Journeys in Japan
Season 14 Episode 9 - Akita, Yamagata, Niigata: The Textiles and Traditions of Winter
Akita, Yamagata and Niigata prefectures are known for their bitterly cold winter weather, with very heavy snowfall. In the old days, the people living in these areas developed warm textiles to help them survive the harsh conditions. They wove fabrics that incorporated fluffy fibers from wild plants or the down of wildfowl. And they developed unique quilting techniques to make their cotton clothes thicker and more robust. They also took advantage of the snow to bleach their fabrics. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, Sheila Cliffe explores the textiles and clothing from Japan's "Snow Country."
Episodes in Season 14
Nagoya: Exploring with Insiders
28 min
Ozu: Castle Town Looking to the Future
28 min
Kyushu: On the Trail of Shoyu
28 min
Yasugi: Discoveries Along the Iron Road
28 min
Matsue: The World of Wagashi
28 min
Kochi: Into the Luminous Darkness
28 min
Winter Along the Mogami River
28 min
Live Long, Live Well in Northern Nagano
28 min
Akita, Yamagata, Niigata: The Textiles and Traditions of Winter
28 min
Sapporo: Ski Mountaineering Tradition
28 min
Rambling Around Secluded Yanbaru
28 min
Onomichi: Vistas, Cats and Steep Hillsides
28 min
Tobishima Kaido: Taking It Slow on Golden Isles
28 min
With Isabella Bird — Part 2: On the Road to Tsugawa
28 min
On the Sugar Road from Nagasaki to Saga
28 min
Nibutani the Ainu, Living with Kamuy
28 min
The Wild Life in One-of-a-Kind Amami
28 min
Amami Oshima: Beauty in the Rain
28 min
Owase: City of Abundant Rain
28 min
Discovering the Wonders of Iya Valley
28 min
Tsuruga Castle, Where the Past Meets the Present
28 min
Gujo-Hachiman: Dancing the Night Away
28 min
With Isabella Bird — Part 3: On the Road to Yamagata
28 min
Koyasan: In Pursuit of Enlightenment
28 min
From Ise to the Source of the Sacred River
28 min
The Soaring Dragons of Chichibu
28 min
Kyushu: On the Shoyu Trail: Nagasaki – Kumamoto – Miyazaki
28 min
Handa: Savoring a Canal City's Delights
28 min
Yakushima Awakenings
28 min