Fabric from Matsusaka, Japan, rose to prominence in the 16th century as "Matsusaka momen," cotton cloth decorated with delicate patterns of indigo stripes. So ubiquitous was this textile that it came to symbolize the quietly stylish "Iki" aesthetic hugely popular among the people of Edo (now called Tokyo).

Today, its timeless look lives on through the efforts of designer Tatsuya Marukawa, a Matsusaka native who built a line of home goods and accessories around this distinctive textile under the name Marukawa Shoten.