Katsuyama Noren Dyeing | 勝山 草木染のれん工房

Plant-Dyed Heritage Curtains in an Eco-Timber Post Town

The preserved preservation district of Katsuyama in northern Okayama is famous across Japan as the “Town of Noren.” Nearly every merchant home, sake brewery, and café along the historic street displays a unique, plant-dyed textile curtain (Noren).

The Craft of Yoko Kano:

• Hinoki Studio (ひのき草木染織工房): Pioneered by master textile artist Yoko Kano, using local botanicals (persimmon tannin, mountain indigo, chestnut hulls, cherry bark) to dye rich organic textiles.
• Custom Architecture Pairing: Each noren is designed specifically to harmonize with the home’s wood architecture and owner’s trade.
• Hands-On Dyeing Classes: Visitors can participate in natural fabric dyeing workshops to create bespoke cotton scarves and tea placemats.

Bruce’s Lived Experience Note: Katsuyama is one of northern Okayama’s most rewarding day trips from Mimasaka and Tsuyama. Walking down the stone-paved streets, every single home and shop—from centuries-old sake breweries to cozy modern bakeries—has a custom botanical noren reflecting who lives there. Stop into Studio Hinoki to chat with Kano-san, feel the natural texture of persimmon-tannin and mountain-indigo dyes, or pick up a handmade coaster or scarf to take home.