Arimatsu-Narumi Shibori

Intricate tie-dye from Nagoya with over 100 distinct tying techniques.

Arimatsu-Narumi shibori is a tie-dye textile art from the Arimatsu and Narumi districts of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, with over 400 years of history. It encompasses more than 100 distinct binding, stitching, and folding techniques that create complex three-dimensional patterns when the fabric is dyed and unbound. Originally developed as a souvenir for travelers along the Tokaido highway, the intricate textures of shibori — from tiny kanoko (fawn-spot) dots to bold geometric pleats — are impossible to replicate by machine.