The Safflower of Yamagata's Mogami River Basin

[@indrabar]

Oh my goodness, seeing all those shades of red and yellow on the rolls of silk!! I do a lot of knitting and crocheting - I'm sitting here daydreaming about some handspun delicate thread dyed those lovely colors! Thank you for the wonderful look into this art!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Oooh, knitting and crocheting sounds nice! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sasakisadao8]

Congrats on winning the sponsored filmmaking bid while contributing to the local community and introducing the heritage of Yamagata. Great storytelling piece. Loved it.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

[@CelticUchuu]

Always interesting to see what was used is the past, somethings natural and safe and others not so much. Speaking of being worth a lot, black gold (pepper) was another highly valuable commodity in the past.

[@VerhoevenSimon]

I love how you combined so many facets of Japense culture in this video!

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that you liked it!!

[@xXJennifercXx]

The tie dye patterns were so fun! Everyone made really cool designs

[@deanzaZZR]

Oh, wow. I don't watch that much anime but I recently watched Only Yesterday which is set in Yamagata and includes safflower harvesting. Highly recommended.

[@Nynke_K]

Oh right! I think that means I've seen two anime with safflowers in them :)

[@GoNorthJapan]

YES! I watched that movie in preparation for doing this project! Such a great film!

[@deanzaZZR]

@@GoNorthJapan I read or watched one review and they mentioned enjoying hearing the Yamagata 方言. I just watched it straight through and didn't replay the scenes with the locals, but it didn't really register with me. Perhaps it did with you living for many years in the adjacent prefecture.

[@lucianoarrieta5786]

History, culture, beauty, this video has it all. Thank you Quinlan! 🙂

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks so much! Glad that you liked it!

[@clownearound5751]

Excellent video as always Quinlan, the area looks fantastic. The cooking experience meal looked delicious especially that dessert!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad you enjoyed it!!

[@kas6583]

I am always impressed with how the Japanese celebrate their heritage. Thank you, Quinlan for researching and putting together this comprehensive video. Great Editing too!!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hey wow thanks!! This one is really different from what I usually do so it was a bit of a challenge for me, but glad the result was good!!

[@manfredmarschik]

Danke!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it as always!!

[@chrstopherblighton-sande2981]

I was very excited to see this video as one of my favourite films is Studio Ghibli's 'Only Yesterday' which is set in Yamagata and features safflower growers - including a gorgeous scene in which the safflower pickers pause briefly to put their hands together in prayer as the rising sun pops up above the horizon. Traditional crafts fascinate me and I love the way Japan has so many of them and the regionality of them too. Thank you for making this lovely video, the visuals and your lovely narration style worked so well.

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that you enjoyed the video! Only Yesterday is such a great film, I also really love it!

[@carolineb7127]

One of my favourite movies too

[@fqras]

A complete story from beginning to end, impressive and very well done.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks so much! I'm really glad that you enjoyed it!

[@chibilume]

I did a minor in Japanese (language and culture) in uni and this video was so informative!!

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that you enjoyed it!!

[@GeneCVlogs]

You've been a constant inspiration for video making in Japan

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hey wow thanks so much!

[@KellieLStimson]

Fascinating history.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad that you enjoyed it!

[@Slewenski]

how cool. It is always incredible to come to the realisation how much work it used to be to get colors and nowadays it's taken for granted just like that. There is a similar "struggle" to get woad leaves back in some parts of Europe I think, in any case, it's a thing. I'd love to try that out too, it makes thes wonderful blue color. Anyway, what nice ideas to try out, thank you :)

[@michaelsmith7193]

An absolutely fascinating and wonderful video! I so admire the dedication to traditional arts and culture that motivates this renewal of safflower cultivation. Many, many thanks for sharing this!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks for watching! So glad that it was interesting!

[@fatmizzle]

Ghibli Studio movie "Only Yesterday" has a scene where these petals are picked and used for fabric dying. One of my most favorite from Hayao Miyazaki. Would love to visit this area and dye some fabric.

