Hakata-ori Textile

博多織

Hakata-ori refers to dyed-in silk textiles. At once intricate and gorgeous, the silk also has a unique firmness that retains its shape when used in kimonos, proving its superior practicality.
During the Kamakura Era (1185 - 1333), a merchant from Hakata named Mitsuda Yasouemon spent six years in China where he learned how to make textiles, red pottery, noodles, and Chinese herbal medicines. After returning to Hakata, he turned his weaving technique into an art and added his own style, which he termed “kanton-ori” and which was passed down in the family for generations. The silks have also come to be known as “Hakata offerings”, since territorial lord Kuroda Nagamasa offered them to the feudal government every year!
Hakata-ori was recognized by the government as a Traditional Craft in 1976.

*About the Method: Government-Designated Traditional Craft

Address (Japanese)	812-0023　福岡県福岡市博多区奈良屋町5-10
Address	1-14-12 Hakataeki-minami, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka
Telephone Number	092-409-5162（博多織工業組合）
Contact	Hakata Weavers Association
Fax Number	092-409-5086
Car Park	6 vehicles
Access	By train - 7 minute walk from JR Hakata Station
Website	http://www.hakataori.or.jp/us/index.html