Tokushima Indigo (Awa-ai)

Japan's finest natural indigo from Tokushima, cultivated since the Edo period.

Awa-ai (Tokushima indigo) is a natural indigo dyeing tradition from Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island, which was historically Japan's foremost indigo-producing region. The process begins with cultivating Japanese indigo plants (tade-ai), composting the dried leaves into sukumo (indigo compost) over several months, and building a fermentation vat using only natural lye. The resulting dye produces an extraordinary range of blues — collectively known as "Japan Blue" — from the palest ice blue to the deepest midnight.