The Making of Nambu Dye

Traditional process for dyeing cloth

Sarashanti Sep 09, 2013 - 1 min read

Craftsman who remove bubbles inside the rice glue using a brush.

Kata, a traditional template used to create patterns on the plain white fabric.

Porcelain doll from the mid-Edo period on display for several weeks on the second floor in order to celebrate boy’s day or tango.

Tools that are used for dyeing using another method from Indonesia.

An aluminum vat that is used for washing away rice glue on dyed fabric.

Clothes originally worn by a high ranking military figure.

Mid-Edo period doll representative of a Japanese prince, clothed in silk garments that were made in China.

Rice glue containing lots of bubbles that must be removed using a small brush. Removing the bubbles from the glue helps to keep the design of the final product consistent.

Bamboo sticks placed along the wet fabric that has the design overlaid on it.

Scraping the back of the fabric with a knife to make sure that the rice glue is well absorbed.

Accelerated drying of the fabric above the charcoal burners.

Bamboo sticks that are placed along the fabric to prevent creases.

Rice glue that has been applied to the plain fabric using a template.

Old examples of kata which are no longer in use because of wear and tear and size differences between present day people that require larger kata.

Plant that is traditionally used to impart the indigo color to fabric in the dyeing process.

Nambu Dye Shop has preserved its traditional style of clothing for more than 300 years. At the shop's gallery and workshop, it’s possible for us to see the production process of Nambu dye. Nambu dye is still manufactured using a traditional method. Basic tools that are used for making the pattern are a kata, a water resistant template made from Japanese paper and an astringent extract from persimmons, and rice glue as the ‘ink’. Natural colors that are used, notably aizome, or indigo blue dye, have a strong historical connection with Nambu dye. Come and see the fascinating process of making Nambu Dye at this historic shop!