Feb 8, 2015 - 1 min read

Shindo's Indigo Museum at Miyama

The original wanderer and his collection

By Bonson Lam

Community writer

1 of 6

Hiroyuki Shindo, the curator of the Little Indigo Museum is a wealth of knowledge and insight on all things Indigo.

Three shades of Indigo. Feel, smell and see the brilliance of hand made indigo textiles.

The Little Indigo Museum is housed in the largest thatched house in Kita Village, Miyama.

These exquisite garments are a heirloom for the future generation.

Upstairs in the attic are Indigo textiles from Japan and around the world.

Working Indigo dying vats at the Little Indigo Museum.

It was the summer of 1968. Between the street protests against the Vietnam War and the rapid industrialization of corporate Japan, a young man called Hiroyuki Shindo fell in love with indigo whilst studying at the Kyoto City University of Fine Arts. His love affair with this ancient dye took him to village markets on the other side of the world and back. You can see his lifelong collection at the Little Indigo Museum, a thatched house in Kita Village in the town of Miyama. Like many shops in this village, it is closed for hibernation in winter.

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By Bonson Lam

Community writer

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Evelina Marconi 9 years ago

do you know how to contact the museum for a reservation? I'm travelling from italy, so I would be sure that I can visit it. thank you very much.

Bonson Lam Photographer 9 years ago

The world is now discovering the magic of Miyama village, so you have asked a good question. You don’t need to make a reservation. It could get crowded if a tour bus just pulled up, but if you are there for ½ day there will be quieter moments when you could have this museum to yourself. https://en.japantravel.com/kyoto/the-little-indigo-museum/18364