Crafts Made by Nature in Woodland Kyoto - The cycle of life and creativity

The Omaes’ firewood racks. The family chops wood all year
round to obtain the amount they need.
Not even a single twig is wasted.

The Omaes are very particular about their ingredients, using only natural materials to appreciate naturally occurring colors. For instance, the indigo dyeing duo uses sukumo made by a well-experienced artisan, who devotes 100 days to ferment and compost indigo leaves. The key ingredient to make indigo dye is, in other words, a “hibernating” indigo concentrate.

The sukumo is then matured for an additional year before the Omaes prepare their indigo dye. Inside their ceramic vat they place their sukumo along with other ingredients that are the nutritional components necessary for fermentation such as wheat bran, Japanese rice wine and lye made with hardwood ash. The mixture is stirred every day to awaken the bacteria from its dormant state, solubilizing the pigment so that it dissolves into the solution.

The Omaes live in a 120-year-old house built entirely with natural materials, like their mud walls and their thatched roof made of Japanese silver grass. The house is hence a breathable structure that results in low humidity and cool temperatures in the summer. It’s an ideal environment for indigo dyeing.

Another essential ingredient to ferment the dye solution is natural lye made with hardwood ash. In the past, ash was easily a result of everyday life since people used firewood for cooking and heating water to take a bath, but in the contemporary lifestyle you can imagine the difficulty of obtaining 40 kilograms of ash every year. However, the Omaes produce their own ash by burning timber gathered from thinning the neighboring mountains in the kitchen and living room areas. Their practice of indigo dyeing and the colors they create are a reflection of their everyday life.

“There’s a purpose to why we use timber harvested from thinning,” says Kota, while he chops wood with their two small sons. According to Kota, ecosystems are breaking down since the mountains of Miyama are left untended compared to the old days. By thinning the forests and creating a healthy cycle that combines these trees with their lifestyle and craft making, he hopes to make a step towards reviving the beautiful mountainside village.

Naoko and Kota together launched a clothing brand called OW to show the world the beauty of aizome as well as its functional aspects. Since the ancient times, indigo-dyed garments have been known for their insect-repellent, deodorant and antibacterial properties, which the Japanese people also took advantage of in their daily lives. Fabrics with darker hues and hence multiple layers of the dye also have higher durability and thus more sustainable.

With a mission to reintroduce natural indigo-dyed products into our lifestyle, the Omaes’ artistry is also about appreciating the hidden powers of plants and connecting with the environment.

Learn more about the Omaes’ work: https://www.instagram.com/ow_indigo/