I've not heard of using wax but there is a similar Japanese dyeing technique which uses resist paste made from rice flour and rice bran. This katazome stenciling technique is described below and is taken from the Japanese Textile History page found on www.kimonoboy.com
Katazome is a Japanese originated method of dyeing textiles with a resist paste which is applied through a paper stencil (katagami). A sticky paste is made from rice flour and rice bran. This mixture is forced through a katagami (paper stencil) on to a piece of fabric, the stencil is removed and the paste on the fabric is allowed to dry. Next, the fabric is coated by brush with a sizing solution of soybean liquid. When the fabric is completely dry, the dyeing color is applied by brush. Then the sticky paste is washed away, and what remains is the stencil pattern in the fabric's original color and the surrounding area has absorbed color of the dye. Japan is credited with developing this dyeing technique to a level of unparalleled sophistication.
