Uetsu Shinafu Weaving

Uetsu-Shinafu is a traditional textile craft practiced in Tsuruoka City (Yamagata Prefecture) and Murakami City (Niigata Prefecture).
This weaving tradition dates back to the Jomon period (ca. 10,000 B.C.–400 B.C.) and the Yayoi period (ca. 400 B.C.–300 A.D.).

The cloth is made from fibers stripped from the bark of linden trees found in the surrounding mountains. Historically, Shinafu fabric was used to make men's casual kimonos, work clothes, fishing nets, filters, bed sheets, and sacks.

Today, artisans also craft it into everyday items such as obi, handbags, and hats.