Choosing not to be part of that 20%
Around 20% of global industrial water pollution is caused by textile dyeing and finishing processes.
The denim industry is one of the most heavily impacted sectors.
Every year, worldwide
- Approximately 50,000 tonnes of synthetic dyes
- Over 84,000 tonnes of hydrosulfite (a powerful chemical used to fix color)
From raw material extraction to dyeing processes and final wastewater discharge.
Denim “color” is still largely based on chemically intensive, highly polluting and difficult-to-control processes that have long been treated as the industry standard.
Why does dyeing need to be reconsidered from the ground up?
The answer lies in the relationship between water and color.
Plant dyeing, applied to every denim
It took 24 months of research and development to integrate plant dyeing into denim.
The goal was not simply to create “a different kind of denim.”
It was to place plant dyeing at the core of 9-jour.’s denim making.
It’s not easy. That’s why it matters.
Plant dyeing is demanding.
Colors are never perfectly uniform and change depending on conditions.
Shin Manyo Zome had never before been fully applied to denim.
No complete collection had ever been produced using this technique.
Choosing to embrace change
Choosing this dyeing method means accepting that color will evolve over time.
At 9-jour., this evolution is not a flaw, but a quality that grows with the wearer.
Reworking every step of the process
This required rethinking far more than dyeing alone:
- weaving
- sewing
- yarn selection
- finishing
- quality control
- storage and transportation
Every step had to be reconsidered.
Continuous adjustment with artisans
Artisans involved were asked to adapt their skills and techniques to a dyeing method they had never used before.
A mindset comes first
This project was made possible because 9-jour. stood firmly by clear principles:
- do not overproduce
- produce in the right way
- take responsibility after production
These principles brought together artisans who shared the same vision.
Today, all 9-jour. denims — garment-dyed, yarn-dyed, or printed — are built on the same plant dyeing philosophy.
This result is not the work of a single individual.
It is the outcome of collective craftsmanship and ongoing dialogue with artisans.
What is Shin Manyo Zome?
Developed by the Kyoto dye studio Kyoto Kawabata Shoten together with dyeing researcher Mitsuo Kimura (Professor Emeritus at Mie University and Kobe Women’s University), Shin Manyo Zome is a natural dyeing technique originating in Japan.
It is rooted in the natural dyes long used in Japan’s traditional plant dyeing (kusaki-zome)—derived from plants, roots, insects, and more.
The difference is not the materials themselves.
The innovation lies in how color is extracted, concentrated, and fixed onto the fiber.
That process is what defines Shin Manyo Zome.
With proprietary techniques developed by Kawabata Shoten, Shin Manyo Zome can produce deeper, more dimensional color using far less raw material than conventional plant dyeing.
Reducing impact on nature—without compromising on color.
Shin Manyo Zome is natural dyeing for the present day, blending tradition and science.
Naturally Derived Dyes
All dyes used in Shin Manyo Zome are made from entirely natural sources.
Artisans carefully select plants and insects, and use only ultra-fine pigments processed into a powder.
Depending on the tone they want to achieve, artisans choose materials such as:
- Enju (Japanese pagoda tree): draws out soft, delicate botanical hues from leaves and blossoms
- Marigold: a bright, clear yellow
- Madder (Garance): a deep, rich red
- Cochineal: modern tones with depth and dimension
- Logwood: a light, gentle brown
These natural materials are not used as-is.
They are ground until the pigment particles become uniform, then added to the dye bath.
This preparation makes it possible to achieve precise tones and subtle gradations—without damaging the fibers.
By blending colors like a color toner, a wide range of shades can also be created.
Shin Manyo Zome relies on nature’s power, while remaining a high-precision natural dyeing method—not just intuition.
This work is not only for a company, nor only for nature.
In the end, the answer we reached was
for people.
A technique born from an environmental challenge
Shin Manyo-zome was born from a concrete environmental issue.
At the time, Kyoto-based Kawabata Workshop was engaged in traditional textile printing, where ink management and wastewater treatment had become serious concerns.
As environmental awareness grew, Kawabata developed its own printing technology, using only natural pigments and no petroleum-based dyes, known as ePrint.
This experience and accumulated expertise became the foundation of today’s Shin Manyo-zome.
