A color-providing life support system
Operating in Hanyu since the early Taisho period (1912-1926), Nogawa Senshoku Kogyo Co. dyes cotton thread by adding sukumo (indigo compost) to water, tossing in wheat bran and lime, stirring the mixture and allowing the indigo solution to ferment to the perfect degree; indigo is alive. President Masatoshi Nogawa tells us, “The indigo is in good condition. Having you see it in this state is the best hospitality we can offer”. The sukumo is imported from Shikoku Prefecture, one of the nation’s historic indigo propagation and dyeing regions.
In earlier times, indigo dyeing was done by dipping bundles of thread by hand in earthenware jars of indigo solution, but today, both machine and hand dyeing are done in vats. At Nogawa Senshoku, there are 14 rows of vats, each four meters deep and just wide enough to straddle. Whether dyeing by machine or by hand, the process of dyeing the thread over and over again while checking the condition of the indigo solution is exactly the same as it was in the past. The names of the colors follow a gradation depending on the number of times the material is dyed: kame-nozoki, asagi, hanada, kon (navy blue) and shikon, and correspond to subtle changes in density.
The indigo plant contains the source ingredient for the blue indigo pigment, a component that develops a blue hue when exposed to air and light. The dyeing process is based on extracting this ingredient. Unlike other plant dyes, however, indigo is only soluble in water when fermented. Therefore, the first step is to ferment the indigo. Bran and lime are added to facilitate this process. It is said that the most important part of the process of natural indigo dyeing is making the proper adjustments to these additives.
Kotaro Watanabe is in charge of the dyeing process. Whether working by machine or hand, this young artisan, who has inherited traditional techniques, carries out each step of the dyeing process objectively. He stirs the indigo solution in the vat, lets it settle, then carefully submerges, lifts and squeezes the bundles of thread when he deems the conditions are right. With machines, a large number of bundles are processed at the same time. Hand-dyeing is done one bundle at a time, and the material is assiduously wrung out using two traditional bamboo tools, known as fumi-take and giri-bo. The pigment does not simply penetrate the fibers; fermentation occurs concurrently with the permeation of the pigment into the fibers. The dyeing process seems to be carried out based on the artisan’s instantaneous reading of its effects.
The bacteria that promote fermentation are called indigo-reducing bacteria. When an alkaline environment favored by these bacteria is created, they will become active and produce enzymes, thereby generating a water-soluble component called leuco-indigo. However, the conditions that trigger the bacteria's activation are delicate, prone to change, and difficult to control. Nogawa Senshoku’s successor, Yuki Nogawa, says that the most demanding and interesting part of the job is “matching the spirit of the indigo”. The surface of the vat during the fermentation shows a strange saturation of hues, their wide assortment shining brightly in their struggle with one another.
The dyed fibers are rhythmically woven on an old shuttle loom still in use. Here, traditional wisdom is valued over speed and efficiency. Martial arts training wear like kendo-gi and hakama are skillfully hand sewn here, a sharp, neat finish achieved as the material is held by taut basting threads. With its antipyretic, detoxifying, antibacterial and insect repelling properties, indigo was essential for the clothing of both farmers and samurai. Today, these naturally fermented indigo-dyed threads and cloth are still unique. What kind of products will they be used for in the future?
The Tone River was once a raging waterway known as Bando Taro, Bando a historic appellation for the Kanto region, and Taro indicating the eldest son (of Japan’s rivers). Its watershed covers the largest area of any river in Japan, and the river’s volume is huge; when it overflowed, it would be completely out of control. Since ancient times, the people of this region have had to live with this turbulent waterway. And yet the fertile soil created by the flooding nurtures indigo, which was once cultivated extensively in the region. There is a close relationship between raging rivers and indigo production. Two other indigo production areas are the Chikugo River basin, known as Chikushi Jiro, Chikushi referring to a now-dissolved district in Fukuoka Prefecture, and Jiro indicating the second son (of Japan’s rivers), and the Yoshino River basin, known as Shikoku Saburo, Saburo intimating the youngest son (of Japan’s rivers). Even today, with its huge bridges, the Tone River still somehow retains a wild countenance.
2022.7.4