Oishi Karaito-ori / Yamanashi

大石可良糸織り

Pronunciation: Oishi Karaito-ori
Production area: Oishi, Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture

Oishi Karaito-ori is a silk textile woven in the Oishi area near Lake Kawaguchi using twisted yarns spun from medium cocoons and double cocoons, known as karaito (or 唐糸). It was originally woven using the “four-thread method,” placing four warp threads in each dent of the reed, but this caused slippage. Influenced by Koshu Karaito-ori, the method was modified to use two twisted threads per dent, creating a durable silk fabric. During the Meiji era, the textile became known as “Oishi Karaito-ori” instead of “Oishi Tsumugi” or “Oishi Karaito-ori.” While it was actively produced until the mid-Showa period, weaving has since ceased, and production is no longer continued today.