Dressing Experience at Ashikaga Machinaka Yuugakukan

Ashikaga has prospered through its textile industry since long ago. For an experience that draws on the city’s distinctive heritage, visit Ashikaga Machinaka Yuugakukan. Here, you can be dressed in kimono, including Ashikaga Meisen, or in the armor worn by samurai warriors in battle.

Meisen is a type of plain-weave silk fabric. It was fashionable throughout Japan from the Taisho period (1912–1926) through the early Showa period (1926–1989). Meisen is known for patterns with softly blurred edges, created by deliberately misaligning the colors of the warp and weft threads. Its colorful, bold designs epitomize the romantic style of the Taisho era, and Meisen led the fashion trends of the time. Ashikaga Meisen, once renowned as one of Japan’s five major varieties of Meisen, is prized for its vivid colors and high quality. Its stylish use of color and pattern still looks fresh today, making it an enduring symbol of retro-modern design.

Walking through Ashikaga dressed in a kimono or samurai armor is sure to become a special and unforgettable memory of your trip.