Annie, my friend from Taos and traveling companion, spent the afternoon in a kintsugi workshop in the Aoyama neighborhood of Tokyo. Kintsugi is the process of mending broken pottery and lining the cracks with a combination of a special glue and filling them with 24k gold powder.
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Wabi-Sabi is the philosophy of making something whole from imperfection. Imperfection is honored here. It recognizes that nothing in life is perfect. things can be repaired and made whole again is a practice that applies to everything in life, including all things in life — people, nature.
“Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique of repairing broken ceramics with gold or silver. This method embodies the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and the natural aging process. The beauty of imperfection is not about hiding flaws such as cracks or chips; instead, it is about emphasizing them through kintsugi, creating a new kind of beauty. On the other hand, the beauty of aging means finding new value in things that naturally change over time, gaining unique textures and charms as they age or wear. Kintsugi realizes these concepts, breathing new life into broken objects and creating a new kind of beauty. On the other hand, the beauty of aging means finding new value in things that naturally change over time, gaining unique textures and charms as they age or wear. Kintsugi realizes these concepts, breathing new life into broken objects and creating a distinctive form of beauty.”
The lacquer used in Kintsugi is a sap collected from the lacquer tree, which is purified to remove impurities. The types of lacquer commonly used include raw lacquer (kurushi), clear lacquer (sukiurushi), wheat lacquer (mugiurushi), rust lacquer (sabiurushi), engraved lacquer (kokusourushi), black lacquer (kuroroiurushi), and picture lacquer (eiurushi).
Lacquer rash is an allergic reaction caused by a component in lacquer called urushiol, which can cause symptoms such as redness, eczema, swelling, and itching. In severe cases, it can even cause difficulty breathing, so caution is needed when handling it. However, products coated with fully dried lacquer typically do not cause rashes, and lacquerware craftsmen often develop immunity to lacquer, making them less prone to rashes.
The drying time for lacquer depends greatly on humidity and temperature. Generally, a humidity of 70% to 85% and a temperature of 20* C to 30° C are required for drying lacquer, and craftsmen use a controlled environment called a “lacquer bath” for this process. The drying time varies depending on the type of lacquer used, the season, and the conditions of the lacquer bath, usually taking half a day to a day.
Our finished pieces were carefully put into a container. We were told to keep it there for two weeks, then carefully remove them to let them air cure for another two weeks —a month total.
It was an amazing experience. If you are interested in coming with us to Japan in October 2025, please send me an email. I can’t guarantee we will do this workshop. Perhaps it is something you could do on your own before or after the tour.
We spent the day with our guide Kit who has been living in Tokyo for over forty years. She met her Japanese husband in London where he was a student and she was a resident advisor for Brown University study abroad. Kit has. PhD in English literature and is fluent in Japanese of course. It was an amazing adventure. Our day started at a katazome workshop and ended with shaved ice —. nothing I’ve ever tasted before! An amazing treat to end our day together. I was so full I couldn’t eat dinner.
Stencil dyeing in Japan is called katazome (型染め). In this technique, a stencil (usually made from paper) is used to apply a resist paste, typically made from rice flour, onto fabric. The resist blocks dye from penetrating certain areas, creating intricate patterns when the fabric is dyed. After dyeing, the resist is washed away to reveal the design. Katazome is commonly used for kimono fabrics and other traditional textiles.
The workshop master makes intricately dyed cloth that is sewn into kimono that can cost $70,000 USD. These are handed down generation to generation. We had a hands-on experience dyeing a tote bag. I chose white. Annie chose gold.
We will likely have a similar experience on our October Japan tour in 2025. Send me an email if you want to get on the interested list.
The cloth is “cooked” in a sawdust steam bath to set the design permanently. We got there just in time to see the dye master bring it out of the steamer. It will then be rinsed in an indoor “stream” of water to reveal the pattern.
Japan is an aesthetic experience. There is detail and be attention to everything here, from food to clothing to handcrafts. It is a place of extraordinary beauty. And they practice the art of wabi-sabi — there is beauty in simplicity and imperfection.
We checked in to the Hotel Metropolitan last night after landing at Narita. It was an almost 11 hour flight during which I dozed some. It took over four hours to go through customs, immigration, get yen from the ATM, figure out directions to get from the airport to Tokyo Station and the hotel in Maronouchi. The train took almost an hour. And then we walked and walked to find the exit! Tired, we opted for a taxi to take us three blocks for 900 yen.