[@brewstergallery]

That was amazing! Thanks.

[@y38]

Fascinating. If only they could find a mutation that produces more red flower.

[@coffeeismygod]

Love this! Thanks for sharing. I’m fascinated by local crafts and culture, especially off the beaten path. Great piece Quinlan!

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that you liked it!

[@AJShiningThreads]

Wonderful!!!

[@didriksen86]

That was very informative. :)

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad you liked it!

[@cailinanne]

This is the kind of stuff that fascinates me! Ty for sharing! ❤

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that you enjoyed it!

[@simplymonca]

Hello! I have a lot of catching up to do on your channel! Great video! Thank you for the lessons you share! ❤

[@GoNorthJapan]

I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying the channel!

[@ehlersdanlosandi]

I misread the title as saffron instead of safflower. I've never heard of the safflower, that was very interesting!

[@fredd3.14]

love all these diverse cultural videos you do my man!

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that you enjoy them! I'll have to do more focused on this sort of thing!

[@3tacoman]

Hell ya Great video 🎉

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks!!

[@Nynke_K]

I had no idea that this flower came from so far to the west! But that explains why it has an English name that isn't easy to understand (what is 'saf'?). I first learned about these flowers from a historical anime where I'm pretty sure they fought over land and crops, so safflowers always seem epic to me, even when I get something like them in a bouquet! 😅 This was very interesting and it looks like they have a nice bunch of cultural activities we could do on days when we're not hiking in the mountains!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Oh fun! I haven't seen the anime you're talking about. Yeah- one could totally do these on a rainy day when it doesn't make sense to hike.

[@TaLeng2023]

I always thought it's a reference to saffron, since safflower is often used as a substitute for it.

[@darkforest6811]

Wonderful bit of history and culture, great work!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad you liked it! Thanks!

[@caviesrule4445]

Brilliant video! Loved learning about the safflower and traditional crafts!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@xenawarriorhousewife2115]

wow thank you this was so good .. red is my favourite colour.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad you liked it! Red is glorious!

[@grenm9]

interesting history

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yeah!

[@kito-]

Great video. I heard about the flower through Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday

[@GoNorthJapan]

That's a great film, isn't it!

[@GregH999]

Love your work - keep it going : )

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks, I will!

[@TaLeng2023]

I tried growing a bit of safflower before from birdseeds but didn't got much coz they were in pots. Maybe I'd try again.

[@KillerTacos54]

Absolutely gorgeous scenery!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yamagata is gorgeous, yeah!

[@chrissonnenschein6634]

Along with Safflower, Persian glass was brought to Japan as well - A couple National treasures and has been found in several Kōfun mounds... Just curious if this has any connection with samurai clans moving north to defend the Dewa “frontier” as the borders expanded northeast ward (make use of their skills to administrate and control the farmers)?- akin to late Edo period when the Ronin were sent far north to control mining, artisan craftsmanship and horse breeding for the Empire...

[@GoNorthJapan]

That's a great question. I haven't heard of any connection there... But yeah, probably was a combination of factors!

[@flavorhostage]

I liked how the textiles turned out, but what I really wondered is if you got to eat while you were filming!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Ahahaha, yes. I did indeed get to eat everything. I just didn't film the eating part..

[@markames3688]

Cool

[@KeziahMason]

This is a wonderful little documentary! I knew about safflower oil but I’d never heard of safflower dying until now. But on a totally unrelated note…what’s that black jacket you’re wearing?

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad you liked it! The black jacket is just my generic, walking around in the city, black down jacket.

[@abrahamhernandez7782]

🙏🙏👍👍

[@madaotee]

I'm here coz of Yuuko

[@DanielJoyce]

They let it ferment and the yellow pigment turns to red due to oxidation.

[@samm78612]

Israel wasn't a country up until the early 20th century. So referring to Israel as the country it originated from is incorrect unless it made its way along the silk road after this time.

[@andrearossi5578]

Anybody else here after watching Only Yesterday?

[@GoNorthJapan]

That is such a great film!