Title: Saving the Ancient Art of Wisteria Weaving
Destination, Country: Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Submitted by: Jesse Efron(Overseas Promotion Manager ＆ Sustainability Coordinator)
In the category: ☐ Destination Management☐ Nature & Scenery☐ Environment & Climate☒ Culture & Tradition☐ Thriving Communities☐ Business & Marketing

The Story in a picture:
Preservation of the ancient art of wisteria weaving through interaction with visitors

Summary:
Known as one of Japan’s “ancient cloths,” wisteria weaving dates back to the Jomon Period (14,000to 300 BC), and was thought to have died out with industrialization. Unbeknownst to the world,
there was a single village located in the mountains of northern Kyoto (Tango region) where a handfulof women have kept this ancient art alive by passing it down from mothers to daughters acrossgenerations. In the 1960’s the government asked if there were any remaining relics of wisteria
weaving. A small village on the coast that used bags made of wisteria for pearl-diving, informed thesurveyors that there was a village (Kamiseya in Miyazu) on the other side of the mountain that wasstill weaving wisteria. This one tiny village still had knowledgeable craftspeople who could teachothers the techniques, and a preservation society was established to protect this highly endangeredart. More than just an artform, this intricate process (of cutting, prepping, creating thread, andweaving) fits into the yearly agricultural cycle and serves as necessary supplementary income.
Wisteria weaving is also incredibly sustainable. The vines are only culled, not killed, and theharvesting of the vines contributes to forestry management and a healthy tree canopy.

Good Practice Story:
Destination description
Brief background of the destination.
The City of Miyazu is a small city on the edge of the Tango Peninsula in northern Kyoto Prefecturethat is best known for Amanohashidate, a natural pine-covered land bridge that splits two seas,
known officially as one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views. Rich in biodiversity, natural springs, andabundant resources, the region gave birth to Japan’s first ancient kingdom, and the mountains
surrounding the City of Miyazu support a semi-alpine beech forest (also an excellent climate forwisteria) and small villages like Kamiseya, where people live on the slopes of the peninsula’s beech
forest. They live by growing vegetables and chemical-free rice on terraced fields between spring andfall, and weave wisteria when the village gets snowed in during the winter.
The area has a long history of weaving and trade, with a climate naturally suited to silk weaving and acalm bay that is protected from the rough waves of the Sea of Japan. The bay was a main hub oftrade for hundreds of years, and with a strong fishing industry as well as fertile soil for raising crops,
the region was home to a feudal castle, and a main stop on the Kitamaebune boat-based trade routearound Japan that traded not only in goods but shared culture with other areas.

Issues faced
Problems/issues solved with the Good Practice Story.
Wisteria weaving is a highly endangered heritage art that had only 7 women still weaving (all inKamiseya) when it was surveyed in 1980. Due to job shifts and population decline in both Kamiseya
and the broader city of Miyazu, there are currently 2 women still weaving wisteria in Kamiseya.
(Miyazu population: 1980, 28,881 people. 2023, 16,508 people. Kamiseya population: 1980 56
people, 26 households. 2023, 23 people and 11 households).
Another issue is that this art is very time consuming, and as more and more jobs are unrelated toagriculture (in which wisteria weaving fits between planting and harvesting cycles), it is difficult toinclude wisteria weaving into more ‘modern’ ways of living.
A third issue is an indirect and cyclical byproduct of wisteria weaving dying out. The art is inextricably
linked to nature and forestry management (cutting back wisteria improves tree health and promotesa healthy forest), and wisteria also depend on healthy forests in order to thrive. With less people
going into the forests to cull wisteria (and manage the forests in general), the forest suffers and so
too does the wisteria, meaning there is less healthy wisteria to harvest.

Methods, steps, and tools applied
Solutions implemented to address the sustainability problems or issues.
STEP 1: Establishment of an organization to preserve this heritage art
The "Tango Wisteria Weaving Preservation Society" was established to preserve and disseminate thecultural techniques passed down by the women in the Kamiseya to future generations.
STEP2: Designation as an Intangible Cultural Property of Kyoto Prefecture
In order to promote and protect this cultural heritage art, "Tango wisteria weaving" was designatedas an Intangible Cultural Property. And in conjunction with this designation, the Tango Wisteria
Weaving Preservation Society was recognized as a protected organization.

