Ushikubi  Tsumugi

The weaving method of Ushikubi Tsumugi is unique, and the use of twisted threads produces unique patterns and textures. These twisted threads create the characteristic look of Ushikubi Tsumugi.

It has a lightness and smoothness peculiar to silk fabrics and is extremely pleasant to the touch. It has a beautiful luster that takes advantage of the characteristics of silk, giving it an elegant and luxurious finish. It also has the durability and breathability of silk, making it a comfortable and long-lasting fabric.

Shiramine, Hakusan City (former Ushikubi Village), where Ushikubi Tsumugi is produced, is a mountain village located in the southeast of Ishikawa Prefecture, adjacent to Katsuyama City in Fukui Prefecture and Shirakawa Village in Gifu Prefecture. It is situated at the source of the Tedori River, which runs through the Kaga Plain, in the rich natural environment of Mt. Hakusan.

The name Ushikubi Tsumugi dates back to the beginning of the Meiji period, when Shiramine was named Ushikubi Village after its guardian deity, Gozutenno.

The area around Shiramine Village, known as one of the heaviest snowfall areas in Japan, has extremely little flat land suitable for farming due to its steep mountainous terrain, and sericulture has been actively practiced as a valuable means of cash income since ancient times.

Ushikubi Tsumugi was woven using the rare "tama-mayu" produced by two silkworms working together. When two silkworms work together to make a single cocoon, it is called a “tama-mayu".

Ushikubi Tsumugi is born from this "tama-mayu". The most important process for Ushikubi Tsumugi is to make the thread from the cocoon.

The process of "Nobebiki" is difficult because the two threads from the cocoon are intricately intertwined, and it requires the experience and intuition of the craftsman to make the thread.

However, the threads that are ground through this difficult process have excellent elasticity and stretchability, and are the basis of all the textures of Ushikubi Tsumugi.

Subsequent work is carried out with an emphasis on ideal conditions for the threads.

These thread-making processes are the basis of the excellent texture of Ushikubi Tsumugi, which is comfortable to wear, breathable, and wrinkle-resistant.