Nanago: satin: . A variation of hira-ori (plain weave) with a set of two warps and two wefts. The fine stone pavement pattern resembles fish eggs, after which the weave is named.

Nanten: [Nandina domestica]: traditional motif modeled on the shrub of the same name; especially noted for its' red berries [trad.]

Neriginu: type of glossed silk first produced at Nishijin in the Momoyama period [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]

Nerinuki: A plain weave (hira-ori) of unglossed silk (kiito) warps and glossed silk (neriito) wefts. It has a distinctive tension and luster and is favored in �tsujigahana� designs. It lost it�s popularity after rinzu appeared.

Nihonga: 'Japanese-style' traditional art

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Nindo: honeysuckle [Lonicera sempervirens]; motif introduced from Korea; most popular during the Asuka and Nara periods; often organized as a palmette [AoJ,v.1,pg.20-24]

Nishi+jin (West camp): ): Kyoto district famed since the sixteenth for its' textile production; established in the Kamakura period to encourage the development of weaving and sericulture in Japan [trad.]

Nishijin-ori: ('west-position weave') was a type of weft-faced brocade that is the heaviest and warmest of the Japanese weaves.

Nishiki: compound weaves with decorative warp and weft threads; usually on plain or twill ground; also indicates any highly coloful pattern; colloquially known as "brocade" [trad.]

Nobori: banner

Noh: form of theatrical performance; developed and patronized by the military class in the Kamakura period; an out-growth of court Bugaku and Gagaku traditions [JCaTA,pg.53, 54]

Noren: entry curtain. Split into two or more segments, and hung over a doorway.

Norikake-nui: : restitching undertaken in order to hold down long floats.

Noshi: bundle of abalone strips or paper used as an ornament for auspicious occasions; a decorative motif that represents same. Originally a �noshi� was a bundle of thin strips of dried abalone placed on a gift. Later it became a bundle of colourful bands of cloth tied in an ornamental knot. Then it became a piece of folded paper, �origami�, in which was inserted a strip of dries abalone. If the abalone is replaced by flowers, it is called �hanonoshi�

Noshime: robe of kosode form with wide lapels; used as a basic garment for commoner dress in Noh performances; also used in conjunction with other garments for major roles [trad.]

Nui: (aka shishu): embroidery

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Nuihaku: A combined technique of embroidery and "surihaku" (applied metallic leaf).  Also refers to Noh robes decorated with this technique.

Nuikiri: Also called hiranui: An embroidery technique in which comparatively small-sized motifs are freely rendered in satin stitch regardless of the warp or weft structure of the weave. This is the most common technique for depicting a flat surface.

Nume: unfigured satin. The ground is of a thin satin structure with a smooth, lustrous surface.

Nyoihoju: "wish-come-true pearl", one of the auspicious Collection of Treasures motifs.

Obi (sash/belt): essentially a wrap-around sash, which keeps the front of the kimono closed; comes in many types and styles; all differentiated by gender, age, marital status, and occasion; some types are: chuya, fukuro, heko, hanhaba, kaku, maru, Nagoya, tsuke, Hakata

Obijime: long cord tied outside the obi for decoration.

Ohi: rectangular Buddhist vestment draped over left forearm; usually worn en suite with kesa, which it matches in form and fabrics; sometimes simulated by folded extension at left edge [trad.]

Ohyo: bast fiber of the elm [Ulmus]; primarily used by Ainu for clothing; does not readily hold dyes; often original yellow-brown fiber color remains untreated [BtTB, Cort, pg.42]

Omen: cotton: Omen spread in the East from its origin in South East Asia slowly. The earliest piece of imported cotton found in Japan dates from the 7th century however it was not until the 16th century that an adequate location to grow cotton was found in Japan, since the plant is semitropical and the Japanese climate was poorly suited for its cultivation. The introduction of cotton in the Edo period revolutionized textile products for commoners and was much more comfortable than bast fibers.

