Beauty created by the meshed fabric

This may have the appearance of knitted fabric, but it is actually woven fabric known as “monra,” and it is characterized by its thin, translucent appearance. No other fabric like it can be found outside Japan today. This is a piece of “monra” fabric that has been embroidered.

The weaving of “monra” fabric is based on creating two types of gaps in the fabric by twisting the warps alternately with the warps on both sides. The pattern is formed by the large and small gaps created during weaving.

“Monra’s” roots go back to the Han dynasty of China (202 B.C. – 184 A.D.). It was also made by Andean civilizations of South America. In Japan, its production is believed to have begun around the 7th century, and “monra” dating back to this time has been stored in Shosoin (a repository for Japan’s treasures). The “monra” technique is believed to have been used to decorate Buddhas and bodhisattvas, or for “bugaku (ancient Japanese dances)” costumes.

“Monra” is the most complicated form of woven fabric requiring highly advanced skills, which died out in Japan around the 15th century. However, in 1925, our employees began studying the techniques used to make it, and finally succeeded in reviving it. Today, the technique has also been incorporated into the “Nishijin” brocade of Kyoto, and “monra” is now woven at a handful of weavers’ workshops. “Obi” sashes made of “monra” are ideal for using in midsummer because of the thin, meshed fabric.