Ainu bark cloth

Lore & Background

Ainu bark cloth was first attested in writing in the 18th century during the Edo period by Japanese traders. North and East Hokkaido, Iburi, and the Saru River basin were centers of production. As trade grew, Ainu weavers began to use Japanese cotton for clothmaking. By the mid-20th century, production was minimal, but renewed interest from the mingei movement sparked a renaissance in traditional production.

Bark is collected from various Hokkaido trees, chiefly lobed elm and Japanese lime. The inner bark is separated and boiled, then the bast fiber separated and dried into ohyo before being hand spun into twisted yarn. The yarn is traditionally weft using an Ainu backstrap loom (attushi karape), and sewn using masticated ohyo. The final cloth is water-resistant and lightweight.

The Nibutani district in Biratori, Hokkaido has produced Ainu bark cloth (Nibutani-attus) since at least the 18th century. Nibutani-attus was recognized as a Traditional Craft of Japan by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on March 8th, 2013.

Reader's Guide

Ainu bark cloth represents a significant aspect of Ainu material culture, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of local natural resources. Its production, centered in North and East Hokkaido, Iburi, and the Saru River basin, relied on trees such as lobed elm and Japanese lime. The cloth's water-resistant and lightweight qualities made it practical for traditional garments. The mid-20th century decline in production was countered by the mingei movement, which revived interest in this craft. The recognition of Nibutani-attus as a Traditional Craft of Japan in 2013 underscores its cultural importance. The cloth also reflects historical trade interactions, as Ainu weavers incorporated Japanese cotton over time. Today, Ainu bark cloth remains a symbol of Ainu heritage and resilience, with ongoing efforts to preserve and transmit the weaving techniques to future generations.

Did You Know?

• Ainu bark cloth is known as attus or attush in the Ainu language.
• The cloth is made from tree bark fiber called ohyo, sourced from native Hokkaido trees.
• Nibutani-attus was recognized as a Traditional Craft of Japan on March 8th, 2013.
• The cloth is water-resistant and lightweight.

Origins and the Trade Frontier

Ainu bark cloth, known in the Ainu language as attus or attush, first entered the written record during the eighteenth century, when Japanese traders encountered it during the Edo period. These early encounters documented a textile tradition already deeply rooted in the landscapes of Hokkaido. The regions of North and East Hokkaido, the Iburi area, and the Saru River basin served as the primary hubs where weavers transformed native tree bark into cloth. As commercial exchange between Ainu communities and Japanese merchants intensified over the following decades, the material palette of Ainu clothmaking began to shift. Weavers gradually incorporated Japanese cotton into their work alongside the traditional bark fiber, blending external trade goods with indigenous technique. This period of contact marked a turning point: the cloth that had been a purely local resource became entangled in broader economic networks, setting the stage for both its wider recognition and, eventually, its vulnerability to decline.

From Tree to Thread: The Making of Ohyo

The creation of Ainu bark cloth is a labor-intensive process that begins in the forests of Hokkaido, where bark is gathered from native trees, most notably the lobed elm and the Japanese lime. The inner layer of bark is carefully separated from the outer and then subjected to boiling, a step that softens the fibers and prepares them for extraction. From this treated bark, the bast fiber is drawn out, dried, and transformed into what the Ainu call ohyo. This dried fiber is then hand-spun into a twisted yarn, a step that demands patience and skill. On the loom, the yarn is worked as weft on an Ainu backstrap loom known as the attushi karape, binding the cloth to the weaver's body in a technique that predates frame looms. The finished pieces are sewn together using masticated ohyo, a thread made by chewing and twisting the fiber. The resulting fabric is both lightweight and water-resistant, qualities that made it exceptionally practical for daily wear in Hokkaido's climate.

Woven into Daily Life: Garments and Identity

Ainu bark cloth, classified as a distinct variety of woven barkcloth, has long served as the foundational material for traditional Ainu dress. Its most prominent use is in the construction of Ainu robes, garments that carry deep cultural significance and remain central to the expression of Ainu identity. Beyond robes, the cloth has been adapted to produce a range of other garments, including kimono, hanten, and obi, demonstrating the versatility of the material across different clothing forms. The name attus or attush, written in Ainu script as アットゥㇱ, identifies the cloth as something specific to Ainu material culture rather than a generic textile. The fact that a single fiber source could yield garments spanning formal and everyday wear speaks to the importance of this cloth in Ainu social life. From the practical water-resistant qualities of the finished fabric to the intimate connection between weaver and backstrap loom, the cloth embodied a complete relationship between the Ainu people and the forests of Hokkaido that sustained them.

Renaissance and Recognition: Nibutani-Attus Today

By the mid-twentieth century, the production of Ainu bark cloth had dwindled to a minimal level, and the knowledge required to create it risked disappearing entirely. The turning point came with the mingei movement, a broader Japanese folk-art revival that drew renewed attention to traditional crafts. This cultural wave sparked a renaissance in Ainu bark cloth production, inspiring new generations of weavers to return to the techniques of their ancestors. One community that has maintained an unbroken thread of production is the Nibutani district in Biratori, Hokkaido, where attus has been woven since at least the eighteenth century. The persistence of this local tradition earned it formal acknowledgment: on March 8, 2013, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry designated Nibutani-attus as a Traditional Craft of Japan. This government recognition placed the cloth within a national framework of heritage preservation, validating centuries of Ainu textile knowledge and ensuring that the skills of Nibutani weavers would continue to be passed down and practiced in the modern era.