The History of Nishijin-ori (4) The Origin of the Name

One of the turning points in the history of Nishijin-ori is the "Ōnin War (1467-1477)," a civil war fought in Kyoto that devastated a vast area of the city.

The Ōnin War in the middle of the Muromachi period was the result of complex power struggles among the Shogun family, leading warrior families, and their subordinates. These factions were divided into two sides, but the headquarters of each camp were situated only about 10 minutes away from each other on foot in the northern part of Kyoto, as shown in the map below.

Heavy fighting took place not only in Kyoto but also in the surrounding areas, lasting approximately 10 years. During this period, Nishijin-ori weavers fled to Sakai, a merchant city, and continued their business there. After the war ended, they returned to Kyoto and settled in the area that had been the west camp. Later, this area began to be called "Nishijin," which literally means "west camp," and the textiles produced there took the name Nishijin-ori. This is the origin of the name Nishijin-ori, which is still used today.

At the end of the Muromachi period, Japan plunged into the chaotic Sengoku period (1467–1590). However, during the latter half of this period, as the unification of the country progressed, the extravagant Momoyama culture flourished. Under the patronage of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nishijin-ori experienced significant development, with the introduction of new weaving technologies from China to meet the demands of both the Bushi class and the aristocracy, maintaining strong ties with the ruling powers. Meanwhile, powerful figures such as Hideyoshi seemed to favor lavish imported textiles and luxurious woven fabrics.

If you walk around today's Nishijin area, you will find memorial stones commemorating events related to the war. There is an anecdote that some elderly people in Kyoto still refer to the Ōnin War as the last war, even though it happened 550 years ago, because Kyoto was spared from damage during World War II. Personally, I haven’t met anyone who refers to it this way, but this illustrates the fact that the memory of this devastating war has remained strong among the people for centuries.