Hirose-gasuri Indigo Dye Workshop

Souvenirs

This indigo dyeing workshop carries on the tradition of Hirose Gasuri, a prefectural Intangible Cultural Property. This facility is near the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, and sells indigo dyed goods as well as offering activities allowing you to make your own. The traditional craft of Hirose Gasuri uses a wide variety of medium sized geometric patterns as well as picturesque patterns, and is said to have found its beginning in a dyeing style taught in nearby Yonago in 1824, in the Hoki Province that is today the western part of Tottori Prefecture. The style is characterized by precise geometric patterns marked by stark contrast in the blue dyeing (using naturally fermented indigo liquid), with the threads woven to bring out the patterns with exactness. At this workshop, you can use rubber bands to create your own design in their Dyeing Activity, resulting in a one-of-a-kind piece for the cost of a single coin!