Jacquard Loom

Hemp History and Use in Japan

The first fiber used in Japan to create woven fabric was probably hemp.

https://pixabay.com/images/search/hemp/

     Hemp is the name often applied to tall plants from the cannabis sativa category that are primarily grown for their strong fibers (6). In Asia hemp is grown at latitudes between 20 and 40 degrees North (8). The kind of cannabis cultivated by licensed farmers today is called “Tochigishiro,” which was developed in the postwar period (6) and contains 0.2 percent THC (1). It is not enough THC to cause a high if smoked. Hemp grown for fiber requires well-drained soil and regular watering (8) Farmers usually rely on lots of spring and early summer rain. If the soil is not rich, soft, and moist enough fertilizer is required. Because hemp is a “bast fiber,” rather than merely producing lower yeilds when stressed, stressed Hemp crops will usually fail completely. The seeds are planted in spring, and harvested in summer (6). The time of the harvest is critical because it affects the bark’s strength and pliability to be spun into yarn. If harvested too late, the bark will lignify making the fibers coarse and too brittle to spin. Therefor the fiber crops are harvest in July, and seed crops in October. In Japan traditionally entire crop is harvested 90-120 days after sowing in mid-July, before plants begin to flower. Sometimes later if coarser fibers are desired (9). Maturity of the plants is determined based off appearance of the stalk. In Japan plants were pulled and then roots were cut off at the harvest prior to processing.

https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/04/20/facts-hemp-wikipedia/

     After harvesting hemp the stalks graded according to length and thickness. Sorted into three categories according to thickness and length (8). The middle length stalks are kept for clothes, the longest are used for ropes, and the weakest are used for bulrush containers (Nagano and Hiroi 1999). The leaves and the thin portions at the end of stalks are removed by gripping the root ends and slashing with bamboo knife or sword. The stalks are dried for 3-10 days depending on the humidity, temperature, thickness of the stalks, and whether they would continue straight to retting or go into storage first (8). After drying, the bark is removed. The bark can then be scraped, or raked through nails to remove plant matter from the fibers. These fibers are then treated with some solution, often lye, to remove the plant resins, and then they are ready to be spun.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jinbaori_(surcoat)

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki

     Hemp originally came from China (Rathburn 1993), and was brought to Japan from Korea (Bennet 1997). It was then used in Japan beginning in the early Jomon era. A piece of Hemp rope was found on the island of Kyushu dating back from 10,000 B.C.E. (1,6), or 21,000 B.C.E. (4) according to other sources. People from the Jomon era are believed to have made both clothing and tools  such as bow strings and fishing lines (6) from hemp fibers (4). Hemp eventually spread to all latitudes of Japan, and by the time of writing in the Yayoi era hemp was already a well established crop (5). The Ainu of Hokkaido made their clothes from Hemp (Constantine 1992). Hemp fiber was used in Shinto religious ceremonies (Robinson 1996) and the priests dressed in hempen robes (5).  Hemp was the primary source of fiber for clothing until cotton was introduced in the 1600’s (4). Even after the introduction of Cotton, Hemp was used for specific purposes like geta sandal straps, long fishing lines, and packing ropes (Mayuzumi 1996). Due to the relatively more intensive processing required and higher durability, after the introduction and popularization of cotton, hemp quickly grew to become, along with silk, the fiber of the elite (3). The yukata that we know now was in fact a more accessible adaptation of the hemp yukatabira worn by the upper class (Mayuzumi 1996). In Meiji and Taisho eras hemp was combined with seaweed and broom straw to make the “circular, pointed snow hats” (Rathburn 1993). In thirteenth and fourteenth centuries vassals were encouraged to grow hemp because it could be sold for a high price for upper class clothing. Samurai weaponry was made partly from Hemp (3). Hemp was grown in japan until the mid 20^th century, especially in Tohoku and Hokkaido (6). It was used for parachute cords in WWII (6). Further production of Canabis was prohibited by the U.S. (6).  “Taima Torishimari Ho” or Canabis control act was passed in 1948 (1). Possibly to bring synthetics fiber market to japan so U.S. could sell their goods (1). There are still some legal farms, though the number plummeted sharply in 1960’s, they are just required to grow a variety with an exceptionally low THC content (6).

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kamidana.jpg

 1 Clarke, Robert. (2010). Traditional Fiber Hemp (Cannabis) Production, Processing, Yarn Making, and Weaving Strategies—Functional Constraints and Regional Responses. Part 1. Journal of Natural Fibers. 7. 118-153. 10.1080/15440478.2010.482324.

2  Wiki.samurai-archives.com. (2017). Cotton - SamuraiWiki. [online] Available at: https://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Cotton [Accessed 6 May 2019].

3  Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum. (2019). Hemp in Japan: the Samurai. [online] Available at: https://hashmuseum.com/en/collection/hemp-in-japan-the-samurai [Accessed 20 May 2019].

4  Major, J. (2019). Japanese Textiles. [online] Fashion-history.lovetoknow.com. Available at: https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-around-world/japanese-textiles [Accessed 20 Apr. 2019].

5  Mitchell, J. (2014). Cannabis: the fabric of Japan | The Japan Times. [online] The Japan Times. Available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/04/19/lifestyle/cannabis-the-fiber-of-japan/#.XLs7gugzbIU [Accessed 20 May 2019].

6  Okinawa, S. (2019). Reefer gladness: A brief history of hemp in Japan. [online] Stripes Okinawa. Available at: https://okinawa.stripes.com/community-news/reefer-gladness-brief-history-hemp-japan [Accessed 20 May 2019].

7  Olson, D. (2019). Hemp culture in Japan. [online] Internationalhempassociation.org. Available at: http://www.internationalhempassociation.org/jiha/jiha4114.html [Accessed 20 May 2019].

8  The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britanica (2019). hemp | Description & Uses. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/plant/hemp [Accessed 20 May 2019].