Mood Indigo: Tokushima’s BUAISOU Collective Is Reviving Traditional Dyeing

The five members of the collective use traditional methods to create their artisanal wares
The five members of the collective use traditional methods to create their artisanal wares | © Maki Hayashida / Culture Trip
Debika Ray

Making natural indigo dye – sukumo in Japanese – is back-breaking work. For the five young minds behind BUAISOU, a collective of farmer-artisans in Tokushima prefecture, it’s become an obsession. Attending London Craft Week, co-founder Kakuo Kaji explains the labour of love behind the brand’s coveted range of clothing and homeware.

Kakuo Kaji co-founded BUAISOU in 2012

This story appears in the third edition of Culture Trip magazine: the Gender and Identity issue.

speech icon man in bubble

Destinations Unlocked:

Let our travel expert Stefano help you find your perfect Culture trip

Looking for an expert's perspective?

Uncover my top 3 recommended places from each continent on the map.
speech icon man in bubble
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

GORGEOUS GUATEMALA

Gorgeous Guatemala

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

1. Guatemala

An express adventure for those with limited time off. Prepare yourself incredible experiences. You will hike a volcano, visit mayan temples and witness a ceremony and take in beautiful colonial Antigua.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

BEACHY BELIZE

Beachy Belize

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

2. Belize

A quick trip not too far away for those seeking a relaxing mini break. You will have plenty of free time to relax but also some awesome activities to experience the rainforest and the caribbean sea.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

COLONIAL MEXICO

Colonial Mexico

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

3. Mexico

An exciting mini trip exploring the lesser known colonial towns of central Mexico. This is hte perfect trip for someone with limited time off and still wants to turn on explorer mode and do something different.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

SouthAmerica

ADVENTUROUS ECUADOR

Adventurous Ecuador

8 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Ecuador

A remarkable 8 days adventure through the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. The best choice for adventure seekers wishing to visit the 2 most iconic areas of South America, in only 1 week and no flights.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

SouthAmerica

ANCIENT PERU

Ancient Peru

9 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Peru

An alternative itinerary to classic Peru, from Cusco to Arequipa. This itinerary is great combination of highlights Cusco and Machu Picchu with the lesser known Arequipa and Colca Canyon.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Europe

SEDUCTIVE SOUTHERN ITALY

Seductive Southern Italy

10 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Italy

The ultimate Italian experience from the vibrant streets of Naples to the breathtaking sceneries of the Amalfi Coast followed by Matera and down to Puglia with its golden beaches, intense flavours and fascinating destinations.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Europe

EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN

Edinburgh And The Scottish Highlands By Train

7 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

2. Scotland

Embark on this great adventure starting from London all the way to Scotland with a true Scottish experience made of breathtaking sceneries, whisky tasting and ..lots of fun! Ideal for train lovers and explorers.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Europe

COMPLETE PORTUGAL BY TRAIN

Complete Portugal By Train

8 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

3. Portugal

A wonderful train journey around Portugal, from the romantic city of Porto to the Douro Valley, to the beautiful Aveiro all the way to Lisbon and Sintra. The perfect trip to train, culinary and culture lovers.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Asia

SOULFUL SOUTH KOREA

Soulful South Korea

10 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. South Korea

Discover incredible temples, mountains and modern cities on this 10 day adventure. This trip is perfect for those seeking immersion in the cuisine, culture and natural wonders of South Korea.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Asia

THAILAND, CAMBODIA & VIETNAM

Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

11 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Thailand

From Bankgok to Angkor Wat to Ho Chi Minh City and everything in between - adventure through the heart of South-East Asia. Taste the delights, see history brought to life and unwind on a Mekong River cruise.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Asia

SECRETS OF SRI LANKA BY TRAIN

Secrets Of Sri Lanka By Train

10 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

3. Sri Lanka

A fantastic adventure that showcases Sri Lanka's fantastic landscapes, wildlife and flavours. With 3 epic rail journeys, 3 UNESCO heritage sites and time to relax, this trip has loads to offer at a great price
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Africa

EPIC MOROCCO

Epic Morocco

11 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Morocco

An epic journey across Morocco: from Casablanca to Marrakech, through the blue city of Chefchaouen to the wonders of the desert and deep to the High Atlas Mountains - this trip has it all! Ideal for true explorers!

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Africa

ULTIMATE EGYPT

Ultimate Egypt

9 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Egypt

From Cairo to Aswan, this trip brings the land of the pharaohs to life. You'll visit the Pyramids, Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple and cruise down the Nile in style. This is the perfect way to explore Egypt.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Africa

IMMERSIVE KENYA

Immersive Kenya

8 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

3. Kenya

An immersive blend of culture and wildlife for first time travelers to Africa. Learn about Nairobi, sample local coffee in the Aberdares and finish up with a fantastic safari stay in the Masai Mara.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

Kakuo Kaji’s nails are a brilliant shade of blue. I notice this as he holds up the two loose corners of the square piece of wet cloth that’s pinched between my fingers, and gestures for me to flip it over so the indigo dye doesn’t all seep down to one side and leave the fabric unevenly coloured once it’s dry.

