 When she returned to Okinawa in 1946 she found that many of the banana trees had been cut down or died, and was determined to revitalize both the trees and the art of kijoka-bashofu that uses them.After World War II, there was less demand for kimono made from kijoka-bashofu than before the war.Taira made table runners and cushions from coarse fibers, but what criticized for bringing down the quality associated with kijoka-bashofu.