紀元前から続く天然染料「藍」と「菌」の発酵の働きによって作り出される藍染 / Japanese Indigo Dyeing Culture

Earth Treasure is a documentary focusing on the refined craftsmanship, the inheritance of traditional cultures, the richness of the Earth, and the blessings of nature. 0:00 OP 1:04 About Indigo-Dyeing 5:46 About Textiles 7:31 History of Prosperity and Decline 11:14 Environmental Problems and the Abundance of Nature and Human Beings 13:49 The Pursuit of Creation and the Future of Indigo-Dyeing Culture [Indigo Dyeing Studio] In today’s society, where mass production and mass consumption have become the norm, continuing traditional methods is increasingly difficult. The Higeta Indigo Dyeing Studio has been preserving these methods for over 200 years, using the same dyeing workshop as when it was first established. What does human richness truly mean? We interviewed indigo dye artisans who dye fibers with the help of indigo and bacteria, and we spoke with weavers who grow cotton, spin the yarn, and weave fabric. [About Indigo] When we see the vibrant green or indigo blue from over 2,000 years ago, such as in the Coptic weaving of ancient Egypt or the Shosoin treasures of Japan, we can’t help but be amazed by their beauty. We are then prompted to think about how such beautiful colors and patterns were created and what kind of lives they came from. The secret to this beauty lies in the fact that in the ancient times, when there were no synthetic dyes, colors were extracted from roots of plants and bark by squeezing or boiling them, and then developed with natural mordants like ashes, lime, or alum. This primitive process is something we now know. However, we also learn that, even in such primitive dyeing methods, there were techniques that were more complex and skillful than modern synthetic dyeing methods. These include indigo dyeing for blue, safflower dyeing for red, woad for purple, and madder root for red. Indigo comes from the pigment found in indigo leaves, safflower from the petals of the safflower plant, woad from the roots of the woad plant, and madder from the roots of the madder plant. Each of these requires a complex process. This reminds us of the wisdom of our ancestors who invented these methods. I would like to record some thoughts on indigo here. Indigo has likely been used for dyeing since around the 3rd century BC. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East, passed through India, China, and eventually to Japan. It was brought to Japan before the Nara period, and by the early Japanese era, the dyeing technique had already been in use. Over time, the use of indigo became widespread, and by the Edo period, the majority of clothing in Japan was dyed with indigo—plain work clothes, striped or checked patterns for everyday wear, intricate floral patterns for bedding, and various smaller patterns for outerwear, including ceremonial costumes for Noh performances. Why did this dyeing method become so deeply integrated into the lives of our ancestors? It is likely because the color was beautiful, the fabric became more durable, and dyeing made the fabric significantly stronger—sometimes up to 50% more durable or even more. However, due to the development of synthetic dyes in modern times and the shift toward mass production through machinery, the traditional method of indigo dyeing is gradually fading. The complex nature of the dyeing process and the high cost of the indigo plant itself make this tradition harder to maintain. Unfortunately, it seems to be on the path to extinction. Indigo is a color born and nurtured in the East, and it spread across the world. It is the color that our ancestors loved deeply and considered the most beautiful. We feel a sense of duty and responsibility to pass on this heritage of indigo blue to our descendants. From Tadashi Higeta, Higeta Indigo Dyeing Studio Special Thanks Tadashi Higeta (Designated as Tochigi Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property)Takuma KojimaHisako Imai Higeta Indigo Dyeing Studio (Designated as Tochigi Prefecture Tangible Cultural Property)1 Jōnai Saka, Mashiko Town, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture 321-4218https://g.co/kgs/JVZXZHp Production CrewPresents, Photography, Video Editing:  / t4ku.11.22   Presents, Interview, Design:  / moika_fingerpaint