Nestled into the banks of the Asahi River that runs through Okayama, this larger scale dye house specializes in one discipline; piece dyeing, or the dyeing of fabric after it's woven.

An unassuming cluster of warehouse structures conceals a mysterious world of color alchemy and idiosyncratic machinery. The immense scale of space and hyper specific decades old equipment exhibiting the heavy patina of time impart a Jules Verne-like quality to the humble spaces.

As a result of this history and wealth of experience the craftspeople at this mill are able to execute machine sumi dyeing to the highest level - achieving consistency in tone and depth across hundreds of meters of cloth.

Sumi is a natural pigment, made from pine wood soot. It is typically used to achieve a range of blacks and greys, but in the case of the corduroy below - it was applied after an initial warm beige undertone was established, to achieve the final dark brown shade.