{"title":"Riku Matsuzaki","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n  .indigo-story {\n    --muted:#475569;          \/* secondary text *\/\n    --rule:#e5e7eb;           \/* hairline *\/\n    --accent:#1e3a8a;         \/* deep indigo *\/\n    --bg:#f8fafc;             \/* soft paper *\/\n    --max: 1080px;\n    font-family: ui-serif, Georgia, \"Times New Roman\", serif;\n    line-height: 1.7;\n    margin: 2.5rem auto;\n    padding: 0 1rem;\n    \/*max-width: var(--max);*\/\n  }\n  .indigo-story .hero {\n    display: grid;\n    gap: 1.25rem;\n    align-items: end;\n    margin-bottom: 2rem;\n  }\n  .indigo-story h1 {\n    font-size: clamp(1.8rem, 2.8vw + 1rem, 3rem);\n    line-height: 1.15;\n    margin: 0;\n    letter-spacing: .2px;\n    font-weight: bold;\n  }\n  .indigo-story h1 em { font-style: italic; color: var(--accent); }\n  .indigo-story .hero img {\n    width: 100%;\n    height: auto;\n    border-radius: 14px;\n    display: block;\n  }\n\n  .indigo-story p { margin: 0 0 1rem; }\n  .indigo-story .lead { font-size: clamp(1.05rem, .8vw + 1rem, 1.25rem); }\n\n  .indigo-story .rule { height:1px; background:var(--rule); margin: 1.5rem 0 2rem; }\n\n  .indigo-story h2 {\n    font-weight: bold;\n    margin: 2rem 0 .75rem;\n    line-height: 1.2;\n  }\n\n  \/* Year grid *\/\n  .indigo-story .year-grid {\n    border: 1px solid var(--rule);\n    border-radius: 16px;\n    padding: 1rem;\n    display: grid;\n    gap: .5rem;\n    grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n    margin-bottom: 1rem;\n  }\n  .indigo-story .year-grid li {\n    list-style: none;\n    padding: .75rem .75rem;\n    border-radius: 12px;\n  }\n  .indigo-story .year-grid strong { color: var(--accent); }\n  @media (min-width: 700px) {\n    .indigo-story .year-grid { grid-template-columns: repeat(1, 1fr); }\n  }\n  @media (min-width: 1024px) {\n    .indigo-story .year-grid { grid-template-columns: repeat(1, 1fr); }\n  }\n\n  \/* Image grids *\/\n  .indigo-story .grid-2,\n  .indigo-story .grid-3 {\n    display: grid;\n    gap: .75rem;\n    margin: 1rem 0;\n  }\n  .indigo-story .grid-2 { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }\n  .indigo-story .grid-3 { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }\n  @media (min-width: 700px) {\n    .indigo-story .grid-2 { grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr); }\n  }\n  @media (min-width: 900px) {\n    .indigo-story .grid-3 { grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); }\n  }\n  .indigo-story .grid-2 img,\n  .indigo-story .grid-3 img {\n    width: 100%;\n    height: 100%;\n    border-radius: 12px;\n    display:block;\n  }\n\n  \/* Pull quote *\/\n  .indigo-story .pull {\n    \/*border-left: 4px solid var(--accent);*\/\n    padding: .5rem 1rem;\n    \/*color: var(--muted);*\/\n    font-style: italic;\n    font-weight: bold;\n    margin: 1rem 0 1.25rem;\n    \/*background: linear-gradient(90deg, #eef2ff 0, transparent 60%);*\/\n    border-radius: 10px;\n  }\n\n  \/* Figure (optional captions) *\/\n  .indigo-story figure { margin: 1rem 0; }\n  .indigo-story figure img { width:100%; height:auto; border-radius: 12px; display:block; }\n  .indigo-story figcaption { color: var(--muted); font-size: .9rem; margin-top: .35rem; }\n\n  \/* Tighten lists on mobile *\/\n  .indigo-story ul { margin: .5rem 0 1rem; padding: 0; }\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"indigo-story\"\u003e\u003c!-- Hero --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"hero\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eJapan’s Indigo Dyeing Tradition – \u003cem\u003eOver a Thousand Years of Blue\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Indigo-dyed textiles\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcOBLCNWLFUAfw_kvvVP7ZIqOd5oHfhDSnZWcDbufycRDVF22wmGOrg14E_rLp3oLtKPfTnRx8OJ4olOyqQa0JDhvtcdtAUKk95CDxwf4oBFKvAVtmk6ukPdmhLTx_yKqrFZtY7oA=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- Intro --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor more than a thousand years, \u003cstrong\u003eAizome\u003c\/strong\u003e—the traditional Japanese art of indigo dyeing—has been cherished across the country. This ancient technique extracts colour from the indigo plant and uses \u003cstrong\u003enatural fermentation\u003c\/strong\u003e to create a deep, enduring blue. The process is intricate and profound, a true collaboration between \u003cstrong\u003enature and the artisan\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt takes more than a \u003cstrong\u003edecade of dedicated training\u003c\/strong\u003e to become a master indigo dyer. From cultivating the plants, to fermenting the leaves, to perfecting the dyeing process, every step must be learned through hands-on experience. Mastery demands the ability to read the subtle signs of the seasons, the weather, and even the moods of the soil and water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndigo is far more than just a beautiful blue. In ancient Japan, it was valued as a way to \u003cstrong\u003eprotect the wearer\u003c\/strong\u003e. Modern science has confirmed what people long suspected: indigo contains \u003cem\u003eanti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties\u003c\/em\u003e, helping to repel insects, heal wounds, and prevent skin irritation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rule\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- Year in the life --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Year in the Life of an Indigo Artisan\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Indigo fields and tools\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcFSGE7nQS-WMwVraysI7qkpKbbCR4YqhQpyslNFxkoN06McI34jHP7Z-jDN0f0qzl71EiWKgGLwPUuau6V_SP7_tlfhwnk6_YZodNAjYGil_liCrDdfOLw6QDNCNJ1lAb-IEmz=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the past, indigo artisans lived in constant dialogue with nature:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"year-grid\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpring\u003c\/strong\u003e – tilling the fields and sowing indigo seeds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSummer\u003c\/strong\u003e – harvesting the plants, drying the leaves, and spreading them on the earthen floor to rest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAutumn\u003c\/strong\u003e – placing the leaves into earthenware vats to ferment, carefully watching temperature and humidity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinter\u003c\/strong\u003e – opening the vat to welcome the moment when the deep, clear blue emerges.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis way of life is, in itself, a \u003cstrong\u003econversation with nature\u003c\/strong\u003e. The sound of dry leaves heating as they ferment, the rising scent from the vats, the feel of the dye liquid on one’s fingertips—all are part of a cycle untouched by chemical additives or mass production. It is a \u003cstrong\u003esustainable craft\u003c\/strong\u003e, returning to the earth and preserving a technology passed down for over a millennium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Nara’s \u003cstrong\u003eShōsō-in Repository\u003c\/strong\u003e, indigo-dyed fabrics from 1,300 years ago remain vibrant to this day—a testament to the skill and durability of this craft, and a cultural heritage rare even on a global scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rule\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- Kyoto --\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Forgotten Blue of Kyoto\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"grid-2\"\u003e\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Historic Kyoto dyeing\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXduios-uMQryzJg2nQi1ayh8h0bqKLG5Q2Hj54jbtQfLi1qfHXATXr3balYfrZ7O1kAsqhvkisT8rUTaWE3wHbK8PWM0A8LmMHm8Yz5g01N63kHoRJcPlSnG5u6lpVoLMuu2ml5=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Kyoto indigo details\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcRvKxPq2Y9MavZYoEHdvU4hkrIRVRKHaxff7Ve_Lhdna4Pg07zS0BaM9eqK5D3fepY13dfDyc2--Mmfh2QJCyvDqD_KqJTgGlmYN6_4pk2w9foiFRBf_WJEoxRGPIvHqPVyNBh4g=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Tokushima is famous for indigo in Japan. Yet few people know that Kyoto was once a major centre for indigo dyeing. The culture had long vanished—until one artist, delving into historical records, uncovered the story and vowed to revive it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRiku Matsuzaki – Reviving Kyoto Indigo\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Artist Riku Matsuzaki\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXd8gJEUyndu4EmEXssQQwLT0kX0BmqEBUKiu8CrDaZ8rXR00ZN2tIW8M-GV2_qe6mHUYaPPY5uMD0h0U3GVrqSMkMCNcP4icjdWI-HL7i30fFegf2YtI5ZfOCaLxnnsCrhXK6I5mQ=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"94\" data-end=\"383\"\u003eArtist \u003cstrong data-start=\"101\" data-end=\"119\"\u003eRiku Matsuzaki\u003c\/strong\u003e is the only