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Tokyo to Matsuyama is about 1.25 hour's flight. Mt. Fuji is sighted from the airplane in route to Shikoku. When sighted, everyone in our group swarmed to one side of the plane. We imagined the pilot was having to turn the wheel hard to keep us level. | |
Flying in to Matsuyama on the Seto Naikai (Inland Sea). Matsuyama is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, over an hour's drive west of Niihama. |
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This is a typical Japanese meal prepared for us in Matsuyama before we headed for Niihama. |
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Matsuyama is noted for its traditional craft of indigo dyed weavings in a technique known as ikat. These are the dye vats where many cotton items are colored. Indigo is a plant that undergoes a fermentation (think: smelly) process before it becomes "fast." (resistant to fading) |
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Here are various indigo dyed threads specially prepared to produce a design upon weaving. |
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Two of the weavers at their looms. This is a small industry for the locality and these people know their craft. Prices may seem steep but this is a labor intensive craft. |
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Look closely, you can see the design produced by the precision dyed weft threads. |
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This was a typical sight from the bus window as we left Matsuyama and headed toward Niihama. |
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