Indigo blue and the dyeing process (Aizome) are such an instrumental part of traditional Japanese culture that I never once doubted that they originated in the country. However, I later learned that Japan actually learnt it from China in the 7th century, and that it had actually started in India long before that. And never ever thought it was related to American blue jeans, through West Africa, where they also learned how to dye from India. Never thought the beautiful colors were loved by Africans, in addition to the Japanese, Chinese, and Indians. And never thought the desire for blue jeans has been shared by youngsters in Europe, like Eastern Germany and Bulgaria. So you can learn how it is impacted globally by Indigo dying, Aizome in Japanese.
