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Master of Traditional Crafts (Dyeing Division for Honba Amami Oshima Tsumugi, a Traditional Craft designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry)
In 1973, he and his younger brother, Junichi, founded Higo Senshoku in Toguchi, Tatsugo Town. Before that, he was involved in manufacturing Oshima Tsumugi and also worked as a processing craftsman. Since the establishment of Higo Senshoku, he has focused solely on mud dyeing. He is a steadfast artisan, meticulous about color and uncompromising in his craft.
Around 1965, he first experienced mud dyeing as an apprentice at a dyeing factory in Ariya. He has won numerous awards in the dyeing category at competitions for Authentic Amami Oshima Tsumugi. Beyond Oshima Tsumugi, he also takes on dyeing requests for various apparel brands. He is a pioneer of mud dyeing, even acting as a model to promote the craft.
After returning to the island and marrying Hideki's daughter, he started his journey as a craftsman's apprentice at Higo Senshoku. In 2015, he launched 'Teba Brown,' a clothing brand featuring mud-dyed motifs.
In Harmony with Amami Oshima's Nature: The Origins of Mud Dyeing
'Dorozome' is a dyeing technique that exists only because of the rich natural environment of Amami Oshima. It's an essential step in creating Oshima Tsumugi, a fabric with a proud 1,300-year history. Its distinctive black is born from the chemical reaction between the tannin extracted from boiled Yeddo hawthorn wood and the iron-rich mud.
The history of Amami Oshima is deeply woven into the fabric of mud dyeing. During the Edo Period, under the rule of the Satsuma clan, the people of Amami were forced to cultivate sugarcane, and their silk fabrics were confiscated as tribute. To protect their precious Oshima Tsumugi, legend says the islanders hid the textiles in rice paddies and swamps. There, the fabric reacted with the iron-rich mud and turned black.
This happy accident is believed to be the origin of 'dorozome,' a technique that grew to become a signature part of Amami's culture. While production of Oshima Tsumugi peaked in 1974 at 300,000 *tan* (rolls of fabric) per year, it has now plummeted to around 8,000, underscoring the challenge of preserving this historical craft.
'It's not a one-and-done dyeing process,' Hideki told us quietly, his gaze fixed on the vat. 'We repeat it dozens of times to finally achieve that deep color. We check the richness of the hue by kneading the threads by hand.'
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