Why do we stick to non-chemical indigo dyeing?!

Using genuine indigo (made from wood ash lye), it is remarkably stable when chemicals are used.
If you don't use chemicals, it will be difficult at once because it depends on various natural environmental factors.
The reason for this is that Aidate(Indigo vatting:藍建て) is a fermentation process, and dozens of microorganisms/bacteria are active during this process.
Fermentation of natto, soy sauce, sake, etc. is so simple that it can be said that it is simple, so it is easy to handle.
The indigo that has been painstakingly built (to be ready for dyeing) can become useless overnight.
There is a policy of stubbornly refusing chemicals.
Synthetic indigo, which is familiar to jeans, was born in Germany, and in Japan, it was started in the early Taisho era(大正時代) at Mitsui Mining Miike Dye Industry(三井鉱山三池染料工業所) (now Mitsui Chemicals Omuta Industries(現三井化学大牟田工業)), and a production factory was built in the early Showa era(昭和時代).
My hometown was the coal mine labor’s house of this Mitsui Miike mine. During the period of rapid economic growth after the war, the rivers in Omuta(大牟田) were black with primary colors mixed in with wastewater and smoke being emitted 24 hours a day, just like Minamata(水俣). The whole city had a strange smell all the time. Since I spent my childhood in such a situation, I also contracted pneumonia and my bronchi are still weak.
Synthetic indigo has the same chemical structure as natural plant indigo, so natural plant indigo was quickly expelled in Germany and Japan.

Even so, why do we have to use chemicals when we dare to dye with natural plant indigo?

The indigo that was built using chemicals and the real indigo that was built using only natural plant indigo are completely different.
First of all, indigo vats that use chemicals do not smell good. Even if you are dyeing the yarn, I will feel sick. Of course, even if I weave it, the smell will not go away. Even if it becomes cloth, it may look the same indigo at first glance, but in reality, it is completely different.
I think that only those who are particular about that subtle difference, but this remarkable difference, want this real indigo.
We may see 3000 to 4000 yen samue(monk's working clothes:作務衣) tops and bottoms on the internet, but our products are one order price different. So as a business, it is too tough.
However, wearing real indigo means wearing natural plant indigo with a history of thousands of years, and being on the side of nature. I'm sure that it's fine as long as it's worn only by those who are genuine and natural.
That's why today I'm putting my hands together on the Shinto altar and facing the indigo with the mind of praying.