ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Miyako jofu

Miyako Jofu is a very special kind of cloth that comes from a place called Okinawa, which is a group of islands in Japan. It's very hard to make because it's made completely by hand, which means people use their hands to do everything instead of machines.

First, they start by taking fibers from a special kind of plant called ramie. They get these fibers by taking the sticky part off of the plant and then washing it with water. Then they start to spin the fibers into skinny threads using something called a spinning wheel.

Next, they take all of those skinny threads and weave them together using a loom. A loom is a special frame that holds all of the threads in place so that people can weave them together to make the cloth. This takes a lot of time and patience because they have to make sure the threads are all in the right place so that the cloth looks nice.

Once the cloth is finished weaving, it's not done yet. They have to do something called "shibori," which is where they fold the cloth in special ways and then tie little pieces of string around it so that it will stay folded. Then they dye the cloth using special colors that come from plants. When they're done dyeing it, they take off all of the little strings and unfold the cloth. What's left is a beautiful pattern on the cloth that looks like little dots.

Miyako Jofu is really special because it's so hard to make and it takes a lot of skills. People have been making this kind of cloth for a very long time and it's still very popular today. It's also special because it's made completely by hand and not by machines, which makes it extra special and unique.