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indigo
Kanji 2130

Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.

Synopsis

Indigo became important in Japan partly because commoners couldn’t wear silk and instead chose cotton. Farmers’ indigo work togs shaped the creative inclinations of a contemporary dyer who loves to wrestle with indigo’s “persona.” A term for “temple” is inside a word for “pelican,” just as “cabbage” lies inside “kale” and “brussels sprouts.” The essay unravels all of these mysteries.

Revision note:

Oct. 13, 2023: p. 7 caption: Fixed a formatting problem.

Aug. 11, 2023: p. 1: Deleted a stray period.

Apr. 17, 2020: Originally published.

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Kanji PDF
Cover of essay 2130 on 藍, titled "Indigo Moon"
Mini Profile
JOYO ON-YOMI
ラン
JOYO KUN-YOMI
あい
STROKES18
RADICAL艹 (140: grass)
JLPTN1
HALPERN1543/2108
HENSHALL-/2072
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