【Nationally Selected：Selected Preservation Techinique】Choma Ito Teumi (Choma Thread Twisting)

The Choma Ito Teumi is a technique that hand-twists (connects) the fibers of ramie (Urticaceae family of perennial flowering plants, also referred to as “boo”) to make thread. The Choma thread is the main material for local textiles like the Miyako Jofu. Fibers are collected from the epidermis of the stems and are split finely and twisted by hand to produce long thread. The crosswise threads are connected with the ends of the finely split fibers twisted together, leaving the threads without knots. On Miyako and in the Yaeyama Islands, many of the skilled thread makers worked on the whole process, from cultivation of the ramie to production of thread, but among the approximately 120 thread-makers remaining on Miyako, the majority are over 70 years old, and the future of this technique is at a risk of being lost.
The Choma Ito Teumi is an irreplaceable skill in the preservation and continuation of Okinawa’s dyeing and weaving techniques, such as the Miyako Jofu which is designated as an important intangible cultural asset. The Miyako Organization for Conserving Bunmi Techniques is authorized to carry out the tasks in nurturing the next generation of craftsmen to inherit the skills.