Gofuku (呉服) is a Japanese word meaning cloth (for Japanese clothes); kimono fabrics; textile; drapery; dry goods; or piece goods. Tamaki Store Fukagawa Shirakawa Main Store
The word originated during the

Yayoi period The Yayoi period (弥生時代, ''Yayoi jidai'') (c. 300 BC – 300 AD) is one of the major historical periods of the Japanese archipelago. It is generally defined as the era between the beginning of food production in Japan and the emergence o ...

and literally means " Wu Kingdom clothes". "Gofuku" originally meant clothing made by weaving machines in Wu, China. Later, "gofuku" became a general term for

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

fabrics, and was differentiated from "futomono" (太物) which referred to

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

and

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

fabrics. By the end of the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, "gofuku" came to be used as a general term for Japanese fabrics.

Kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...

(着物), the traditional Japanese costume, is deeply influenced by ancient Chinese style of dress. Gofuku no Hi (呉服の日) is an informal Japanese holiday that is celebrated on May 29 and is known as "Wear Kimono Day".

References

{{Japan-stub Japanese words and phrases