More than 300 years ago in the Edo period, the local government of the Tsugaru region allowed the farmers to wear only clothes made of hemp, not cotton or silk. It was due to the harshly cold climate of Tsugaru which is unsuitable for growing cotton and the governmental prohibition of the farmer’s usage of expensive clothes. However, clothes made of hemp are too rough to protect farmers from the severe coldness. So, the farmer women embroidered fine patterns into several pieces of hemp cloth to keep warm air inside and to strengthen delicate hemp cloth. Moreover, the government banned the farmers’ usage of colorful clothes in 1808, but it consequently led to the conservation of a beautiful contrast of indigo-dyed hemp cloth and white embroidery. After the Meiji period, clothes made of cotton started to prevail in the Tohoku area and the culture of Kogin Zashi diminished. However, the culture preservation campaigns in the Showa period succeeded in registering 784 pieces of Kogin Zashi as nationally important cultural properties, and now the tradition, warmth, and uniqueness of Tsugaru Kogin Zashi are widely appreciated by people through those on modern fabric items, too.