neukyosuke

Nibutani attus (二風谷アットゥシ) is the **woven inner-bark cloth tradition of the Ainu** of Hokkaido — specifically the Saru River valley in Nibutani village, Biratori Town. Designated METI Traditional Craft Product in 2013 (the first Ainu craft to receive national traditional-craft designation). The technique: harvest the inner bark of the Japanese elm (Ulmus laciniata, ohyō / オヒョウ) in early summer, soften through repeated soaking and boiling, separate into fine threads, then hand-loom into stiff cloth. The resulting fabric — beige-to-tan, slightly stiff, with the characteristic wood-grain visual — was the everyday textile of the Ainu before cotton became widely available. This **coaster by Kaizawa Yukiko (貝澤雪子)** is a small entry-piece woven by one of Nibutani's named Ainu craftspeople. At ¥4,980 (≈$33 USD) it is the most accessible introduction to attus — a real Ainu hand-woven object at impulse-purchase pricing. This guide walks through the centuries-deep Ainu textile tradition and the post-1869 history of Nibutani as the cultural center of Ainu craft preservation.