Guide to Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) by Photos and Movies
Name
Noto Hemp
Address
Hakui City, Nakanoto Town
Category
Life
Class
Agro-based art
Designation
Ishikawa Prefecture Intangible Cultural Asset (Craft techniques) (May 1960)
Comment
Noto hemp is the highest-grade handwoven hemp fabric produced in Nakanoto Town and Hakui City. It is made of Ramie fiber, and called “cicada wing” due to its thinness and lightness. It is well-known as the best material for summer kimonos, and is characterized by its small cross patterns. The cross patterns are the result of advanced thread-dyeing techniques such as plate binding, comb pressing and roll painting. Emperor Sujin’s daughter is said to have brought the skill of hemp production to this area about 2,000 years ago. According to records of Jônen-ji Temple of the Honganji School of the Jôdo Shin Sect of Buddhism dating from the Genwa period (1615~1624), “white hemp cloth” was one of the items presented to the headquarters. The number of craftsmen has decreased, but at the peak of production in the early Showa period, there were 140 studios in the area, with the highest production volume in Japan. Noto hemp has been designated as an Intangible Cultural Asset by Ishikawa Prefecture.
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