[Kyoto Indigo Dyeing Master: Part 2 of an Interview with Matsuzaki Riku] Blue Passion

-----When do you feel joy in your work?

"The job is a constant process of trial and error.

In today's world, speed is essential, but my Kyoto indigo dyeing process takes several months, sometimes even several years.

Furthermore, since it is a collection of microorganisms, it is not possible to control everything as we wish.

That's why the idea of "centered on nature" was born.

Now I feel that this way of thinking is making me happier.

Think about what you can do when you can't control it.

I think that not being able to control something is a kind of fun, and it's not the same as giving up."

-----On the other hand, are there times when you find it difficult?

"Honestly, everything is difficult (laughs)

I manage the 3,000m2 field by myself, and the dyeing process requires carrying heavy objects and assuming strenuous positions, so it requires a lot of physical strength.

Also, my indigo doesn't move the way humans want it to. To be honest, it can be difficult when I'm confronted with a specific deadline or an image of the finished product (laughs)."

-----It must take a lot of effort to manage a 3,000m2 area without using pesticides. Just imagining it makes me exhausted (laughs).

-----Indigo dyeing requires microorganisms, but have you incorporated any ideas from bioscience?

"Certainly, there is research into indigo in the scientific field.

But I try not to rely too much on science.

If we study indigo numerically, we may be able to control it.

However, craftsmen in the Nara period did not have this concept.

So, in order to truly get close to the techniques of the past, I think it's important to learn with your body and cultivate your senses, just like they did."

-----I heard that you are collaborating with nearby schools to hold indigo dyeing classes. What is the intention behind this?

"I think that craftsmen have become a very distant presence in modern times.

For example, there aren't many job postings for craftsmen on job information sites.

Even if you are interested or want to become a professional, it is difficult to find information.

I believe that if I can share with children the joy of making things and the life of a craftsman, they will feel closer to being a craftsman.

I believe that the role of adults is to "increase the options available to children for the future."

Even if they don't become craftsmen in the future, I think it's important that children can freely imagine their future from a wide range of options.

With this in mind, we are working to collaborate with educational institutions."

-----Do you have any vision for the future of the industry?

"I don't really think about the industry.

What I need to do is revive Kyoai and pass it on to the next generation.

And catching up with the technology of the Nara period is my challenge.

My rivals are the craftsmen of the Nara period. They are so far removed from the modern timeline (laughs)."

-----Where does your passion for indigo come from?

“In my early twenties, I realised I was nobody.

So I searched for something that would make me feel like I wanted to master it.

That was indigo.

There were times when I thought about quitting because I wasn't making any money.

I think the reason I've been able to continue this far is because I have a kind of rebellious spirit.

What motivates me is the desire to "preserve something authentic even in difficult circumstances."

When I saw indigo dyeing from the Nara period, I realized that things do last.

I believe that although words change, refined techniques will remain timeless.

Indigo has the power to speak to people in the future through objects.

-----Do you have any personal challenges ahead of you?

"The important thing is that Kyoai remains.

Kyoai is always the main focus.

I'm not really interested in my own fame.

Of course, I'm happy to receive praise, but my ultimate goal is to have the history of Kyoran remain in the future, rather than my own existence."