When it came to looking for a job, that wasn’t easy either. So I started making the colors myself by mixing but it’s not that easy. I realized how awfully difficult this all was. I thought the colors I wanted already existed. He told me that I was supposed to mix colors together and make them myself. When I realized that the colors of the dye were all powder, I brought in someone to bring me all the colors I wanted to use. I bought all the equipment to start - a boiler, dehydration machine etc. After watching him, I thought I could do it. I eventually met someone who dyed for a living and hung out with him at the workshop 5 or 6 times. My wife persuaded me to look for other jobs that weren’t so labor-intensive and dangerous. Due to an accident at the construction site, I was off work for some time (for safety reasons). I’ve been doing this line of work for 47 years but I started my career working in construction in the steel industry.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE CRAFT? Upon entering, the shop is filled with various kinds of textiles with colors derived from natural dyes - blues, pinks, reds, yellows, browns, and other colors of Japan. Among these shops is a small first-generation shiborizome shop belonging to Masao Kiyoe. On a steep, narrow path winding up to Kiyomizu Temple, you’ll find a street lined with pottery shops, traditional Nishijin textiles, and quaint shops selling an assortment of Japanese sweets. While this technique has been passed down for generations, the term was only formally adopted in 1930 to differentiate itself from synthetic dyes. Since the 8th century, kusaki-zome has been used to dye Kimonos, including the juni-hitoe, a 12-layered kimono worn by noble women. Since then, kusaki-zome has become interwoven and adapted into Japanese culture. However, between the 6th and 8th centuries, Japan made leaps in its dyeing technique by learning from its neighbors in China and Korea. The extraction of color from plants has been part of human history all over the world, including in Japan. Although shibori (tying) and some (dyeing) are two isolated processes traditionally done by separate craftspeople, he has taught himself both techniques, which require in-depth knowledge of not only the techniques but also of nature.
He is a first-generation craftsman of shibori-zome Japanese tie-dye, which includes kusaki-zome. This craft is what Masao Kiyoe fortuitously found himself adopting and continuing by paving his own way in the world of craftsmanship.
This is the foundation of kusaki-zome, fabric dyeing with colors drawn from plants, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and insects. In Japan, the colors derive directly from its abundant nature that constantly evolves through its four seasons and climate. Color is unique to each region and intertwined tightly with its culture.
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