I just registered for the next cohort of the Wata-Ai (Cotton-Indigo) Trust at Oyama Senmaida. I enjoyed the program last year. A second round is going to let me build on the basics that I learned.

We use abandoned fields at the top of the rice terraces to grow indigo and multiple types of cotton. Each session is a mix of fieldwork and craft. At the end of the program we receive a portion of the cotton harvest and we use the dried indigo in a big dyeing party in February.

Our group in 2025 was 11 women ranging in age from university students to retirees with locals and city folk in the mix. Everyone was friendly and willing to share ideas and techniques as well as stories about our lives over lunch. All in Japanese, which is good for my brain.

I appreciated the relaxed pace of the program – it’s not too hard to fit in seven Sundays over the course of nine months. Attendance is not required, but I managed to make all the sessions.

2026 Schedule

Optional Pre-Program Sessions
March 7 (Sat) Indigo seed sowing
April 5 (Sun) Field preparation

Main Sessions
May 9 (Sat) Field: cotton sowing & indigo planting
July 19 (Sun) Field: weeding, harvesting fresh indigo. Craft: fresh indigo dye
Sep 20 (Sun) Field: indigo harvest, cotton work. Craft: spinning
Oct 18 (Sun) Craft: botanical color dye
Nov 8 (Sun) Field: cotton harvest. Craft: cotton ginning, beating, spinning
Dec 13 (Sun) Field: cleanup. Craft: weaving
Feb 7 (Sun) Craft: dried leaf indigo dye, exhibition of works, reflection

Application Details

Application: March 2 – April 20. Apply online! or contact info@senmaida.com

Fee: 15,000 yen per participant
Payment by bank transfer after applications are confirmed.
Includes use of craft tools, instruction, and shared materials. Additional fees may apply on the program day for lunch and materials for dying (silk scarves, handkerchiefs, etc)

Notes:

• The program’s instruction and materials are in Japanese.
• BYO kama (scythe), appropriate clothing (garden boots, aprons, etc), water, sunscreen, etc for the fieldwork.
• Growing conditions make each year’s harvest different, so there is no guarantee about the portion you will receive.
• Beginners, repeaters, and experienced people are all welcome.