Kaji is at London Craft Week to launch a collection of indigo-dyed items produced by BUAISOU, the collective of farmer-artisans he co-founded in Japan’s Tokushima prefecture in 2012. Speaking through a translator at Kiosk N1C, the shop in Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross that’s the sole UK stockist of the brand’s clothing and homeware, he runs through the ingredients that go into natural indigo dye – sukumo (dried and fermented indigo leaves), wood lye, wheat bran and shell ash – and the laborious process involved in transforming crop into colour, and then colour into finished items.

Tokushima prefecture has now just six natural indigo producers – down from 2,000 in the 19th century

He then demonstrates how to apply the indigo to a piece of fabric. Tie-dye style, he first applies various folds, clamps, twists and pleats that will create patterns by preventing parts of the cloth from making contact with the dye; next, he dips the fabric into a smelly vat of viscous, fermented indigo, and massages it, submerged, by hand (the longer it is left in there, the deeper the colour becomes); once extracted, he washes the cloth in water then pats it dry. Over the next few days, several more washes will be required to make sure the colour sticks.

The collective employs a 360-degree, farm-to-closet approach to its work

The teaching session must be light relief for Kaji, who is accustomed to a far more gruelling routine back on the farm, where he routinely works 13-hour days. Indigo, BUAISOU claims, is the most difficult dye to produce in the world; indeed, the process the collective uses is referred to as jigoku date, which translates as “producing hell”. Across the world, natural indigo – once used to make jeans – has long since given way to synthetic blue dye as a mainstream product. While an adequate substitute colour-wise, synthetic dye doesn’t last nearly as long or produce as luscious a hue as true indigo. In Tokushima, the heartland of Japanese indigo production, the number of aishi – someone who makes sukumo – has fallen from 2,000 in the 19th century to just six today; farmers have quit the back-breaking work of making the dye in favour of more lucrative crops with higher yields.

One of the six remaining producers, BUAISOU comprises four farmer-artisans and one communications, marketing and branding manager, who came to Tokushima as part of a government initiative to attract young people to rural areas – the survival of which is threatened by rapidly ageing populations – and revive traditional livelihoods. Kaji, meanwhile, worked in the municipal “indigo experience centre” before carrying out an intensive three-year apprenticeship with a local sixth-generation master producer of sukumo, Osamu Nii. “It’s very much an artisanal profession, passed down to one generation after another on a verbal basis,” he says. The others – an ex-banker, a fashion graduate and a former architect – subsequently joined him in his own enterprise. As a boy, Kaji helped out in his father’s paddy fields, but a degree in textile design didn’t exactly set him up for a career in farming. Today, working outdoors among the plants is his life.

Bright-blue nails are an occupational hazard of an ‘aishi’

What sets the collective apart isn’t just the youthfulness of its members but their approach. Kaji and his colleagues not only plough, fertilise and weed the land; plant, water, harvest and dry the crop; and work this raw material into sukumo through a 120-day process of watering and stirring; they also design, dye and sew their own line of shirts, shorts, jeans, bandanas, bags and shoelaces; produce their own packaging and branding; and manage a robust social media presence, which has attracted 30,000 Instagram followers from across the globe. Through this ‘farm-to-closet’ approach, they are reviving two Japanese heritage crafts: farming and dyeing. The former, Kaji observes, is a 365-day process; the latter takes just six minutes.

Kaji hopes the combination of a holistic process, minimalistic, fashion-conscious designs, and expert branding and marketing, which showcases the process behind the products in a manner perfectly suited to the social media era, will help sustain BUAISOU. What’s more, the brand’s growing fame means it now occasionally takes on apprentices from around the world. “This one girl from Singapore stayed for two years,” Kaji says.

Whether working in a rustic barn, which doubles as a studio, or out in the fields, exposed to the elements, these five young makers are living in the present, engaging in something that is both timeless and completely new.

By combing heritage crafts with modern branding and marketing, the BUAISOU collective is reviving an industry and a region in rural Japan

This story appears in the third edition of Culture Trip magazine: the Gender and Identity issue. It will launch on 4 July with distribution at Tube and train stations in London; it will also be made available in airports, hotels, cafés and cultural hubs in London and other major UK cities.

culture trip left arrow
 culture trip brand logo

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

women sitting on iceberg

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

culture trip logo letter c
group posing for picture on iceberg
group posing for picture on iceberg

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points
culture trip brand logo
culture trip right arrow
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

X

Holiday Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

Edit article