Reina Otsuka
Welcome to eco+waza web.
Japan has both a long history of environmental issues and the technology and skills derived from the experience. In the shade of its large international corporations are the small and medium-sized companies that become the basis of its tradition and philosophy.

Ecotwaza serves as the link between eco-friendly small and medium-sized vendors in Japan as well as environmentally aware customers everywhere else. You can search for green goods from all over the country, each having different stories behind (also available in our Articles section) yet each sharing a common cause for the greener earth.

Foreign retailers/importers are more than welcomed to contact us for further business operations. Please check out the For Business section.


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Articles (click title to read other articles)
Japanese Indigo Dye--Clothes Dyed in Indigo Blue

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One of the characteristics of natural indigo blue dyed items is long-term color resistance as well as robustness. However, by wearing and washing repeatedly, though it may happen unnoticeably, it certainly gets worn out and loses its color. Yet the difference between the synthetic dyes and plant dyes like natural indigo blue dye is that although it may leave colors in washing water, it rarely leaves stains on other items. And although that tends to happen the first few times items are washed, stains can be easily washed off with soap.

As organic indigo-blue is from plants, their products should not be washed with alkaline synthetic detergent with surface-activating agent; lye from wood ash as used before is best suited to maintain its quality. In terms of reducing the ecological footprint of the product life cycle, indigo-blue products are thoroughly designed for the “use” and “waste” stages.

“There is no other cloth like it. It does not lose color or wear out,” says the plant manager with a smile. With the time spent by repeatedly using a traditional craft like an indigo-blue dyed cloth, it adds charm. Aging for such product means accumulated beauty.

Related Articles:
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo Blue is Bluer than Indigo
Japanese Indigo Dye--Indigo In the Making
Japanese Indigo Dye--The Clothes Dyed Indigo
mapimage Hokkaido-chiho Tohoku-chiho Kyushu & Okinawa-chiho Chugoku-chiho Chubu-chiho Kinki-chiho Kanto-chiho Shikoku-chiho Kyushu & Okinawa-chiho

We showcase eco-friendly products / techs from all over Japan. If you are looking for environmentally friendly ideas, you can find green goods ranging from Japanese traditional handicraft, recycle goods, green technology, to modern ecology available here at Ecotwaza Web.