黄八丈 Kihachijō

Sericulture flourished on Hachijōjima island as far back as the Heian period (794-1185), and the island presented tribute in the form of Hachijō-ginu silk. Kihachijō is a fabric woven from silk thread pre-dyed using the island’s plants, water, and soil. Only three colors are used: “yellow” dyed from Hachijō kariyasu (small carpetgrass), “reddish yellow” dyed from the bark of the madami (bay) tree, and “black” dyed from the bark of the chinquapin tree and volanic ash mud. During the early Edo period, Kihachijō was considered a fabric of the highest grade, permitted to be used only by the families of the shogun and daimyo. Its image as a textile of commoners was later cemented when it was worn for merchant daughter roles in kabuki performances.

黄八丈は、八丈島で作られている黄色、樺色、黒色の3色を基調とした絹織物です。土染料は島内に自生している植物の草木染で、黄色は八丈刈安（コブナ草）、樺色はマダミ（タブの木）の樹皮、黒色は椎の木の樹皮と沼浸けで染められています。