"Blue" is everywhere in our daily lives.
Starting with denim, which is present in almost every wardrobe, 99% of the blue we see in modern society is not plant-derived "indigo."
So, what exactly is indigo dyeing?
Why have people been fascinated by this color since ancient times, and why have they gone to such extraordinary lengths to extract it? In this article, we introduce its history and mechanism.
Memories of Japan Blue and the climate of Bingo
Indigo dyeing took deep root in Japan during the Kamakura period. The deep, dark indigo color was known as "Kachi-iro" (winning color) and was beloved by samurai as an auspicious color for battles. Entering the Edo period, it was used for commoners' work clothes due to its practicality—repelling insects, deodorizing, and strengthening the fabric—and the Japanese landscape was literally dyed "blue."
The Bingo region (around Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture), where our studio is located, also has a history of developing as a sacred place for traditional *kasuri* (ikat) and the denim industry. The climate of this land breathes with a deep connection and history with indigo.
The mechanism of indigo dyeing: A "dialogue with living things" rather than a chemical reaction
The blue pigment (indican) contained in the indigo leaves used for indigo dyeing cannot be dissolved in water as it is, and therefore cannot be used to dye fabric.
That is why we borrow the power of microorganisms (fermentation). We take the indigo leaves grown in our fields and ferment them for about 120 days to create "sukumo," and then, using only natural materials like wood ash lye in a vat, we build the color while nurturing the microorganisms.
When we dip the fabric into the yellow-to-greenish-brown dye bath and pull it out to expose it to the air, the moment it reacts with oxygen, that deep and beautiful "blue" color dramatically emerges. 
The difference between synthetic indigo and "natural indigo"
Synthetic indigo (chemical dye), invented at the end of the 19th century, is petroleum-based and uses powerful chemicals to extract color in a short time. Efficient, inexpensive, and capable of mass-producing a consistent color—we believe this technology, which supports the modern apparel industry, is truly wonderful.
However, we have chosen the traditional technique known as "natural wood ash fermentation," which has been passed down in Japan since ancient times.
Even though we face our indigo every day, grow it from the soil, and put care into every step of the process, we cannot fully control the color emitted by the living microorganisms in the vat. Depending on the day's temperature, humidity, and the "mood" of the microorganisms, the color is constantly shifting.
The charm of a mysterious color that is a product of nature, which even we, who work with it every day, cannot fully grasp.
It is precisely because of these uneven fluctuations that the thoughts of the maker, the memories of the land, and the attachment of the user dwell within the fabric.
To give a true color to something that had none. To deliver the fluctuations of nature and the layering of time as a "form" that breathes in our daily lives. That is the philosophy behind our idea of "creating color."