Tamba-fu

From the Edo period (1603-1868) until the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912), farmers' wives in Saji district of Tamba city, Hyogo prefecture made hand woven cloth known as "Tamba-fu.” Tamba-fu is woven with cultivated cotton that is hand-spun and then dyed with plants growing in the surrounding areas that produce a subtle, quiet and gentle texture, unlike the modern fabrics with factory spun yarn and chemical dyes. Tamba-fu caught the eyes of Mingei Movement leader Soetsu Yanagi (1889-1961) and this initiated its revival after a period of decline. To this day the beauty of its stripes and checks still attracts us.