Japanese terry washi yarn

Who would have thought that drying yourself with paper would make you particularly dry? Or at least with textiles made with a proportion of paper yarns? The company Murakami Pile from the Japanese towel stronghold Imabari provides the proof. MaulIn addition to cotton, the loops of the terry products are made of a proportion of Washi paper - the traditional, robust Japanese paper, which in the best quality (as is the case here) is made from the bast fibers of the Kozo berry plant, which is native to the Asian region, and the two daphne plants Mitsumata and Gampi. Washi's material structure makes it softer, lighter and more absorbent, but at the same time more tear-resistant and flexible than classic Western papers. The use for textiles is not new: Already in earlier times it was used as lining - for example, for kimonos.

Murakami buys Washi paper from the province of Mino added, which consists largely of Philippine Kozo, the strongest and thickest of the three fiber materials. This paper is cut into 2-4 mm wide strips, twisted into yarn, and then used for weaving. The positive properties of washi paper are combined with those of the cotton used. In addition, the papery yarns create a light massage effect. However, similar to linen, washi becomes slightly softer with each use and wash. The Washi yarn and the cotton differ in color, resulting in a mottled hue.

60% of towels in Japan are made in the Japanese town of Imabari, in Ehime Prefecture, in the north of Shikoku Island. There are 4,000 looms per less than 160,000 inhabitants here, including over 120 companies that are allowed to produce towels under the "Imabari Towel" quality label. The water used for bleaching the textiles comes from underground flowing springs that are particularly low in lime and heavy metals, especially from the Sōja River - a circumstance that has indirectly promoted the concentration of companies producing bathroom textiles. The use of the soft water makes the towels particularly pliable and at the same time allows dyes to penetrate deep into the textile fibers. The result: exceptionally soft and intensely colored linens. It has always been a tradition in the region around Imabari to support pilgrims who are on the 1,200 km long Shikoku pilgrimage route (one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage routes) with food, money, but also just towels on their journey - and this hospitality should also be reflected in the texture of the textiles produced here.

One of the mandatory quality criteria for "Imabari Towels" concerns the ability to absorb water: a 1 × 1 cm piece of the fabric must be able to sink to the bottom in the water within five seconds - an indication that the towel is able to absorb water and also other liquids without prior washing. Accordingly, Imabari Towels are characterized by absorbing moisture extremely quickly.