Fukushima Farmers Plant Indigo To Rebuild Battered Town

March 15, 2021

Category: DYES AND CHEMICALS

Country: Japan

Updated: Mar 4, 2021, 06:00 IST

A decade after nuclear plant disaster the two women farmers believe indigo dyeing could help people in the area recover from effects of devastating tsunami and N plant disaster.

MINAMISOMA: For two years after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan, farmers in nearby Minamisoma were not allowed to grow crops because of radiations. After the restriction was lifted, two farmers, Kiyoko Mori and Yoshiko Ogura, found an unusual way to rebuild their lives and help their destroyed community.

They planted indigo and soon began dying fabric with dye produced from the plants. “Dyeing lets us forget the bad things,” for a while, Mori said. “It’s a process of healing for us.” The massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, caused three of the reactors at the nuclear plant to melt and wrecked more than just the farmers’ livelihoods.

The homes of many people in Minamisoma were destroyed by the tsunami. Mori and Ogura believed that indigo dyeing could help people in the area recover. Mori said they were concerned at first about consuming locally grown food, but felt safe raising indigo because it wouldn’t be eaten. They checked the radiation level of the indigo leaves and found no dangerous amount.

Mori and Ogura are still engaged in indigo dyeing but have different missions. To Mori, it has become a tool for building a strong community in a devastated town and for fighting unfounded rumors that products from Fukushima are still contaminated.

She favours the typical indigo dyeing process that requires some chemical additives. But Ogura has chosen to follow a traditional technique that uses fermentation instead as a way to send a message against dangers of modern technology highlighted by nuclear power.

Mori formed a group called Japan Blue which holds workshops that have taught indigo dyeing to more than 100 people each year. AP

Courtesy:
https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/news/world/media-watchdog-sues-saudi-prince/articleshow/81297374.cms