Yuki & Oyama: Neighbors with Interwoven Tradition

Yuki in Ibaraki Prefecture and neighboring Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture are famous throughout Japan as the home of traditional hand-made textiles known as yuki-tsumugi. The techniques for producing the yarn, dyeing it and weaving the fabric date back to ancient times and are unique in Japan. That is why yuki-tsumugi was registered by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Leina Bambino meets with some of the artisans in Yuki who produce textiles. In Oyama, she also visits farmers who grow the local specialty, bottle gourds (kanpyo), which are in peak season from late June through August. On this episode of Journeys in Japan: meeting the families - the artisans and food producers - who are working to pass down their skills for future generations.