Processing the arrowroot vines, Minakuchi handicraft

Natural arrowroot vines grown in the wild are gathered in the middle of June to be used as the weft. The leaves are removed and the vines boiled for one hour. After boiling, the outer layer is removed and the inner layer is cut open to extract the core. The retrieved fibres are soaked in rice bran water for three days and three nights, before being bleached and set to dry in the shade. Once dry, the fibers are moistened by soaking them in water and any nodes or stains are removed using a cutter to achieve an even thickness.