Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts – Crafts

In short

The crafts major of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Crafts at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, a public university in Shuri, Naha, which opened in 1986, teaches four fields: dyeing, weaving, ceramics and lacquer. Students study art broadly until the first half of the second year and then specialise; dyeing is based on stencil techniques typified by bingata and includes making a kimono, weaving uses Okinawan plant fibres such as bashō, and lacquer covers Ryukyu lacquer techniques together with Japanese lacquer as a whole. The facilities include a kimono dyeing studio, a loom for each weaving student, a climbing kiln and lacquer workrooms.