The Lost Textile of Ryukyu
Film by NHK World Prime about Okinawa textiles
Available until 07.11.2021
Indigo dyeing in Japan, Image: Christina Leitner
In this poetic film, Reiko Sudo, head designer of the legendary Japanese textile company Nuno, takes us on a journey to the southernmost island of Japan.
The Ryukyu Kingdom (15C-19C) flourished in present-day Okinawa through international trade and developed a unique culture known for its beautifully dyed and woven textiles. While craftspeople made painstaking efforts to revive some of these traditions after they were lost in World War II, one particularly exquisite type of fabric called "ton-byan" remains a mystery. Join Japan's leading textile designer Sudo Reiko as she travels around Okinawa, searching for the secrets of this lost craft.
The film is available free of charge until November 7th, 2021 at the following link
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/3004681/