Edo Sarasa is a traditional Japanese textile that reinterprets chintz, a colorful cotton fabric that originated in India over 3,000 years ago. Introduced to Japan between the 14th and 16th centuries via trade ships from Europe and Asia, chintz evolved uniquely in Edo by combining its vivid five-color palette—crimson, indigo, green, yellow, and brown—with Japan’s stencil dyeing techniques. Craftsmen would apply 20 to 90 layers of stenciling to create subtle color gradations and delicate shadows, resulting in intricate, multicolored patterns. Unlike the bright primary colors of overseas chintz, Edo Sarasa features a subdued palette influenced by the hard water of Tokyo’s Kanda River, giving it the refined “wabi-sabi” aesthetic. Today, it is exclusively produced in Tokyo and used for both clothing, such as scarves, and interior items like partitions, cherished for its fusion of exotic beauty and Edo elegance.