is a variety of silk cloth produced in Japan, chiefly in Japanese: [[Yuki, Ibaraki|Yūki]]|italic=no in Japanese: [[Ibaraki Prefecture|Ibaraki]]|italic=no Prefecture. It is designated as one of the Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan, and has also been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[1]
The traditional history of Japanese: yūki-tsumugi traces its origin to a crafthouse known as Japanese: Nagahatabeno Ashiginu|italic=no during the reign of the legendary Emperor Japanese: [[Emperor Sujin|Sujin]]|italic=no[1] Knowledge of the method of silk production, developed by its founder, Japanese: Ooyanomikoto|italic=no, was said to have immediately spread out to the Japanese: Yūki|italic=no district and beyond.
Another account identified the Japanese: [[Muromachi period|Muromachi]]|italic=no period (14th-16th century) as the period when Japanese: yūki-tsumugi was developed. It is said that the feudal lord of a farmer family in the Hitachi Province sent Japanese: tsumugi fabric to a governor called Japanese: Kamakura Kanryo|italic=no every year as a gift.[2]
Developing from earlier silk techniques, the name Japanese: "yūki-tsumugi" was adopted in 1602. Weavers were invited from Japanese: [[Ueda Castle|Ueda]]|italic=no Castle and the cloth, at first plain, was used as a gift for the Japanese: [[Tokugawa shogunate|shōgun]]|italic=no.
In 1873, Japanese: yūki-tsumugi was exhibited at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair, and became known worldwide. Currently, approximately one hundred and thirty craftsmen practice the craft of Japanese: yūki-tsumugi production in Japanese: Yūki|italic=no and Japanese: [[Oyama, Tochigi|Oyama]]|italic=no.[3]
To produce the fabric, silk floss is first extracted from silkworm cocoons and is spun by hand into yarn. Dyed patterns are added to the cloth with Japanese: [[kasuri]] ikat before weaving with a loom known as a .[4] The technique involves a tedious process of manually tying thousands of resists before the yarn is dyed, based on the desired resulting pattern or design.[5] The strap around the weaver's waist enables the tension of the vertical thread to be adjusted.[6] It can take up to fifteen days to weave enough plain fabric for an adult garment, and up to forty-five days for patterned fabric.[7]
In 1956, Japanese: yūki-tsumugi was designated one of the Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan.[8] The was established in 1976 and helps promote and transmit the craft.[3] Japanese: Yūki Daiichi|italic=no High School in Japanese: Yūki|italic=no has a Japanese: yūki-tsumugi club.[3] In 2010, Japanese: yūki-tsumugi was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[4]