I slept nine and a half hours last night. Hallelujah.
we needed coffee this morning and opted to stay in the hotel for the buffet breakfast and unlimited cups.
Here is the amazing breakfast.
We kept going back for more. If we do nothing else today, it is perfect. So healthy. So delicious. Ouishi!
My quest for Japanese indigo fabrics and clothing took us to remote villages and high-end designer boutiques. I searched old kimono stacked in department store corners and flea market stalls. In the old Geisha district of Gion, two vintage textile shops offer 100+ year-old pieces in varying condition. I traveled from Tokyo to Kyoto to the remote thatched roof village of Miyama with blue on my mind. We lingered at the Amuse Museum exhibition of boro cloth in awe of indigo-dyed hemp and cotton patchwork born of poverty.
Indigo is my passion. It’s why I wanted to go to Japan. Oh, and the food. Oh, yes, and the cherry blossoms. Temples. Zen. Gardens. Oh, my.
This indigo vintage undergarment from Gallery Kei, perfect as a tunic
My sister was more interested in Kabuki and Noh theatre, so we negotiated time dedicated to our interests. We attended performances of both and met with a foremost expert on Noh, a US ex-pat living and teaching in Japan for 40 years. We managed to walk blocks that became miles, traveled by bus, train and taxi, all in search of blue, art and food.
We saw the famed kabuki actor (far right) at Kyoto’s Minimiza Theatre
Finding indigo in Japan is not easy. Sometimes we couldn’t locate the address. Sometimes we got lost despite Google maps. Sometimes I would stand on a street corner and call out, Does anyone speak English? to help us get our bearings. (Always, a kind, helpful person came to our aid, even guiding us to where we needed to go!) Sometimes the source was in such a remote area that we couldn’t get there. Tokyo is a vast megalopolis, on a scale beyond my ken. Kyoto, described as smaller, hardly pales in comparison.
The art of dyeing with indigo today is uncommon, as it is in Oaxaca, Mexico, where it is necessary to travel twelve hours from Oaxaca City to meet the maker. In Japan, one must also ferret out the dye masters and makers who turn indigo-dyed cloth into clothing. The practice is almost extinct, just like Mexico. And, as with all things made-by-hand, quality comes with a price, when you can find it.
I also noticed construction similarities between traditional Oaxaca huipiles and Japanese kimonos. Both are simple assemblages of cloth squares and rectangles, with hand-stitchedSi seam sewing and no tailoring (ie. no darts). The long, drooping kimono sleeves are merely rectangles attached to the main robe. Hand-stitching for seams and embellishment a standard practice.
Meiji period shibori kimono, vintage and pristine, 100 years old
Few pieces, I discovered, are hand-loomed now. Indigo-dyed ready-to-wear can be designed in Japan and made in India to keep prices in check. I found one amazing Meiji period kimono in perfect condition. Price tag, $1,800 USD. Pass. I’m looking for wearable art and not creating a museum-level collection.
At Chingireya Vintage Textiles, this outstanding kimono, $1,800 USD
What I also discovered is that a focused quest for indigo takes time. Even more than a three-week introductory visit such as the one I just completed. Perhaps another trip is needed to go deeper and wider. Perhaps.
I’m grateful to Elli Sawada, a Kyoto-based indigo dye student originally from San Diego, who referred me to several sources for investigation. Elli is studying with famed master-dyer Fukumi Shimura. Elli and her brother participated in our Oaxaca One-Day Natural Dye and Weaving Study Tour last month.
Vintage indigo cotton cloth, once used to wrap gifts, repurposed as large scarf
I also want to thank Nancy Craft of Esprit Travel and Tours, Japan Travel Expert, who generously shared her list of Kyoto textile shopping resources with me. I hunted down those most relevant to my interests.
Resist-dyed detail of large cloth, patterns perfectly matched
My friend Madelyn wrote, I hope you found yourself a wonderful indigo garment or textile. Plural, I replied. I filled a duffle bag with blue. Ancient blue. New blue. Traditional blue. Deep, dark, almost black, blue. Kimono with wide, boxy sleeves. Cozy, contemporary long-sleeved jacket with roll-up cuffs. Vintage farmer’s coat with sashiko stitching. All perfect with blue jeans or black skirt. I have satisfied my lust for blue.
Sashiko stitching detail, indigo farmer’s jacket, all hand-sewn,
Sidebar: Barbara and I were flaneuring down the main street of Tokyo’s Aoyama district (which easily overshadows Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive) after visiting the Meiji Jingu Shrine. I noticed a pop-up shop and stepped in to find Yu Design Office featuring hand-crafted indigo clothing.
