Society

Indigo Dye Production Hits Peak Season in Tokushima

Tokushima, Jul 06 (News On Japan) - The production of sukumo, the fermented indigo dye used in traditional Japanese textiles, is now in full swing in Kamiita, Tokushima Prefecture.

At a local facility, freshly harvested indigo leaves are fed into a machine that finely shreds them. A large fan then separates the leaf from the stem by weight—lighter leaves are blown further away while the heavier stems fall close to the machine, allowing for clean separation.

Tokushima is renowned as a major production area for indigo, and the process of making sukumo begins with this stage known as aikonashi, or leaf pulverization.

Once separated, the collected leaves are left to dry for two to three days, during which they turn a deep green color. The full process of sukumo-making continues through December.

Source: MBS

Hokkaido Shinkansen Sapporo Extension Delayed by 12 Years

The long-delayed extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo is facing further setbacks, with the opening now pushed back by more than a decade and total project costs projected to more than double, even as construction steadily advances on the ground.

Water Gushes From Kasumigaseki Station

Water erupted from near the ceiling of an underground passage inside Tokyo Metro’s Kasumigaseki Station in Chiyoda Ward at around 6:00 p.m. on January 14th, in what the operator believes was caused by a burst water supply pipe.

Hokkaido to Ease Brown Bear Alerts

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Japan Welcomes New Generation of Adults

Ceremonies celebrating those turning 20 were held across Japan on January 12th, with events taking place nationwide to mark Coming of Age Day.

China Begins Restricting Rare Earth Exports to Japan, U.S. Paper Reports

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan.

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