period (1868 to 1912) as Koishikaorimono. The present company management, the fourth generation, discovered that Fujifu (fabric woven with wisteria bark fibres), the oldest Japanese fabric dating back to the prehistoric Jomon period, which was once believed to have disappeared, barely continues to be woven in the Tango region. In 1986, he began promoting this Fujifu weaving technique that has been handed down in Tango, leading to the creation of distinctive products by Yushisha.

Fujifu is carefully made through much time and effort, starting from cutting wisteria vines, removing the outer skin and spinning a yarn. The key product of the company, which has manufactured luxury silk fabrics for over 100 years is high-end Obi (kimono sash) fabrics. Fujifu uses silk for warp and wisteria vine fibre for weft, based on sophisticated skills to manufacture obi by combining diverse yarns made of silk, gold coloured metallic fibre and washi (Japanese handmade paper). It is an original product that cannot be created anywhere else, which reveals various textures and expressions depending on how the materials and structures are combined.