Shin Manyo-zome makes it possible to:
- maintain stable and precise color control
- minimize waste
- carefully manage the water used in dyeing
while expanding the expressive potential of natural dyeing itself.
Born from environmental awareness and refined through technique,
it has become one answer to dyeing in coexistence with nature.
The legacy of Professor Mitsuo Kimura
— The researcher behind Shin Manyo-zome
Shin Manyo-zome was born from a collaboration between Professor Mitsuo Kimura, a leading figure in dye research, and Kyoto-based Kawabata Workshop.
Holding a PhD in engineering, Professor Kimura led Japanese research in dyeing and textile science for decades.
Born in 1933 in Osaka to a family of textile merchants, he grew up surrounded by fabrics and color.
He later taught at Fukui University, Kyoto Institute of Technology, and Mie University, eventually becoming an emeritus professor.
Throughout his life’s work, Professor Kimura sought to establish plant-based dyeing as a reliable, modern technology, rather than a purely intuitive craft.
By combining traditional craftsmanship with scientific analysis, he aimed to expand the potential of natural dyeing.
Although Professor Kimura passed away in 2014, his research and philosophy live on through Shin Manyo-zome, continuously refined by Kawabata Workshop.
Shin Manyo-zome stands at the intersection of scientific knowledge, artisan skill, and respect for nature — a natural dyeing method for the modern world.
The Shin Manyo-zome Process
Color is not chemically “manufactured”, it is “drawn out” from the material itself. Shin Manyo-zome is a dyeing technique entirely built around this philosophy.
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01｜Selecting dye materials
It begins with the selection of natural materials
Shin Manyo-zome begins with the careful selection of natural materials.
Only materials of natural origin are used: plants, flowers, roots, wood, and sometimes insects.
The focus is not on dyeing efficiency, but on the inherent quality of color each material possesses.
Points of evaluation:
— Where the material was sourced
— Its natural properties
— Its compatibility with cottonEach material is examined one by one and selected according to the intended shade.
No color is chemically composed at this stage.
The color already exists within the material.
The essence of Shin Manyo-zome lies in how that color is revealed.
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02｜Drying and micronization
Reducing materials to particle scale
Selected natural materials are first thoroughly dried, then ground into extremely fine particles.
The result is a uniform micropowder.
This step is fundamental to the Shin Manyo-zome process.
Unlike conventional plant dyeing, which uses whole or roughly crushed plants, Shin Manyo-zome employs materials reduced to a microscopic scale.
Micronization allows:
— More intense and efficient pigment extraction
— A significant reduction in raw material usage
— Better penetration of dye into the fibers
— Faster biodegradation of waste waterThis step supports both color depth and stability, while minimizing environmental impact.
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03｜Color formulation
Composing the shade before dyeing
Before extraction, the powders are blended, measured, and adjusted.
Artisans combine different micropowders based on:
— The desired final shade
— The intended depth
— The expected reaction on cottonEach formulation is weighed, tested, and refined, sometimes down to just a few grams.
This is where the color is truly designed.
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04｜Pigment extraction and concentration
Achieving rich, stable color with minimal material
Using micronized natural materials, Kawabata Shoten in Kyoto developed a proprietary method to produce a highly concentrated dye solution.
Unlike conventional plant dyeing, which relies on boiling large quantities of plants, Shin Manyo-zome follows a different approach.
The goal is clear: to extract the deepest, most stable color possible from the smallest amount of material.
The result:
— Deep, expressive colors
— Reduced consumption of raw materials
— Minimal environmental burdenThis step forms the core of the Shin Manyo-zome process.
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05｜Layered dyeing
Building depth through repetition
Denim is not dyed deeply in a single bath. Instead, it is immersed repeatedly, gradually building up color.
After each immersion, the fabric is exposed to air and allowed to rest.
During this time, plant-based pigments react with oxygen and settle deep within the fibers.
As a result:
— Color does not appear all at once
— It develops layer by layer
— It never remains superficialThe outcome is a color with depth and vitality, where variations are embraced as part of its character.
A beauty born from time and craftsmanship.
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06｜Color fixation and collagen finishing
Preserving color and creating touch
Once dyeing is complete, washing is performed without strong water pressure or harsh chemicals.
