![]() In Japan we can trace it back to the 14th century, but the process is probably much older. The legend tells that the first dye used by Levi Strauss for the gold seekers' jeans, was indigo from India, back then a British colony.Īlthough this is difficult to verify, the similarity between "blue jeans" and the indigo is striking.Īs for Chinese dyeing, it does not undergo such a process of fermentation, and in Japan it is therefore called "Ryukazome", the dyeing of the dragon, because it rubs off leaving purple stains, unlike the Japanese indigo that is of navy blue, the famous "Japanese blue". India being a warmer country, a natural fermentation occurs during the making of the dye, however, its particular properties described above, remain well below the Japanese Aizome. We know that it has been used already more than 1000 years ago in India and later in China. It is difficult to know precisely when the Indigo was discovered. This last feature certainly matters to most martial arts practitioners wearing a Hakama! ![]() (Although, of course, miracles cannot be expected.)Īnd last but not least: It softens the fabric, especially the cotton. ![]() Another interesting characteristic is its antiseptic effect, that allows wound cleansing and wound healing, especially useful for manual workers and combatants. Its odor is a natural repellent for insects and other small animals.Ī property that has not been ignored by the workers on the fields or the samurai. The head of the workshop, still working and in good shape at over 80 years of age, testifies to this.įrom a more scientific point of view, this dye has several interesting properties. In fact, it appears that artisans working with their hands in dyeing all day long are sick less often and live longer than the average person. And then, let's be pragmatic, as the Japanese say, "tradition is good for health". Tradition is something important for the Japanese, it is what structures our practice and guarantees the quality of what we learn. We, martial arts practitioners, should be the first to understand this. The first reason is purely Japanese: tradition. The Aizome Why? Why keep this strongly smelling tincture that rubs off and is expensive? About 40 years ago, he associated with his indigo fabric production workshop an atelier for traditional martial arts Hakama and Dogi, labeled Bushu Ichi. This traditional Aizome dyeing fell into disuse in the second half of the 20th century and many manufacturers had to restructure their activities, as was the case of Mr. Our team went to Saitama, a 2-hours train ride to the north of Tokyo, and more precisely to the Hanyu district, one of the famous places for Japanese indigo, existing now for more than a centennial. We decided to talk about indigo because this tincture is especially used for the dyeing of Traditional Hakama, Dogi and Bogu (armor) and various equipment used in Japanese martial arts. Indigo Fabric Manufacture for Kendogi at the Nogawa workshop
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