Japan In Focus

Heirs of Kyoto Talent: Craftsman Strives for ‘Blacker than Black’ Dye, Mastering Prestigious Technique

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Banba adjusts the dye’s temperature.

By Jurin Yamada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:05 JST, January 10, 2026

KYOTO — Close to the site where 16th-century warlord Oda Nobunaga met his end, famous spring water still gushes steadily from the eaves of a dyeing workshop in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto.

The Yanagi no Mizu water is smooth and rich in iron and was even favored by tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-91). It is not only perfect for drinking but also for the workshop’s specialty technique, kuro-zome black dyeing.

When I visited the workshop of Banba Senkogyo, 27-year-old Kengo Banba was hard at work. He joined the family business just under three years ago.

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Yanagi no Mizu spring water

First, Banba added dye to heated spring water in a dyeing vessel. Then he carefully dipped a piece of clothing in the solution and stirred with a bamboo rod to ensure the piece would be dyed in even, flawless black.

After finishing the dyeing process, he rinsed the piece repeatedly to remove any excess dye before moving on to drying. The process takes over a month to complete.

“You don’t know how each piece will turn out until it dries,” said Banba. “I like that aspect of the craft, too.”

Formal black kimono that have family crests in five places, like those worn by kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, are the most prestigious of all kimono. The black dyeing technique is used to dye silk fabrics solid black for such kimono, a practice established in Kyoto in the 19th century.

Mother’s resolve

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Kengo Banba, left, dips a shirt in a dye solution while his mother, Maki, watches at their workshop in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto.

Despite the workshop’s expertise in this prestigious technique, it came close to vanishing in 2006, when Kozo was diagnosed with lung cancer and given two years to live. He began draining the dye that had been replenished and passed down through generations and prepared to shut down the workshop.

Maki, Kozo’s daughter and Banba’s mother, could not bear to see her father like that, and decided to take over the family business.

Amid declining demand for black-dyed kimono, she began dyeing Western clothes, leveraging her knowledge and skills as a former textile designer.

Word spread that clothing could be “reused” and given a second life, and she received many orders. She continued dyeing alone while raising her three children. She never forced her children to join the family business.

“I never asked them to take over,” Maki, now 60, said with a laugh,

Banba, her second son, did not show interest in joining the family business, although he had frequented the workshop since childhood. After studying architecture at a technical high school, he began working for a furniture manufacturer, where he produced mirrors.

The turning point came when he was around 21 years old.

His mother had dislocated her left shoulder but continued dyeing as she was swamped with over 1,000 orders. She finally asked for help.

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Delicate silk fabrics is loosely wrapped and hung from special hangers before being dipped in dye.

When Maki asked him, “Can you help out a bit?” Banba realized that she could not manage by herself.

Banba began returning home on weekends from Osaka, where he lived alone, to assist her. With no knowledge about dyeing, he began learning from scratch.

One day, when he received an order to dye a pair of jeans, the customer saw the finished product and requested that they be even darker. Each time he re-dyed the item, the customer complained that the color was “too light.”

The experience motivated him to pursue the craft. In January 2023, at age 24, he assumed the role of sixth-generation head of the workshop.

Grandfather’s notebooks

Banba’s job is to dye each item according to his mother’s guidelines as to the ideal shade of black for the place, but it is a constant struggle.

Each time, he refers to his grandfather’s research notebooks, discovered in the warehouse, for encouragement.

“There are so many valuable items left by my predecessors. Our techniques were achieved only after dozens of trials and experiments,” said Banba. “I realized that black dyeing must never be forgotten.”

The Yomiuri Shimbun
There are various shades of black dyes, including, clockwise from bottom right, shumeiguro deep black, standard black and lighter natural black.

His grandfather was a master of black dyeing; his mother adapted it to the times. Seeking further advancement, Banba began research on developing a new shumeiguro black suited for Western clothing. While working on orders, he experimented over and over with volumes of dye and water, and drying methods.

He has experienced countless failures. Only recently, Banba finally achieved a black he was somewhat happy with. His mother, showing maternal pride, said, “It’s such a beautiful black.”

Banba remains humble. “It’s still not good enough,” he said. “I want to create a black that won’t fade in sunlight or over time, that people can wear without worrying about the color fading.”

Whether for kimono or Western clothing, his goal is to achieve a color that is “blacker than black.”

“As fewer and fewer people wear formal kimono, it’s vital to preserve the black dyeing technique by applying it to Western clothing,” Banba said.

While also considering reviving formal kimono, Banba’s ambition for the future knows no bounds. Though his journey as a craftsman has just begun, his passion for honing his skills is already enough to carry the weight of Kyoto’s culture.

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If you are interested in the original Japanese version of this story, click here.