Colors That Never Fade

Oct 13, 2025

「EP.80」琉球紅型

RYUKYU BINGATA
Okinawa Prefecture

「transcript」

Ryukyu Bingata is Okinawa’s vibrant dyed textile, tracing back to the 14th–15th centuries. Born from trade, it blends Chinese stencil methods, Indian and Javanese patterns, and Japanese aesthetics into a unique Okinawan art.

Under the Ryukyu Kingdom, Bingata was reserved for royalty, its vivid motifs marking rank and prestige. After the kingdom’s fall, the craft declined, and in WWII most tools and stencils were lost in the Battle of Okinawa.

However, artisans were resiliant, using army maps as stencils, broken records as spatulas, bullet casings as nozzles, even lipstick as pigment, bringing Bingata back from near extinction.

Its hallmark is mineral-based pigments. Unlike plant dyes that fade in Okinawa’s harsh sun, these colors stay bright, capturing seas, flowers, and skies in bold contrasts. Brushed into the fabric, they create soft fades and depth, layering warm reds and yellows with indigo and green for brilliance unmatched on the mainland.

Today, Bingata lives on in kimono, and also in modern fashion, accessories, and interior design worldwide. It remains both a cultural treasure and a living art, embodying Okinawa’s spirit of survival and beauty.

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