Kazuya Nohara: living in indigo

In this episode, we hear how Japanese designer Kazuya Nohara and his partner Miki work with traditional Hontate indigo fermentation in rural Japan, creating hand-sewn garments dyed in living vats he tends himself. In this thoughtful conversation, he reflects on learning to release control, building a business at nature’s pace, and seeing indigo not just as colour, but as culture, partnership and practice.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Indigo as a living collaborator. Kazuya describes the vat as something responsive – not a formula to master, but a relationship to tend. You’ll hear how fermentation, microbes, and daily care shape both the colour and the maker’s mindset.

• The discipline of slowness. This practice resists speed. From layering dye over weeks to working carefully around oxygen, Kazuya explains why the process demands patience – and how that constraint becomes part of the integrity of the work.

• Making a partnership. Kazuya and Miki divide roles across sewing, vat care, dyeing and Shibori. The episode offers a grounded look at collaboration – how they learned what couldn’t be shared, and what became stronger once responsibilities were clarified.

• When doubt becomes a turning point. Kazuya speaks openly about the first years of uncertainty – limited vats, business pressure, and the temptation to shift away from indigo. The breakthrough came through recommitting, investing, and letting the practice mature in its own time.

• Roots, humility, and letting go of ego. The conversation moves beyond technique into values – how returning to Japan led Kazuya to re-examine culture, tradition, and everyday wisdom, and how indigo taught him to “wait, step back, and… believe”.

During the live interview, we shared some images of Kazuya’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below. 

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Explore the images from this episode: