[VILLAGE Report vol.15] One color gave rise to three crafts | Tokushima Prefecture

South from Kagawa. This time, the story is about crafts connected to one another.

First, there was indigo

Awa indigo entered markets across Japan from the Edo period and brought great prosperity to Tokushima’s economy and culture.

Still carrying on the tradition today indigo masters produce it by hand, and its production accounts for the majority of Japan’s national share.

This is the place that supports the world-renowned “Japan Blue,” the color of indigo.

To dye with indigo, you need a vessel

For indigo dyeing, Indigo vat a large jar known as this is indispensable.

What is used for that indigo vat is Otani ware. This, too, has been designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Because there was a production area for dyeing, a production area for the pottery that supported it emerged. Demand came first, and the technique followed afterward.

And then it became cloth

Awa Shoai Shijira-ori is, Awa shijira weaving using natural Awa indigo dye as such, was designated a national Traditional Craft Product in July 1978 so designated.

It is important that “shoai,” meaning genuine indigo, is included in the name. Using natural indigo is a condition of the designation.

Three as one

To sum it up, it looks like this.

Awa indigo (Dye)
↓ A vessel to prepare it is needed
Otani ware (indigo vat)
↓ The cloth dyed in that way becomes
Awa Shoai Shijira-ori

These three are not crafts that were born separately. They are one industry expressed in three forms.

There is also washi paper

Awa washi was designated a national Traditional Craft Product in December 1976 is done. This papermaking tradition has been passed down for about 1300 years.

At the Awa Washi Traditional Industry Hall, you can experience papermaking for yourself.

Tokushima also has other crafts, including Awa wooden puppets, Awa Odori bamboo dolls, and yusanbako picnic boxes.

The strength of being connected

A craft standing alone ends when demand disappears.

But in Tokushima’s case, As long as indigo remains, the indigo vats and shijira weaving will remain too. Protecting any one of them also protects the other two.

The same can be said of companies. If all you do is line up products, when one stops selling, you simply lose that much. But when they are connected by a reason, they support one another.

Next issue: Ehime.

References: Tokushima Prefectural Government, “Traditional Crafts,” “Awa Shoai Shijira-ori,” “Awa Indigo,” “Awa Washi,” and “Traditional Industries”; Tokushima tourism information site “Awa Navi”

—The Value Village Editorial Team