Kashima Nishiki is a traditional hand-woven fabric made in Saga Pref. It is known for the delicate and gorgeous geometric patterns. The origin of this craft dates back to the early Edo period, when a widow of the feudal lord of Nabeshima Clan in Hizen-Kashima, who had been ill in bed, hit upon an idea of making a woven fabric when she saw the beautiful pattern of the bamboo ceiling, which was called the Ajiro pattern. At first, the weaving was passed on as a form of female education for young girls from samurai families such as the Sagas, the Ogis and the Kashimas. Many improvements had been made in the course of time and the techniques which are used today were established. In making of Kashima Nishiki, Japanese paper made of paper mulberry, which is coated with gold and cut into strips, is used as the warp, and dyed silk thread is passed through the paper strips as the woof. The subtle, delicate and time-consuming techniques are needed in the making process, in which the warp is worked with silk woof at every other thread to create enchanting patterns. Nishiki brocades were highly praised at the Anglo-Japanese Exposition held in Britain during the Meiji period and even today they are highly evaluated overseas as the perfection of Japanese hand weaving. Since this participation in the exposition, Nishiki brocades are known as “Saga Nishiki,” however, the ones made in Kashima area are still called Kashima Nishiki.