A surface dye technique in which designs are created by applying wax to specific areas to protect them from absorbing color. After immersing the fabric in the dye bath, the wax is removed to reveal the original color under the undyed (resisted) areas. This can be repeated with new wax and different dye colors, though the background tends to grow darker and muddier with too many different dyes. Most of the rōkechi textiles in the Shōsō-in have been dyed once or twice, and, only occasionally, three times.