The process uses a combination of olive soap–derived fatty acids and natural mordants.
This step allows:
— Gentle removal of excess dye
— Stabilization of the bond between fiber and pigment
— Improved color fastnessAfter color stabilization, 9-Jour denim undergoes a collagen treatment.
The collagen used is food-grade gelatin, traditionally employed as animal glue.
Final result:
— A supple, moisturized fabric
— A natural hand feel
— An unexpectedly soft touch for denimNeither color nor texture is fixed at this stage.
They continue to evolve over time, becoming a unique expression shaped by the wearer.
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07｜Responsibility to the very end
Taking responsibility for color and water
After dyeing, the condition of the water used is carefully checked and managed when necessary.
Finished denim pieces are also evaluated across several criteria.
Evaluation points:
— Color on fully dried fabric
— Reaction to light exposure
— Gentle evolution over timeThe aim is not to freeze the color, but to ensure it is meant to evolve naturally through wear.
Verifying environmental impact through a scientific method.
Shin Manyo-zome was not chosen simply because it “seems like it could replace” chemical dyes.
At 9-Jour, we wanted to verify in practice how the water generated by this process affects nature.
For this verification, we conducted tests with the support of Professor Ichikawa, a specialist in water and soil pollution.
The experiment used a globally recognized indicator for water safety: zebrafish eggs. We exposed them directly to the water produced during the dyeing process and observed their responses.
As a result, the eggs exposed to this water developed normally.
In contrast, when exposed to water from a conventional dyeing process using typical chemical dyes, the same eggs died within 24 hours.
This verification confirms that Shin Manyo-zome:
- can dye without releasing harmful wastewater
- does not place a heavy burden on aquatic life or the environment
- is fundamentally different in mindset from industrial dyeing
9-jour. did not choose this method just to say “it’s eco-friendly.”
We chose it because we tested it—and we could conclude it is a safe and trustworthy dyeing method.
Dyeing without relying on chemicals
Conventional denim dyeing typically relies on petroleum-based synthetic dyes, chemical fixing agents,
and high-temperature dyeing processes.
Shin Manyo-zome does not choose that approach.
- Uses only naturally derived pigments (plants, etc.)
- Color fixation also uses naturally derived materials and processes
- Room-temperature dyeing, avoiding unnecessary energy use
A dyeing method that creates color without petroleum-based dyes or industrial chemicals,
using only natural materials and skilled handwork.
As a result, it does not place a heavy burden on post-dyeing water or the surrounding environment.
Achieving strong color with
less plant material than conventional plant dyeing
Traditional plant dyeing extracts pigments by boiling plants,
then dyes fabric or yarn in the resulting liquid.
In many cases, this requires an amount of plants close to the weight of the fabric or yarn.
With an extraction technique developed specifically for this method,
Shin Manyo-zome can obtain highly concentrated pigments from fewer plants.
It can dye using roughly 20–40% of raw material relative to the weight of the fabric or yarn.
By reducing raw material usage, it lowers the burden on nature
and supports more sustainable dyeing.
Rethinking mordanting
In conventional plant dyeing, to deepen and stabilize color,
it is often necessary to repeat dyeing and mordanting many times.
That increases time, labor, and the use of materials and water.
Shin Manyo-zome rethinks the mordanting step itself.
With a naturally derived mordanting approach,
it is designed so color fixes deep into the fibers with fewer steps.
Even without repeating the same process, it can achieve a dense, stable finish.
Changing where the burden is heaviest
Today, it is estimated that around
20% of global industrial water pollution comes from dyeing and textile processing.
What 9-jour. aims for is not to make this system “slightly better.”
It is to demonstrate that a fundamentally different approach can truly work,
in garments that are worn, washed, repaired, and used for a long time.
That is why 9-jour. applies Shin Manyo-zome to all of its denim, including piece dyeing, yarn dyeing, and printing.
This means:
- Choosing dyeing methods that do not pollute water
- Not relying on petroleum-based synthetic dyes
- Valuing and sustaining living artisan techniques
- Accepting gradual color change as a value, not a flaw
Rather than sacrificing nature to freeze a color,
wearing colors that evolve together with nature.
9-jour. makes this choice not to make a statement,
but because it is a method that can realistically be sustained.