Omeshi: tightly woven plain weave; made with hand-twisted, dyed thread with a firm texture [trad.] Omeshi garments were popular throughout the Showa era, especially during the 1950's.

Orinui shibori: tie-dye technique; characterized by offset patches of resisted fabric flanking a common dyed line; gives the appearance of clenched teeth; created by shirring fabric between two parallel lines of basting stitches [trad.]

Osa: reed, a comb-like frame consisting of thin strips of bamboo which is used to separate the warps and to beat the weft against the previously woven area of the cloth. Metal reeds are more common than bamboo reeds today.

Oshima tsumugi: variety of silk fabric made with hand twisted threads from Amami Island (Kagoshima); often dyed in kasuri technique with local earths; said to be long-wearing [trad.]

Ra: a complex gauze weave, using warp threads at diagonals, with the warp and weft being able to be combined if various ways, allowing the weaver to create highly intricate weaves

Ramie: the fine bast fiber used to weave delicate fabrics.

Rinpa: (aka Rimpa), Japanese aesthetic school favoring vibrant colors in a highly decorative manner, with themes that favored nature, the seasons, and references to Japanese classical literature from the highly regarded Heian period

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Rinzu: A self-patterned satin weave, similar to damask, where the pattern isproduced by the juxtaposition of the warp and weft faces of the weave.

Ro: Gauze weave alternating with plain weave. A warp yarn crosses three, five, or seven weft yarns in the plain weave, and the two warp yarns are twisted. Softer and more pliable than sha (gauze weave), ro was popular for summer kosode during the Edo period and remains in use today.

Roketsuzome: technique of hand-applied wax-resist dying; characterized by small, broken lines where resist has cracked and allowed dye to seep in; known in Nara period [trad.]

Rokuyo (six rings): motif of five rings arranged around a larger sixth; derived from Indian mythology; frequently used in family mon [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]

Ryozuma: a style of decorative composition found on tomesode; in vogue from late Meiji/early Taisho eras; characterized by a symmetrical repeat of motifs on the both lapels, which produces a single pyramidal image from lower-thigh to the hem [trad.]

Saganishiki (Saga brocade): a plain or compound weave with gilt or silvered paper for the warp and multiple colored silk wefts; because of the delicate warp, consumate skill and labor is required to produce only a few inches per day; presumably originated in Saga-ken [trad.]

Sagara-nui: is a specialized Japanese embroidery technique characterized by the creation of small, raised knots that produce a distinctive three-dimensional, textured surface.

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Sakioro: "tear and weave", a recycled weaving made of torn strips of used textiles.

Sakizome: refers to fabric that has been woven with dyed threads. Dyeing can be divided into pre-dyeing (sakizome) and post-dyeing (atozome). In pre-dyeing, yarn is dyed before being woven into fabric. Patterned weaves, pongee (tsumugi) and ikat patterns are examples of sakizome.

Same komon (stingray skin ko+mon): reserve pattern of dots; arranged in concentric arcs or scattered randomly; usually produced by means of resist stenciling; said to resemble sting ray skin [trad.]

Sarasa: One of the Kimono patterns on fine quality cottons. It has colorful patterns of human, plants, or other creatures (sometimes with mythical creatures). There are two ways of painting the sarasa pattern. One is to paint directly on the cotton, the other is to use a stencil.

Sashiko: traditional form of quilting technique used to improve the warmth and durability of garments; employs thick cotton thread in lines of running stitches; originally used to patch and extend the life of clothing; later used a prior to decoration as well as improve fabric by this means (especially fireman's protective clothing); regional varieties abound; [BtTb, Shaver, pg.45]

Sashinui: Long-and-short stitch. The inside of a motif is divided into several areas, which are then stitched from the outlines of each area toward the center of the motif in alternating long and short stitches. Used in realistic depictions or for a projected effect such as animal hair, and petals.

Saya: light monochrome figured silk with pattern in twill weave.

Sayagata: repeated maze pattern based upon swastika [trad.]

