The old-house workshop of Hitotsuya（ひとつ屋） contained a traditional Japanese kamado stove and a tiled sink that had not been used for many years.
Both were badly damaged, so we repaired them little by little through a series of DIY projects. At last, they became usable again.
After completing the repairs, we began carrying out regular botanical dyeing work here.
The stove is fuelled with small trees, fallen branches and bamboo removed while maintaining the surrounding satoyama landscape and bamboo groves.
Japan’s Forestry Agency identifies bamboo as a biomass resource and explains that promoting its use can also support the proper management of bamboo groves. Further information is available on the Forestry Agency’s bamboo information page (Japanese source).
In the future, we also hope to restore the old well on the property and use its water for botanical dyeing and watering the fields.
Using resources produced through woodland maintenance, heating an old repaired stove and dyeing yarn and cloth by hand—this was an important first step towards the sustainable form of making that Hitotsuya had been seeking.
However, using bamboo and wood as fuel does not automatically make a process sustainable.
Cutting, carrying, drying and storing the fuel all require considerable time and labour. Controlling the fire also demands experience. We will continue using electricity, gas and tap water when necessary, while seeking a practical balance with the resources available in the surrounding landscape.
The beginning of the stove restoration is recorded in “Hettui-san” (Japanese page), published on 19 March 2021.
Later work using bamboo from an unmanaged grove as fuel is introduced in “Using Bamboo from an Unmanaged Grove as Fuel” (Japanese page).
▼ Botanical dyeing with the repaired stove and tiled sink
Hitotsuya’s current approach to sustainable making is explained in “Sustainable Making” (Japanese page).