Although we have more opportunities to see Dorozome these days, it is still less popular than Aizome (Japanese indigo).
Dorozome is a dyeing technique unique to Amami Oshima, a Japanese small island. Dorozome involves dying with the essence of Yeddo hawthorn (called Techi tree in Amami dialect) which originally grows inside the island, and soaking in the muddy rice field after.
The key to Dorozome is the chemical reaction between tannin pigments of Techi tree and irons contained in the mud of Amami Oshima. It sounds more like chemistry than just dyeing! There are various theories about the origin of Dorozome, but it has more than 1300 years of history.
Dyeing with the essence of Techi tree 20 times and soaking in the muddy rice field after, we repeat this whole process 3 times. It takes a lot of time, but this effort is what makes Dorozome look so beautiful.
We hope you enjoy making your own unique pieces through color fading.
