Kyoto Native Indigo Dyeing Artisan Wins Top Prize at Traditional Craft Contest for Work Made Using Local Resources

By Tomoo Furuta / Japan News Staff Writer

16:30 JST, March 22, 2026

A native of Kyoto City, motivated by a passion for indigo dyeing techniques that have retained their vibrancy for over a thousand years, has won the Ronnie Prize at the 5th Japanese Traditional Crafts Revitalization Contest, the competition’s highest honor.

The winner, Riku Matsuzaki, 35, uses only plant dyes in his work as he continues to promote the deep, vivid hues of Kyoto indigo — also called Kyoai — both domestically and internationally through exhibitions and corporate collaborations.

“My small personal dream is beginning to blossom into a regional industry. Winning this prize has a special meaning for me, because it lets me feel that everything I’ve done [since becoming independent] hasn’t been in vain,” Matsuzaki said at the award ceremony held in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in late February. His work received praise for points such as the organizational skill demonstrated by his use of local resources and the potential for it to have a ripple effect in the future.

In indigo dyeing, a dye made from the dried and fermented leaves of the indigo plant is used to color textiles and other items. In Japan, this technique has long been cherished, as evidenced by treasures from the Nara period (710-784), such as still vibrant indigo-dyed silk cords wound into bundles.

Matsuzaki hails from Kyoto City’s Nishikyo Ward, known as the birthplace of Kyoai. After graduating from college, he traveled to the United States for a month in 2013 to gain exposure to overseas perspectives. It was in a shop window in New York City that he first noticed indigo-dyed items.

Upon returning to Japan, his interest led him to conduct some research, during which he discovered a dyeing shop in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, that had been operating since the Edo period. At an exhibition featuring works by the shop, he was captivated by numerous pieces on display that exuded a powerful sense of transparency.

“I wanted to learn techniques at Japan’s finest dyeing workshop and dye fabrics with my own hands.” So he knocked on the door, hoping to become an apprentice of Sachio Yoshioka, the fifth-generation proprietor.

Matsuzaki, who had no prior knowledge or experience, wasn’t accepted immediately.

After visiting several times, however, he was advised to first acquire some basic skills at the Nomura silk Museum in Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture. There, he studied sericulture (the practice of raising silkworms), and dyeing for two years. He supported himself by working part-time at a convenience store in the evenings while studying. It was not until June 2017 that he finally succeeded in becoming Yoshioka’s apprentice.

His master was always telling him, “You’ve still got a long way to go.” Although he was rarely verbally acknowledged as competent, whenever he consulted Yoshioka about his dream of becoming independent or his plan to produce the highest quality Kyoai, he was always encouraged with a “Go for it.”

“It’s fine if you don’t understand everything, just know and see the masterpieces,” Yoshioka used to say. He even arranged for Matsuzaki to experience the treasures of the Shoso-in repository in Nara City.

Yoshioka passed away in 2019, never getting to see Matsuzaki’s finished piece. Matsuzaki continued to work at the shop, before going independent in 2021. In Kyoto City, he began renting a plot of land, measuring about 2‚980 square meters, where he cultivated indigo for dyeing. He practiced “circular manufacturing” in various ways, including using worn-out pieces of indigo-dyed fabric as fertilizer.

Matsuzaki’s creations range from hand towels and pouches to hanging scrolls. He has expanded his reach by exhibiting at art fairs in Australia and South Korea and by collaborating with the Italian leather brand Velextra in Milan to produce bags using Kyoai. He is also dedicated to nurturing the next generation of indigo artisans, having conducted dyeing workshops for elementary and junior high school students for the past four years.

Matsuzaki feels that the technical standards of indigo dyeing about 1,300 years ago were higher than those of the modern day. He wants to continue leaving reminders of Kyoai in Kyoto, where the tradition of indigo dyeing has deep roots.

“I want to keep moving forward, believing in a future where someone a thousand years from now might see Kyoai indigo and be inspired to take action,” he said. With gratitude for his late master and fellow apprentices, he vowed to evolve further.