Many of the colorful clothing and fashion accessories we see near us are dyed using chemical dyes (synthetic dyes). However, before the proliferation of chemical dyes, it was more common to dye textiles using natural dyes from plants and other sources readily available. In fact, the term 'plant dyeing' (Japanese: 草木染め) is not a traditional Japanese term. This term was coined by Akira Yamazaki during the Meiji era (1868-1912), when chemical dyes were introduced and became widespread. It was created to distinguish between the traditional Japanese method of dyeing and the new method of dyeing with chemical dyes, with the desire to protect traditional culture.

The one who pursues to pass on the tradition of Japanese plant dyeing and share its appeal is Kameya Natural Plant Dye Studio located in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. The studio grows plants for dyeing on its own organic field and mainly dyes Yamagata's Washi paper and silk to create their works. Furthermore, they operate with a natural cycle approach, returning used plants and water to the earth. One of the major features is that they won the Good Design Award in 2020.

This time, we conducted an interview with Masako and Hiroshi Sakuma, who run the studio. We asked them about the studio's initiatives and the charm of plant dyeing.