STEP3: Promotion and management of visitors
Tango wisteria fabric exhibitions are held regularly. The fabric is also on display in museums such as
the Kyoto Prefectural Tango Folk Museum.
With the support of Miyazu City, the "Wisteria Weaving Heritage Exchange Center" was created. In
addition to providing a venue for workshops and exhibiting works, the museum also serves as a placefor visitors to interact with visitors to the terraced rice fields of Kamiseya and other areas, and is used
as a cultural exchange center.
Kyoto by the Sea DMO (regional promotion organization that includes Miyazu) develops tours with afocus on local community, local economy, and environment, and includes wisteria weaving
experiences and cultural history tours in the area featuring local artisans.

Key success factors
Critical elements that led to successfully solving the issues.
Most importantly, as this is a cultural heritage art, the women who continue to carry on this tradition
are the key factor for success, and their role in the development and continuation of the Preservation
Society is the main reason this textile is still being produced. The Preservation Society also offers
training and workshop visits for the public, and with support from the local and prefectural
government has been able to carry on visits and training with facilities built to house completed
work, weaving machines, and workshops.
Businesses in the region that continue to support wisteria weaving: e.g. Yushisha, a weaving
company fusing silk thread and local wisteria thread. Tatamiya Tatsuzo, a tatami weaver that makes
personal tatami-mat seats and uses locally woven wisteria for the tatami-beri (cloth edging of themat), as well as shops that sell wisteria weaving products.
The publication of the Wisteria Weaving book in 2007 also documents the entire weaving process aswell as the local culture of Kamiseya, ensuring that the techniques and culture that maintain them
are documented for future generations. Also in 2007, a DVD about the “wisteria weaving class” wasfilmed.
Kyoto by the Sea DMO has created tours that feature wisteria weaving experiences. The DMO works
with sustainable travel agencies to showcase the region’s culture across a minimum of 2 nights and 3days. The wisteria weaving experience is guided by a local wisteria weaver, and visitors tour awisteria weaving workshop, learn the process, and have a chance to purchase locally made wisteria
weaving products (bags, table mats, coasters, tapestries, etc.)

Lessons learned
Challenges faced while implementing the Good Practice and their solutions.
The creation of the preservation society was really the starting point for wisteria weaving’s survival,and has really helped generate interest in preserving this artform. People come to Kamiseya not onlyout of sightseeing interest, but to learn this art and bring back the techniques to their towns andcities. That being said, the main challenge was, and still is, the number of people who can dedicate
their time to this traditional art. As mentioned earlier, it harmonizes well with agricultural lifestyles,
which are in decline. And since most of Japan’s residents live in cities, access to wisteria is also quite
limited even for those wishing to continue the art.
The dissemination of information, from books, to media promotion, and especially tourism, is
helping wisteria weaving gain recognition with an increasingly wider audience. There are also otherbusinesses in the region that have incorporated wisteria into their craft; and though there wasresistance at first from the silk weaving industry, one weaver in particular has fused silk and wisteria
weaving, and is a member of a weaving collaborative that showcases their work around the world.
Tourism is playing an increasingly important role, and Kyoto by the Sea DMO’s development oftourism content has evolved over time as well. Sustainability plays a large role in how tourism isbeing developed going forward, and shifting mindsets to focus on more sustainable and culturalexperiences in favor of larger sightseeing attractions (Miyazu city being home to Amanohashidate,
one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views) has been an ongoing process. Wisteria weaving has incredible
potential and has received very positive feedback from the inbound market as well. Not only is it aunique heritage art with roots in this region, but it incorporates traditional lifestyles, environmental
sustainability, and supports local economies.

