Chizu Blue is a cooperative founded by local women in 2005 to preserve Chizu’s unique indigo-dyeing tradition. They began cultivating indigo plants from Tokushima seeds and using traditional harvesting methods.

At their bright studio in Chizu, a post town deep in the Chizu Mountains, cooperative members carefully grow the plants, separate leaves and stems, produce indigo dye, and hand-dye fabric. They also incorporate Chizu’s cedar-covered mountains and joyful local scenes into their designs and are committed to making products that are “Made in Chizu.”

As the original members retired, six women now run Chizu Blue. Ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s, they manage the cooperative in ways that suit their individual lifestyles.