Notojofu, a woven fabric that has been passed down since the age of myth

Jofu is a premium woven ramie fabric (“Ramie” is a natural fibre that is similar to hemp and linen. It is a strong fibre that has been used for Kimono since ancient times). It is said that the origin of Notojofu goes back to about 2,000 years ago, when the daughter of Emperor Sujin was in the Noto region (area in the Noto Peninsula, middle part of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan), where she created a thread using wild ramie and taught weaving.

In the Edo era (around 19th century), the technology was introduced from other regions of Japan. Then, in the early Showa era (around 1930), the fabric was hailed as the best ramie fabric in Japan, and in 1960, it was designated as an intangible cultural asset for Ishikawa Prefecture. Women of farmer’s house almost wove in the winter, during the agricultural off-season.

Notojofu’s crafting techniques, which serve as the representation of the manufacturing of elaborate Tate- Yoko Kasuri (the splashed pattern created by dyeing the warp and weft threads separately beforehand based on the pattern and finely adjusting the weft threads to match the pattern; warp and weft resist-dyeing) using Notojofu’s unique dyeing techniques, such as Kushioshi Nassen (comb-press dyeing) and rolling Nassen, have been identified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ishikawa prefecture.

Still today, Notojofu is woven by hand in the traditional manner, and is distinctive for its rustic coloring and high-quality patterns, known as “Kasuri.” Its delicate texture is described as similar to a cicada’s wings. Also, Its characteristics are ramie’s crispness along with durability. Soft and cool, it is often used as a fabric for “Kimonos” to be worn in the hot summer. Anyone who wears a Notojofu Kimono even once is sure to agree. The rustic colors that fit Noto’s climate and traditional splashed patterns contain refinement and beauty that stand the test of time.

New Notojofu brand, Ramie Epoch

“RAMIE EPOCH” is a fashion brand of Notojofu, a fabric traditionally handwoven using ramie.

About RAMIE EPOCH

”RAMIE EPOCH” is a fashion brand of Notojofu, a fabric traditionally handwoven using ramie, launched in 2012. The brand’s name comes from combining Ramie, the plant whose fiber is used in Notojofu weaving, with Epoch, projecting the ideal of a new age and bright future for the tradition of Notojofu—much like in the late 19th and early 20th century, when Art Nouveau came into vogue in central Europe, and especially Paris, France, resulting in an age of growth and prosperity for the arts which was referred to as La Belle Époque, or the Beautiful Epoch.
We wish to bring the charms of ramie to more people through new products that fit in with the modern lifestyle, creating a new age and bright future for the tradition of Notojofu.

Products

The “jofu” in Notojofu refers to the highest-quality kimono made from ramie. It is a rare and valuable product that was once prized so highly as to be used in tributes to nobles and in the formal attire of the samurai class.
The translucent ramie cloth and light colors characteristic to Notojofu fabric give the fabric both a cool look and feel, relieving the summer heat. Through the addition of bright colors uncommon in kimono while preserving the beautiful patterns and the cool functionalities of the “jofu”, RAMIE EPOCH aims to create products that are useful in daily life.
Other than kimono, such products include stoles, shirts and covers for various items.

The stole and scarf are quality products made by the hands of highly-skilled artisans. Bright striped kimono patterns characteristic of Notojofu are coupled with the solid colors enhanced by the natural shine of ramie. The ramie stole’s and scarf’s superb texture, comfort, sweat-absorbency and hand-washable properties make it suitable for
daily use.

The YAMAZAKI NOTOJOFU WORKSHOP, INC. is a textile manufacturer specializing in Notojofu. In 1891, our company was founded here in the Noto region, an area known across the nation as one of the most prolific and highest-quality textile production regions in Japan. Since then, it is the only weaving workshop to carry on the traditional techniques of Notojofu. Although it is now the only remaining weaving workshop, its weavers, who are mostly young people from throughout the prefecture and around Japan, continue to weave in their predecessors’ footsteps.