Hand dye your own "Japan blue" t-shirt and scarf in Hanyu, a city famous for its indigo

Details

• Private Experience

• Location: Hanyu, Saitama

• 1 hour total

• 4 people max

• Offered in Japanese, with friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in English
  (French/German/Spanish interpretation may be available upon request)

Aizome

 The leaves of the 'Ai' (Japanese indigo) plant are dried and fermented for several months to produce the beautiful rich color famously known as 'Japan blue'. While this dye was initially only used for aristocrats and samurais, as time went on, it was integrated into the Japanese lifestyle and ‘aizome’ was used for kimonos, beddings, towels and other household items. On top of its beautiful shade, aizome transforms fabric to become more durable, and has insect repellent, deodorant, and UV ray-cutting properties.

What you’ll do

Learn the history of Aizome and hand-dye a t-shirt and silk shawl (all materials provided)

About the Master

Daigo Niijima, grew up in Hanyu, a city known for its aizome (indigo dyeing)  and was exposed to the art from a young age. Personally acquainted with Aizome masters, he was aware of the dwindling numbers of traditional Aizome dyers and decided to learn the craft, leading him on a journey of over 20 years in indigo dyeing that still continues today. Daigo’s motivation for joining the Aizome industry is the color: he loves the indigo shades and his eyes almost twinkle as he speaks about his job. Daigo fervently says, “You cannot produce this kind of blue through chemical dyes. Yes, it’s blue in a conventional sense but this aizome blue is not a singular color. It looks as if there are natural earthy tones intermingled, and this multicolored balance is what fuels my passion.” Read more here.

What to wear

Clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty 

Who can attend

Children must be 7+

Availability

Monday- Friday
Session 1 (9:00 - 10:00)
Session 2 (10:00 - 11:00)
Session 3 (11:00 - 12:00)
Session 4 (12:00 - 13:00)
Session 5 (13:00 - 14:00)
Session 6 (14:00 - 15:00)

Access

1 hour 30 minutes away from Tokyo Station.

Cancellation Policy

Please make your booking at least 24 hours in advance.

• See cancellation policy here.

* A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.