person to have revived \u003cem data-start=\"155\" data-end=\"163\"\u003eKyō-ai\u003c\/em\u003e — the original variety of Kyoto indigo that disappeared over a century ago. Through old manuscripts, he learned of its \u003cstrong data-start=\"283\" data-end=\"297\"\u003eextinction\u003c\/strong\u003e and the \u003cstrong data-start=\"306\" data-end=\"328\"\u003epolitical disputes\u003c\/strong\u003e behind it, and resolved to carry its legacy forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"grid-3\"\u003e\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Kyoto indigo process\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcshXENXipicen30l9yiN6d3j2PNgg8QYNxEq4gMidkUxxC904MTmAey_Y3U1YVW9AjDmYxuzsLIMCmW4TixJNMG_P6hadqnzHXe3FgCOaKzjD3NT6kXk_yMUr1JKzjbleqbI7YAw=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Natural fermentation vat\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcb5LviuDBmmANQt8Rz5fuDSSlvYKJMKy6OdXor0cG_xLqCOyPKNZgrK0tMlXG3zX8FG4fSsOR9exB74vUORY7TqLmKH3jrLFjnN4TAJLWGQB9kbaEtku2Tw77pOA61efmZ6EZ6=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Natural fermentation vat\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfEcB0QxE2tIV1_eq5Enkf_TQDG81D2USb354f2_x06e8gC6uFKdtEe0dmxLcQ-Skzja-7djJNyUMBkv7pf32y20WpNOrSJ7PRJi9en6jbdVgBs7PxSm3Q0GL3iB_exA2FPd9-5gg=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatsuzaki grows Kyoto indigo from seed, harvests the leaves, and prepares the dye entirely through \u003cstrong\u003enatural fermentation\u003c\/strong\u003e without chemicals. From cultivation to dyeing, from creation to finished product, he works \u003cstrong\u003eentirely by hand\u003c\/strong\u003e. Using agricultural by-products and leftover cooking stock as fertiliser, and returning the spent dye liquid to the soil, his work forms a \u003cstrong\u003ecomplete cycle: from earth, back to earth\u003c\/strong\u003e. He calls this philosophy \u003cem\u003e“wrapping life in the colours of life.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dyed cloth detail\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcqn1irNAbqa7tjyYyiy8u59cerevehuH3zdnbe6WqfZ9dykDLSeCkHpDNuQAybE7MLTUphJMEbejfKMSyOBdiYXesz-gqM_X2kkzFY8OCRiEEWXoy11Ekhlkqa7wxXlRGEuCXUug=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond his craft, Matsuzaki is dedicated to \u003cstrong\u003eeducation\u003c\/strong\u003e. Through workshops in indigo cultivation and dyeing, he shares the history and beauty of the art with participants ranging from local children to international art enthusiasts. Those who hold a piece of cloth they have dyed themselves become part of a \u003cstrong\u003ethousand-year story of blue\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatsuzaki’s work has earned recognition in Japan and abroad, with collaborations with \u003cstrong\u003eValextra\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMoleskine\u003c\/strong\u003e, and invitations to events like \u003cstrong\u003eHEARTH SUMMIT\u003c\/strong\u003e and international art fairs. Through meticulous dyeing, he recreates the deep blues of ancient times, aiming to leave behind colours that will last for another thousand years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"grid-2\"\u003e\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Indigo patterns\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdfk44VG6QR6pucISW-RUh0uD5bTxWiSSjf8SY8hGhO8zsE2ZzGI85FChSXF5JjQfr9bAYu11mQhlJSzah-rwVGdmS47q7WAdLEmUQAOb7z5Nk3XCJl5qL8yfpgJqKvJ7U5-UGG=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Traditional dye swatches\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXf78E2K1dQSLszgMGY1urRcpL9Sn5nvofJWU3IV3gRGUtUAwyDLbqvUoJIcWesOynBMQ_BNiCUOHrwC_E4ZmFF9f9WH_3KunorCyif0fuhpYKv787H1kaNRWYC9K3DJMSXExBtNmw=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pull\"\u003e“To hold a piece of Kyoto indigo is to carry a quiet wish for a future where people and the natural world live in harmony.”\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Final indigo presentation\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdBT2aLQLDdc0435loGgaC_JjAs-fR53zlJKavo1cCF2yNLfsHAsMutdvTcKECimEZ6ikZ3TH7AyYEBJbZwvP-1inS-HPMa5CmqyuEBJJ-9balAbkib-P7ib26v0Wfe7ZLQf98d=s800?key=gljMOPAdQ0pj3ny0JubU1g\"\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/8843\/7419\/collections\/Riku_Matsuzaki.png?v=1755510933","url":"https:\/\/rakudajapan.com\/en-au\/collections\/riku-matsuzaki.oembed","provider":"RAKUDA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}