Soft silk with a quiet sheen, born by opening the cocoon.
Mawata is silk made by opening silkworm cocoons and layering the fibers into thin sheets.
Although it looks soft and fluffy like cotton, it is a form of silk made from cocoons.
Light, warm, and softly lustrous, mawata has long been used in Japan for bedding, clothing, and silk textiles.
At yamamayu, we value mawata as a material that continues onward — into thread, into cloth, and into everyday life.
What Is Mawata?
Mawata, or silk floss, is made by softening cocoons in hot water, removing the pupae, and opening the silk into thin layers that are placed one over another.
Thread can then be drawn little by little from the mawata, spun by hand, and eventually woven into cloth.
Soft silk revealed by opening the form of the cocoon.
That is mawata.
Mawata and Cotton
Mawata
Silk made from silkworm cocoons.
It is light, warm, and holds a soft sheen.
It can become silk-filled bedding, clothing, fine textiles, and hand-spun thread.
Cotton
A plant fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant.
It is durable and absorbent, and is widely used for everyday clothing, towels, and many other textiles.
Both are natural fibers, but they differ in warmth, texture, and the way they hold light.
Threads from the Silkworm
Silk thread can take many different forms depending on the condition of the cocoon and the way the thread is made.
Reeled Silk
Long continuous filaments reeled from well-formed cocoons.
The resulting silk is smooth and even.
Tama-ito
Silk reeled from cocoons made together by two or more silkworms.
It has characteristic slubs and an irregular, expressive surface.
Spun Silk
Thread made by spinning silk fibers recovered from damaged, irregular, or otherwise unreelable cocoons.
It is relatively even and easy to work with.
Hand-Spun Thread from Mawata
Thread spun by hand from mawata.
It has a soft fullness and a gently irregular character.
A cocoon does not lead to only one kind of thread. Depending on how it is handled, it can continue into many different expressions of silk.
Among them, mawata is a soft form of silk born especially close to the work of the hands.
Mawata in Everyday Life
From the Meiji period through the middle of the Showa period, mawata was a familiar material in everyday life in Japan.
It was valued for its lightness and warmth, and was used in bedding, clothing, and gifts celebrating the birth of a baby.
There was also a culture of making use of even damaged or imperfect cocoons rather than allowing them to go to waste.
Today, mawata may seem far removed from everyday life. But when we touch it with our hands, its softness and quiet sheen help us understand why it was valued for so long.
From Mawata to Cloth
Making mawata begins by softening cocoons in hot water.
The pupae are removed, the cocoons are opened and dried, forming soft layers of silk floss.
From there, thread is spun by hand, dyed, and woven into cloth.
Experiencing Mawata
At yamamayu, we value not only turning mawata into thread and cloth, but also creating opportunities to experience the material itself through workshops and other activities.
Within a Cycle
One of the things we value at yamamayu is not allowing what we receive from the cocoon to end there, but finding ways for it to continue into what comes next.
You can read more about our approach to cycles and care here.