Seikaiha: (aka seigaiha), Literally "blue ocean wave"; an imbicate scallop or shell pattern considered to be a stylization of waves.

Sericin (English): A gummy substance that glues together the filaments in a cocoon.

Sha: stiff gauze weave with figured patterns; braiding of threads occurs in warp and weft directions; figures are created by changing to twill weave where design requires [trad.]

Shibori : is a traditional Japanese manual resist-dyeing technique that creates intricate patterns on fabric. Derived from the verb shiboru ("to wring, squeeze, or press"), it involves manipulating cloth into a three-dimensional form before dyeing to prevent color from reaching certain areas.

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Shichigosan: Shichigosan is seven-five-three in Japanese.It is a gala day for children aged three, five and seven years of age. On November 15, parents take their children to a Shinto shrine to offer prayer for their children's growth. Boys are taken at age three and five, and girls three and seven. The children are dressed up in a gala kimono or fancy clothes to go to the shrines.

Shifu: fabric of cotton warp and twisted paper wefts [BtTB, Nagasaki, pg.17]

Shikishi: squares of tinted or decorated paper used for inscribing poetry; also used as a decortive motif on kimono; see also tanzaku [trad.]

Shikon: purple tint.

Shikunshi: A general term for a combination of four plants; orchid, chrysanthemum, plum and bamboo.

Shima: In the context of Japanese design and textiles, Shima  refers specifically to striped patterns. It is a cornerstone of Japanese aesthetics

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Shina: Japanese linden; bast fiber used for fabric [BtTB, Nagasaki, pg.17]

Shinshi: Fabrics must be kept as flat as possible during dyeing. This is achieved by the use of shinshi, pliable bamboo rods with spikes at both ends. These are bent and the spikes inserted into the edges of the fabric, tensioning the fabric across its width. There are two kinds of shinshi: thin rods used singly and placed across the width of the fabric at right angles to the edges, and thicker rods used in pairs and joined together in a cross shape.

Shinzen: dip-dyeing used to dye both yarn and cloth.

Shippo: Interlocking circles.  Literally "seven treasures"; a design said to symbolize the Seven Treasures of Buddhism: crystal (hari), lapis (ruri), gold (kin), silver (gin), mother-of-pearl (shako), coral (sango), and carnelian (meno).

Shiromuku: "pure white", White kimono worn with white and silver or gold obi for part of the wedding ceremony

Shishi: (aka Komainu or Karajishi): mythical lion-like creatures often depicted as guardian statues at temples and shrines.

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Shishu: (embroidery): The word shishu is made up of two Chinese characters: "shi" meaning "to sew with a needle" and "shu" meaning "to stitch patterns with yarns of different colours".

Shitsuke: threads that keep kimonos in good shape while being remade after washing.

Shochikubai: (pine, bamboo, plum) motif: an auspicious design especially felicitous for wedding decorations or gifts.

Shok'o: geometric pattern of alternating octagons and squares; abstraction of turtle carapace; often has floral motifs set within each panel [trad.]

Shusu: satin weave. A simple float weave requiring a minimum of five warp and wefts groups where warps float over a minimum of four wefts, are never bound by more than one weft, and diagonal alignment of floats is prevented by maintaining at least one intervening warp between binding points on successive wefts. The surface is shiny and smooth.

Sobatsugi: vest-like garment with an open front; modeled upon a sleeveless ho; used to represent armor for warrior roles in No- performances [JCaTA,pg.59,60]

Sode: 'sleeve'; sleeve on a haori or kimono

Soko: Heddles or warp-controllers, important components of the loom that are moved up and down to separate groups of warp threads to enable the weft to be passed in between.

Somewake: style of kimono decoration with complex, overall compositions; executed in multiple techniques and elaborate detail; resulting in dense composite designs [JCaTA,pg.119,120]

Suehiro: open fan motif.

Suhama: stylized motif composed of three lobes; often employed as a landscape element (sandbar) [AoJ,v.1,pg.77,139]

Sumi ink: A black ink made of pinewood charcoal or lamp soot mixed with a gum-like substance soluble in water.

