The Early Periods (Jomon, Yayoi, Tumulus, and Asuka)

The Japanese textile industry (or traces of it) began during the Yayoi period, after the Caucasian-blooded Jomons were driven north of Japan. Dyeing and weaving were already practiced during these times, producing loose-fitting clothes that gave much convenience to an agriculture-dependent society.

Though clothing and textiles of the Japanese stone age have a very distorted view in history, the Haniwas (sculptures on or around burial mounds) of the Tumulus period give clearer pictures of the Japanese’s loose-fitting upper garment, skirts, and pants. However, the oldest textiles still in existence are those made during the Asuka period (552-645), primarily those of the Tenjukoku Shucho Mandara and Asuka Funerary practices. Documentary evidences reveal that fragments of the Tenjukoku Shucho Mandara were part of a pair of “embroidered curtains” (Shukho) made during the same era.