AMAMI, Japan — On the island of Amami Oshima in southern Japan, sandwiched between beautiful white-sand beaches and lush forests, lies over 12 acres of land owned by the Koshima family. Here, brothers Tokuharu and Takaki Koshima carry forward the work their grandfather started more than 50 years ago: producing a very specialized, handmade type of Japanese silk that is unlike any other textile in the world.
Oshima Tsumugi is a type of silk pongee that has long been prized as one of the absolute highest quality kimono fabrics. But as the use of kimonos continues to dwindle in modern Japan, so too does the production of Oshima Tsumugi. Now the government is working together with manufacturers and contemporary fashion brands in an effort to keep this unique fabric alive.
There are many factors in its production that make Oshima Tsumugi special. It is believed that the fabric first started being made some 1,300 years ago, although recently tools used in its production have been unearthed that date back even farther.
The process starts with simple, white silk threads. Originally these also came from the island, but today they are mostly imported from Brazil. To create solid black threads, they are first dyed in a
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