Achievements and Results
Direct and indirect results of the Good Practice.
・The Wisteria Weaving Preservation Society started in 1989 with 58 members, and as of 2019 has
136 members.
・As of 2019, 499 people have participated in the ‘wisteria weaving class’ to learn the process ofwisteria weaving, many of whom have started their own wisteria weaving groups across Japan.
・The city of Miyazu supported the construction and opening of the Wisteria Weaving Heritage
Center, which holds workshops for the public and acts as a kind of mini cultural museum. The center
also supports local events, such as rice planting in the village of Kamiseya (demonstrating how
agriculture and wisteria weaving go hand in hand).
・The publication of the Wisteria Weaving Book in 2007, with 1,000 copies published.
・In 2007, the Wisteria Weaving Class DVD was made.
・Kyoto by the Sea DMO developed a “wisteria weaving” experience with a local weaver in early
2023, and works with three sustainably focused travel agents that sell the experience. For 2023,Kyoto by the Sea DMO has worked with local artisans and tourism associations as well as with B-Corpand Travelife certified agents to create and get feedback for sustainably-focused tours in the area.
Kyoto by the Sea DMO invested 4 million yen in 2022 for the responsible development of theaforementioned tours (and is continuing this for 2023). This includes agent FAM visits, feedback andsustainability reports, trial tours, and ongoing discussions with local artisans including wisteria
weavers. Kyoto by the Sea DMO has successfully reserved tours in Miyazu for 128 participants
through key partner travel agents with a total economic value of 11,000,000 yen.
・Miyazu City received 3,340,000 visitors in 2022, and has projections for 3,500,000 visitors in 2024,
and is working with Kyoto by the Sea DMO to improve visibility for wisteria weaving by working withtravel agents that will support local artisans. Kyoto by the Sea DMO already has requests fromsustainable partner travel agents for 36 travelers for a total economic benefit to the area of 640,000
yen (includes locally run accommodations, artisan experiences, etc.).

Tips for other destinations
Your suggestions or recommendations for other destinations facing the same issues or implementing
similar solutions
A main factor for success was the promotion of wisteria weaving on a broader scale. It has beenpromoted via the creation of the Preservation Society, on websites, in print, video, on national
television, and is now being developed further with the tourism industry. Platforms like the GSTC
good practice story are also excellent resources for the survival of endangered arts and cultures.
It has been important to have an organized system for preservation, and to determine what the mostimportant aspect of preservation is and what is the greatest weakness/risk. For wisteria weaving, itwas about quickly identifying the shortage of people able to carry on the tradition, and working toincrease the number of people involved in supporting this cultural heritage. The Preservation Society,other wisteria weaving businesses, and companies engaged in promotion like Kyoto by the Sea DMO,
introduce new people to wisteria weaving every year, and as the network continues to grow,promotion and education reaches more and more people. For endangered heritage arts like wisteria
weaving, reaching a wide audience in order to find people interested in supporting it in the future isparamount to success.

Recognitions and Additional references
Recognitions and awards the Good Practice received and supporting evidence.
・1983, Tango Wisteria Weaving and Customs were registered as a Cultural Property of Japan under
the designation of “Important Tangible Custom.”https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/312/421
・1991, Tango Wisteria Weaving registered as an Intangible Cultural Property of Kyoto Prefecture.
http://www.fujiori.jp/hozonkainoayumi.html
・Two women of Kamiseya win the “Kyoto Akebo Award” given to women and groups that have madeparticularly significant achievements in pioneering activities in a variety of fields.
http://www.fujiori.jp/hozonkainoayumi.html
・2013, The Suntory Price for Regional Culture
https://www.suntory.co.jp/sfnd/prize_cca/detail/2013c3.html
population data for Miyazu and Kamiseya:https://www.ato-co.jp/kyoto/miyazu/toukei-list.html
https://www.city.miyazu.kyoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/2883.pdf
https://www.city.miyazu.kyoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/4679.pdf
https://kamiseya.com/about#:~:text=%E4%B8%8A%E4%B8%96%E5%B1%8B(%E3%81%8B%E3%81%
BF%E3%81%9B,%E4%BA%BA%E5%8F%A323%E4%BA%BA11%E4%B8%96%E5%B8%AF%E3%80%82
https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/kankyo/rdb/eco/rs/2015rs04.html