It is a form of natural dyeing in which the leaves and stems of mugwort, a wild herb that grows throughout the Japanese countryside, are boiled to make a dye bath and used to dye cloth in gentle yellow‑green and “young bamboo” shades. By using the fresh young leaves from spring to early summer, you can obtain soft, natural colors that capture the feeling of the season. With mordants such as alum or iron, the color is firmly fixed to the fibers, allowing you to draw out a wide range of tones from a single pot of mugwort, from bright greens to calm, deep greens.