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''Bashôfu'', or ''baasaa'' in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]], is cloth made from the fibers of a particular type of banana plant. The ''ito bashô'', or "thread banana," as it is called, is different from the type which produces edible fruit, and while the plant is not originally indigenous to the Ryukyus, and even today grows only in areas of human habitation, ''bashôfu'' cloth is nevertheless unique to Ryukyuan culture; it is not produced or used in other cultures, e.g. in Southeast Asia. Today, the chief center of ''baasaa'' cloth production in [[Okinawa prefecture|Okinawa]] is the neighborhood of Kijoka in the northern Okinawa ([[Yanbaru]]) village of [[Ogimi|Ôgimi]].

''Bashôfu'', or ''baasaa'' in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]], is cloth made from the fibers of a particular type of banana plant. The ''ito bashô'', or "thread banana," as it is called, is different from the type which produces edible fruit, and while the plant is not originally indigenous to the Ryukyus, and even today grows only in areas of human habitation, ''bashôfu'' cloth is nevertheless unique to Ryukyuan culture; it is not produced or used in other cultures, e.g. in Southeast Asia. Today, the chief center of ''baasaa'' cloth production in [[Okinawa prefecture|Okinawa]] is the neighborhood of Kijoka in the northern Okinawa ([[Yanbaru]]) village of [[Ogimi|Ôgimi]].

The cloth is made from fibers taken from the center of the main stalk of the plant; fibers closer to the core of the stalk are softer and finer, and are used for the finest ''baasaa'' cloth, while the rougher outer fibers are used for weaving mats and the like. Because of the nature of the material, banana fibers cannot be easily woven or sewn by machine; all ''bashôfu'' production is therefore still done today by hand.<ref name=francesco>Francesco Montuori, "Okinawa Bashofu and Repackaging After Japanese Annexation," talk given at Okinawan Art in its Regional Context: Historical Overview and Contemporary Practice symposium, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 10 Oct 2019.</ref>

The cloth is made from fibers taken from the center of the main stalk of the plant; fibers closer to the core of the stalk are softer and finer, and are used for the finest ''baasaa'' cloth, while the rougher outer fibers are used for weaving mats and the like. Because of the nature of the material, banana fibers cannot be easily woven or sewn by machine; all ''bashôfu'' production is therefore still done today by hand.<ref name=francesco>Francesco Montuori, "Okinawa Bashofu and Repackaging After Japanese Annexation," talk given at Okinawan Art in its Regional Context: Historical Overview and Contemporary Practice symposium, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 10 Oct 2019.</ref> The process of spinning the plant fibers into thread is known in the [[Amami Islands]] as ''wowomi''; first the fibers are boiled, and then separated using bamboo scissors called ''iebi''. Unusable elements are removed, and what remains is bleached by being left under running water overnight. The fibers are then dried, separated one by one, and spun into thread. Traditionally, this was done by many women in their homes.<ref>Gallery labels, ''Wowomi'', Amami Nature and Culture Center.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/49491198022/sizes/h/]</ref>

A somewhat coarse fabric, ''bashôfu'' is nevertheless used in the Ryukyus for a wide variety of purposes, from robes to underwear, and was worn by people of all social classes, including even royalty.

A somewhat coarse fabric, ''bashôfu'' is nevertheless used in the Ryukyus for a wide variety of purposes, from robes to underwear, and was worn by people of all social classes, including even royalty.