Narumi: Famous Arimatsu Tie-dyed Fabric

The village of Arimatsu was founded in 1608 along the Tōkaidō, Japan’s most important road, which connected Edo (today’s Tokyo) with Kyoto. The area east of what today is the city of Nagoya was uncultivated, and robberies were frequent. Clay in the soil didn’t allow for rice farming, but indigo could be planted. After a long period of military conflicts ended, people became more affluent and were interested in nicer clothes. Before long, tie-dyed textiles (shibori) became Arimatsu’s main enterprise; by the 1640s, “Arimatsu shibori” was known all over the country as a special product purchased by many travelers.