Many people don’t know where natural indigo comes from or realize how few indigo farms are left in Japan—only five in Tokushima, the country’s traditional indigo farming region. Indigo is a green plant that has a higher percentage of blue than other green plants (though most have some). Traditional indigo dye in Japan is made from sukumo, which is what the harvested and fermented indigo …
One of the last artisan paper-making studios in Japan, Awagami Factory specializes in hand-making various types of natural washi paper. Run by the Fujimori family, Awagami dedicates time to developing contemporary uses for washi, as well—its large scale inkjet photography paper is a good example. During our CH Japan travel experience we visited the 8th generation family business in Tokushima. There—among professional papermakers—we learned the …
From a bullet train in Kyoto, where we snacked on fresh KitKats, to an airport on the small, southern island of Amami Ōshima and ultimately through Tokyo DesignArt Week, members of COOL HUNTING’s editorial team explored Japan for our annual hosted excursion. Each year, we select a destination that embodies our love of craft, hospitality and travel off the beaten path; then we invite select …