Sumi nagashi: (flowing ink): marble-like grain pattern produced by dripping ink on damp paper; frequently used to decorate poetry sheets in the Heian period [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]

Sumi-e: 'black ink painting'

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Suo: a russet tint derived from sappanwood chips [Caesalpina sappan]; originally introduced to Japan from China in the Asuka period [BtTB, Dusenbury, pg.27]

Surihaku: Metallic leaf. Paste is applied to the fabric, and gold and/or silver leaf is pressed on. After the paste has dried, the excess leaf is rubbed off to articulate a motif.

Surihitta: A stencilled imitation of the shibori technique called hitta in which small square motifs with a small dot of color in the center cover a specific area.

Susohiki: a style of wearing the kosode indoors that allows the full hem to trail after the wearer; not comonly seen, except among geiko; by extension, a kosode that has an unbroken pattern which continues onto the interior lining; often worn in dance recitals with the lower overlap purposely folded outward [trad.]

Tabane-Noshi: One of the noshi-monyou patterns. Noshi originally means narrow strips of dried abalone bundled together in the middle, it was the ritual offering to God in Japanese Shinto religion. Often seen in the masterpieces of furisode kimonos, during the middle of Edo era, used by various techniques.

Taima: hemp [Cannibis sativa; leaf fiber favored for use in summer garments by the bushi class; also used as a motif [asa+no=ha]; [BtTB, Cort, pg. 38]

Taka: In Japan, the term refers to both hawks and falcons.

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Takara: "treasure" or "precious object"

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Takara no Kagi: in Japanese folklore, is a symbol of unlocking opportunities and welcoming new beginnings in the approaching year. This key, often seen as a sacred artifact, finds a parallel in the Key to the Divine Treasure House, known as "Kagi" in Japanese.

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Takara zukushi: Collection of Treasures motif: a decorative design made up of auspicious objects deriving from Chinese legend.

Takarabune: : (“Treasure ship”); In Japanese mythology, the takarabune is the sailing ship carrying the Seven Deities of Good Luck, loaded with treasures. During the first three days of each new year, the takarabune sets sail from the heavens to visit and distribute both tangible and intangible gifts to deserving humans.

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Takarakagi: "treasure key", one of the auspicious Collection of Treasures motifs.

Takasago Legend: a traditional Japanese story of an elderly couple, often used to symbolize marital harmony and longevity.

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Takeyamachi: elaborate, figured gauze weaves; multiple colors and gold or silver thread may be added; named after the district of Kyoto where such fabrics are traditionally woven; especially favored by Zen clergy of the Kamakura period [JCaTA,pg.140]

Tamoto: hanging sleeve.

Tan: A standard bolt of kimono cloth sufficient to make one kimono. Traditional width of fabric is approximately 36 cm (14 inches) and length is 10.6 meters (about 12 yards).

Tanzaku: stiff, rectangular slips of paper; intended for transcribing poems; frequently used as a decorative motif on textiles; see also shikishi [trad.]

Tasuki: geometric motif, consisting of parallel lines forming a lattice of diamonds; originally, sawtooth border of triangles filled with parallel lines; earliest examples found on dotaku, a bell-shaped, ceremonial bronze form; [AoJ,v.1,pg.25,139]

Tate-nishiki: warp-patterned brocade

Tatewaku: pattern of vertical, evenly-spaced, undulating lines arranged along the warp (tate) that alternately define constricted then swollen spaces; frequently filled with other decorative motifs [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]

Tebako: lidded box with removable interior compartments; frequently rectangular in form; first used by court ladies as cosmetic cases; also used as a decorative motif on textiles and ceramics [AoJ,v.1,pg.139]

Tenugui: A small, all-purpose towel made of lightweight cotton, often with a stencilled or shibori design and indigo dyed.

Tochirimen: Also known as muslin. Thin fabrics woven with wool threads by Hira-ori that is the most common weaving technique.