Katazome

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title: "Katazome" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["japanese-words-and-phrases", "japanese-dyeing-techniques", "japanese-inventions"] description: "Japanese method of dyeing fabrics" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katazome" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Japanese method of dyeing fabrics ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Summer_Kimono_(Yukata)with_Illustrations_from_the_1802_novel'Hizakurige'_(Shank's_Mare)by_Ikku_Jipensha(1765-1831)LACMA_M.2006.37.6(1_of_9).jpg" caption="katazome}}-dyed summer kimono"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Textile_(Japan),19th_century(CH_18480403-2).jpg" caption="Length showing repeating pattern"] ::

is a Japanese method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste applied through a stencil, typically a rice flour mixture applied with a brush or a tool such as a palette knife. Unlike ja, stencils are used repeatedly to make a repeating pattern. Pigment is added by hand-painting, immersion dyeing, or both. The area of the fabric covered and permeated by the paste mixture resists the later application of dye, thus creating undyed areas within the fabric.

ja was first invented as an inexpensive and faster alternative to highly-patterned woven brocade fabrics. Over time, ja evolved into a respected fibre art form of its own.

Thin fabrics dyed in the ja style show the fabric's design on the back of the fabric, whereas thicker or more tightly-woven fabrics generally have a solid colour underside, typically indigo blue for cotton fabrics. Futon covers made from multiple panels of ja fabric, if the stencils are properly placed and the panels joined correctly, can display a seamless stencilled pattern. Besides cotton, ja has been used to decorate linen, silk and fabrics that are entirely or partially-synthetic.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::