Ms. Murata has spent decades devoting her time to the craft of somemono, the dyeing of cloth, silk, linen and other materials. She practices her craft in the traditional way, incorporating dyes from local plants. Ms. Murata brews indigo dye by stewing clippings from locally grown ao, or indigo, plants. A large ceramic urn, placed in a covered area and buried to the brim in the earth, maintains a constant and proper environment for steeping the indigo leaves. There are only a handful of people left in Japan who prepare natural indigo dye in the traditional way.

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