Spring has come and the centuries old tradition of enjoying the temporal beauty of the Sakura flower “Hanami” is well under way.
Lasting from March until early May, this is a wonderful time to see Japan before the rains of “Tsuyu” begin followed by the heat of the Japanese summer.
In the coming weeks, the entire landscape of Japan from ancient temples to modern Tokyo burst come to life with the beautiful soft pale color of the beloved Sakura flower.
It is precisely this pink color which is the focus of our blog post today. The tradition of using the young branches and bark of the Sakura tree to produce a pink dye for dying cotton or silk has also been passed down through the centuries. It is said that the soft pink color of the Sakura is not only beautiful to look at but also does wonders for a wounded heart.
To make the dye solution, you will need about six or seven supermarket-sized bags of broken Sakura branches, twigs and or bark. I could never bring myself to deliberately break off branches from a tree about to bloom so I recommend picking up broken pieces that you might come across, for example, in the mountains or in parks.
After gathering the branches, you will need to a large pot in which to boil them in. Once you have your pot ready, you will need to cut up the branches into pieces small enough to fit into your pot. Fill your pot with enough water to cover the cut-up branches and bark, lastly adding a bit of vinegar.
Bring your mixture to a boil and let simmer for about two hours. Strain the cooled liquid a few times and let it sit for three days to a week. It can take up to a week for the oxidation process to do its work and produce a nice pink color.
Natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and wool are excellent choices for this dye. To prevent the color from washing away, we fix the color with a solution of water and potassium aluminum sulfate.
To dye your garments, you need to bring the dye mixture just to a boil. Turn off the heat and slowly add your garment in being careful to avoid pockets of air. After submerging your garment, allow it to soak for about twenty minutes. Remove your garment and wring out the excess liquid. Transfer the garment to another container filled with the cooled alum water and soak for another ten minutes. Finally, remove the items and wash them again in clean water and hang them to dry.