Shuri Fabrics Weaving Okinawa Prefecture Cooperative Union Naha Traditional Textile Association 2-64 Shuritobaru-cho, Naha, Okinawa Prefecture tel 098-887-2746 Background Trade flourished between the kingdom of Ryukyu and China and South East Asia during the 14th and 15th centuries and weaving techniques were learned through these exchanges. Nurtured by the Okinawan climate and developed over the centuries, a number of textiles, each with their own characteristic traits, came into being. One of these was a cloth produced in Shuri. The court nobility and warrior families of this castle town found the color, patterns and quality of this cloth very appealing. And, as a stylistically poised cloth of boundless beauty, it is still being woven today. Perhaps the most conspicuous feature of Shuri fabrics is the colorful weaving of everything from figured cloths to ikats. Amongst these, hanakura-ori and doton-ori were produced for the exclusive use of the royal family and court nobility, and were only woven in Shuri. Cloth is still woven for kimono and obi but some is also used for table centers. Work on these cloths is coordinated by 51 firms employing 92 people sustaining these regal cloths.