Back to our day out with Mari and Koichi… they drove us to this really interesting thatched village in Miyama.
39 thatched roofed farmhouses have been carefully preserved as a cultural heritage site and is home to a population of around 3600 people. Most of these buildings have survived from the 19th century.
All roads are mostly for people to walk on without cars. (No tourist cars anyway)
Again a lovely peaceful place to walk around and admire.
Lots of gardens and fields are being prepared for spring planting.
Everything was so picturesque.
I liked seeing the gardens.
The fences are to keep out deer and wild boar.
We found ‘The Little Indigo Museum’ which was a place where a family still made the traditional Indigo dyed materials.
We met Hiroyuki Shindo who took up the art in the 1960’s.
He took the time to chat to us which was lovely. Apparently his son has taken on the art now. He also has a great little museum of Indigo dyed fabrics in the attic of his thatched house!
Following is copied from a printout he gave me which I thought was interesting to share.
The Japanese Indigo Tradition and My Work – Hiroyuki Shindo.
I first met Indigo when I was student of Kyoto University of Fine Art in the 60’s. I just happened to go to a field trip to a traditional Indigo dye house in Shiga Prefecture where I saw Indigo dyeing done the traditional way. I was terribly shocked to hear an elderly artisan say “with my generation a tradition that has been handed down for four generations will come to an end.”
At that time not only did the artisan’s son refuse to continue the tradition but finding other young people to take on this old fashioned and troublesome work was next to impossible. It saddened me to realise this traditional craft was disappearing from Japan.
I returned many times to the dye house to study the fermentation and dyeing technique. The more I studied the more fascinated I became with indigo.
Today we are profiting from chemical developments, living a life of ease. But environmental destruction is the other side of this development. One reason that I have been able to continue this work for more than half a century is that indigo does not damage the environment and is completely recyclable.
It is a traditional Japanese value to live as one with nature. I hold this value close to my heart – Hiroyuki Shindo.
Nothing more from me xxx.
