In Okinawa, the enduring legacy of bingata textiles

This is part of a collection of stories spotlighting deeply rooted – yet sometimes less exposed – crafts hubs around the world and how to experience them. Read more here.

At Chinen Bingata laboratory on the western edge of Naha in Japan‘s Okinawa prefecture, the 10th-generation bingata artist Toma Chinen is leaning over a piece of fabric that depicts hibiscus flowers on a yellow canvas. In the brightly lit, airy space, stacked rows of colourful textiles are stretched to dry along the…