Natural indigo dye has been used worldwide for thousands of years, but the invention of synthetic indigo dye in the 1800s caused the industry to crater. In Japan’s Tokushima Prefecture, only a handful of masters carry on the eight-century-old art of making a unique type of indigo dye called sukumo.
However, the yearlong process of growing and fermenting natural indigo can’t compete with the efficiency and low cost of synthetic alternatives. Because of this, the denim industry uses about 55,000 tons of synthetic indigo a year, relegating natural indigo to niche uses like limited-edition items. Synthetic indigo requires a slew of toxic chemicals and excessive water.
Industry experts consider natural indigo a sustainable alternative, but can it scale? We visited the Watanabe farm and workshop in Kamiita, Japan, to see how natural indigo is still standing.