VIDEO: Okinawa’s beautiful bingata traditional cloth dyeing

Gallery shop (Photo by Shoji Kudaka)

Bingata is a traditional cloth-dyeing method that spans generations and has a 500-year history on Okinawa. This craft consists of colorful patterns painted onto fabric used for tapestries, clothing and more.

In the past, the art was practiced by skilled craftsman, but now studios in Okinawa are opening their doors to a new generation of bingata enthusiasts and tourists. To try my hand and learn more about bingata, I visited Gusuku Bingata, which has been in business for 53 years in Urasoe City.

Gusuku Bingata’s two-story building houses a shop on the first floor selling decorated tapestries and kimonos, hats, baby clothing, t-shirts and more. On the second floor, there is a studio where visitors can practice this age-old art.