Bashofu

Okinawan banana fiber cloth, prized for its cool texture in tropical climate.

Bashofu is a traditional textile woven from fibers of the Japanese banana plant (itobasho), produced primarily in Okinawa. With roots stretching back over 500 years in Ryukyuan culture, this lightweight, breathable cloth was perfectly suited to the subtropical climate. The laborious process of cultivating the plants, stripping and processing fibers, and hand-weaving on a traditional loom has earned bashofu recognition as a Japanese Important Intangible Cultural Property.