Connecting to Sakaiminato’s history as the home of cotton led to the creation of Sea Breeze Cotton

The Yumigamaha inlet on the far western side of Tottori Prefecture has been known across the country as a producer of high quality cotton since the Edo period. However, from the Meiji period onwards, Japanese-cultivated cotton declined, replaced by imported cotton. The native Hakusyumen cotton has only managed to be preserved through the work of traditional weavers and craftsman. It was around 2009 when the cotton began to enter the limelight once again. As part of a campaign to promote local industries, cultivation was started under the direction of Sakaiminato city. An organic brand, HAKU, was created using the local cotton by Kisaragi Co., Ltd., a company that has long worked in the region as a dealer of accessories and stationary.

“For many years our company mainly dealt with small-scale distribution of stationary goods. Around 1997, we began launching products relating to the manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro, hoping to build up a manufacturing base in the region,” says CEO Masaaki Kimura. First wanting to learn more about cotton, the company rented a small field, studying how to scatter the seeds under the direction of the agricultural public corporation. In due time, the company narrowed down the first series of products for development (a towel and baby blanket) working with HAKU division staff Yumi Yamaguchi. Next was the thread. Receiving cooperation from an organic cotton expert, an original cotton was created after 18 months of trial and error, named “Sea Beeze Cotton” after the unique regional ocean winds. Woven from the hopes of so many people, the thread is being used in regions known for well-crafted products, such as Imabari and Yamanashi. This towel has a texture balancing a suitable firmness with a gentle touch on the skin, perfect for those in search of the ideal fabric. Moreover, this product utilizes the world’s first cotton plant dye, using hakusyumen branches and leaves to create the coloring, and further expanding the potential of the plant. “I am already thinking about new product ideas. I’d love to contribute to the region by connecting hakusyumen with Sakaiminato’s other resources,” says Kimura, with a smile.