Cropped tunic, hand-woven by Yu Design Office, similar to the Oaxaca blusa
Yu Design Office was founded by artisan Hiromi Yamada and her architect son Yuji Yamada. They use natural indigo dye from Hanyu City, Saitama, employing a traditional kimono-making technique called itajime from Mizuho City, Tokyo, and fine cloth from Hachioji, Tokyo. Combining indigo, persimmon juice and pitch black, the wool-silk scarf they make takes on a deep greenish blue hue. The cloth is folded and stacked and pressed between wooden boards to give it texture.
Yuji Yamada showing us ai-zome from Yu Design Office
Aizenkobo, indigo workshop and gallery, Kyoto. Third generation workshop, producing traditional garments, scarves, yardage. People love it. I was underwhelmed.
Little Indigo Museum, Miyama, Kyoto Prefecture, is operated by Mr. Hiroyuki Shindo. In picturesque town of thatched-roof houses, this is a full-day trip. Small souvenir indigo samples and scarves are for sale. shindigo@cans.zaq.ne.jp
Indigo dye vats at The Little Indigo Museum, Miyama
Gallery Kei features vintage textiles and is operated by Kei Kawasaki on the famous Teramachi Street (671-1 Kuoinmae-cho Teramachi Ebisugawa-agaru), just south of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. At our visit, she had vintage boro from Northern Japan, garments and cloth fragments of hand-woven natural materials (hemp, linen, cotton, silk) and dyes. Write to confirm they are open. gallerykei@live.jp
With Kei Kawasaki at Gallery Kei. Shawl was once mosquito netting. Hemp and indigo.
Gran-Pie, also on Teramachi Street between Ebisugawa-dori and Nijo-dori, is a contemporary clothing store with garments designed in Japan, dyed and made in India.
I can’t publish this post without mentioning NUNOworks Fabrics in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. On our last afternoon in Japan, I went bonkers over the bolts of fabrics, and sewn-on-the-premises clothing. Delicious scarves. Beautiful garments. Outstanding design. Reasonable (by Japan standards) prices. Though few pieces are naturally dyed.
Department stores like Isetan (Kyoto Station), Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi and Matsuya Ginza feature contemporary Japanese designer boutiques, including Issey Miyake, Comme de Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, and others. Some use indigo and other natural dyes, and are priced in the stratosphere.
Exquisite creativity is boro, from northernmost Japan
Where to Stay in Tokyo: the b roppongi hotel. Loved our stay here. Convenient to metro, restaurants, fair price, excellent service.
Where to Stay in Kyoto: we loved the YADO Hotel in Arashiyama. Book room #308. Recommend also staying in Gion area for more central experience.
Why Travel With Us: Help sustain regenerative traditions.
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Eric Chavez Santiago is tri-lingual --Spanish, English, Zapotec.
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Norma is a seasoned university educator.
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December 6-14: Oaxaca Textile Tour and Workshopsincluding dye and weaving workshops, Tlacolula market, spinning village visits, plus lots more. With Fiber Circle Studio, Petaluma, California. Registration open!
January 11-17, Deep Dive Into Oaxaca: Cooking, Culture + Craft.Take a cooking class and printmaking workshop, visit artisan studios, weavers, and potteries, eat street tacos, taste artisanal mezcal, shop at markets, and explore the depths. SOLD OUT
February 6-15:Guatemala Textile Study Tour: Cloth and Culture. Discover Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Panajachel, Chichicastenango Market, and visit Coban where they weave fine gauze cloth called pikbil. SOLD OUT
March 12-17: Deep Into the Mixteca Alta: Oaxaca Textile + Folk Art Study Tour 2025. This is cultural immersion at its best! Following the Dominican Route, we visit potteries, churches, Triqui weavers working in natural dyes, a cooperative in Tijaltepec that makes smocked blouses, the expansive Tlaxiaco Saturday Tianguis. Experience another side of Oaxaca.
October: Japan Folk Art and Textile Tour.SOLD OUT. Get on the Waiting List. Email us.
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
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Ruta del Mezcal One-Day Tour.We start the day with a pottery master and then have lunch with a traditional Oaxaca Cook, who is the mole-making expert. In Mitla, we meet with our favorite flying shuttle loom weaver, and then finish off with a mezcal tasting at a palenque you may NEVER find on your own! Schedule at your convenience!
Teotitlan del Valle Map with select rug weavers, restaurants, village attractions
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