Indigo dyeing is a traditional Japanese technique that uses natural pigment from the indigo plant to dye fabric a deep blue. This method, which involves fermenting fabric in wood lye, became widespread during the late Edo period with the rise of cotton. The craft reached its peak in the early Meiji period, when the first Tozaburo established a dye shop in 1909 in present-day Hanamaki City. Despite the rise of chemical dyes and a decline in the 1960s and ’70s, the tradition endured and was revitalized with the relocation of the factory to Morioka Handmade Village in 1986. Though the color may fade or transfer over time, soaking the fabric in warm water can restore its vivid blue and crisp white contrast.