Japan part 3 - Indigo and wabi sabi

The main highlight of my week in Japan: a field trip to David's coworker's family indigo operation in Saitama Prefecture.  I'm going to be cryptic about names and places because I don't know if they want their info "out there" - I think this was a rare tour, and they aren't in the business of selling their fabric.

This all started months ago with David mentioning to a coworker that he wanted to find me some indigo dyed woven cotton; his coworker gave a surprised look and said "my family owns an indigo factory and we weave fabric!" Wow, serendipity.

This is the real deal and there are only a couple of indigo factories in the area still doing the whole dyeing and weaving process from start to finish.  They are fifth generation and take such pride in their work.   They source their indigo from Tokushima, in Shikoku (southern Japan), where conditions are ideal for growing indigo.  

Trying our hand at a little shibori as we prepare to tour the factory:

Giant skeins of cotton awaiting the indigo dyeing process:

This indigo is alive:

Tending to the vats:

Repeated careful dips of our tied bundles:

A good rinse:

Voila:

Cloth woven on vintage looms:

The cloth is sewn into kendo uniforms and thus a fifth generation business lives on. 

We had such a nice discussion about wabi sabi - older means deeper and more beautiful.  How indigo is alive, alive, alive.

Look at this gorgeous continuum of indigo and consider the darkest shade on the right.  Our guide explained that although what we see on the surface is the darkest indigo shade, inside of the fabric, all of the other lighter indigo shades exist.  The darkest fabric actually contains all of the shades.  With time and use, those lighter shades appear.  What a lovely wabi-sabi idea.

Check out our shibori bandanas drying in the sun:

Even the painted exterior of the factory was an inspiring example of that elusive "wabi sabi" aesthetic:


The whole experience - from the smell of the indigo... the cool feel of the indigo dye as we dipped our cotton pieces, to the deafening rhythms of the looms (reminding me so much of the Mill Girls in Lowell), to the beautiful and even touching explanation of the soul of indigo and its connection to wabi sabi... all of it was just wonderful and I felt so grateful for the experience.  I dare say it was worth the 13 hour flight and jet lag;).

x
Cynthia