Stripping the fiber, Basho-fu

The process of peeling off the skin of the harvested basho is called u-hagi. Holding the stem so the root of the basho faces upwards, the skin is peeled off strip by strip. The fiber is categorized in to four types: the outer top layer (uwa-ha) is used mainly for making sitting cushions (zabuton); the middle layer (nahau) is woven into kimono sashes (obi); the third layer (hanagu) has the finest fibers and is used to weave kimono fabric; while the core (kiyagi) is mainly used for dyeing.