Kihachijo Meyu Workshop 黄八丈めゆ工房

Gorgeous textiles, affordable items

Hachijojima's refined textile, kihachijo fabric, is fabulous. It's got a beautiful sheen, it's soft, and durable. They say as it ages and after washing, the colors deepen. The workshop is open to visitors. You can watch the weavers at their looms, and learn about how the islanders produce the textiles through a long process of gathering pigments from local plants, dying, and then weaving the fabric. The showpiece at the workshop is a gorgeous kimono with a subtle border pattern worth millions of yen. But the shop also sells small goods such as neckties, wallets, purses, and lengths of the fabric at affordable prices. I've got three items from the workshop - fabric wrapped magnets, a coin purse, and a wallet. The colors really do become richer. It's an opportunity to own a bit of treasured Japanese workmanship and heritage.