Ainoyakata Indigo Museum

Aizumi-cho History Museum Ai no Yakata, located in Aizumi, Tokushima Prefecture, preserves the grand residence of the Okumura family, once prosperous indigo merchants during the Edo period. The site includes 13 traditional buildings and over 130,000 historical documents, now displayed in a museum dedicated to the culture of Awa-ai indigo—the deep blue dye that once helped to sustain the Tokushima domain’s economy.
Inside the museum, visitors can explore the elaborate interior and furnishings of a house known as an “Indigo Merchant House”, a beautifully preserved house once owned by a wealthy Edo-period merchant. The home’s layout and tools offer a glimpse into the daily life of the era, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere where both artisans and wealthy merchants lived and worked in the indigo dyeing industry. The museum also showcases detailed exhibits on indigo dyeing techniques and the textile industry of the Edo period, covering the entire process from indigo plant cultivation and leaf fermentation to the final dyeing of the cloth. Traditional tools and detailed dioramas bring the production and trade of indigo to life.
Additionally, visitors can participate in hands-on indigo dyeing workshops. By folding items like handkerchiefs or cloths and dipping them in an indigo vat, using the same methods as Edo-period artisans, you can create your own unique indigo-dyed item. (Reservations required)
One of the highlights is the indigo dyeing workshop, where you can tie-dye a handkerchief or bring your own cloth item to transform into a one-of-a-kind souvenir, made with the same indigo dyeing processes used by these Edo era craftspeople long ago. (Reservations required for groups of 10 or more people, or for the dyeing workshop.)