Reflecting on Okinawa's natural pigmentations, one thinks instinctively of the red of its hibiscus, the pinks and mauves of bougainvillea, the green of ripening shikuwasa limes and fukugi trees. The strongest association, though, is blue.
At greater depths, the sun-lit ocean surfaces turn to an indigo wash, the color of the island's distinctive aizome textile.
The precipitation method for making indigo dye in Okinawa differs from mainland Japan, and is closer to the process found in the tropical and semitropical regions of Southeast Asia and India, where the art originated. Here in the mild to steamy Okinawan climate, the Ryukyu-ai (Ryukyu indigo plant) grows all year around.