The secret to creating these fashionable, highly durable gloves is in the strength of the thread, which has been thoroughly twisted using Japanese techniques

Multiple fibers, formed into threads, are then twisted together. This “Nenshi” fabric is made by twisting, knitting and weaving the yarn together. Though it appears simple at first glance, developing a material that has new added value is vital work. Specializing in this nenshi fabric creation, ATSuBOuGu is a long-established company in the prefecture founded in 1932.

“When my grandfather founded the company in Osaka, the factory made military footwear. During the war the family evacuated to Wakayama, and once the war ended my grandfather reevaluated what kind of work would be required. He transitioned the company into a nenshi thread manufacturer. The region was active in producing knit and pile yarn,” says the young, fourth generation company head Yuta Hayashi. ATSuBOuGu heat retaining gloves were developed 10 years ago by Yuta’s father Hiroshi as a company in-house brand.

With their creation, Hayashi was contacted by an ironworks company. The company's leather gloves were used to protect employees’ hands from sparks during work, but they were not breathable and could not be steamed, which created smelly hands and difficulty during mealtimes. That led to Hayashi developing a unique fabric to create gloves that were breathable while also being heat resistant. The company utilized their experience in dealing with a wide range of nenshi thread using a variety of small lot materials for industrial use and use in apparel. ATSuBOuGu’s creation resulted in patented technology for the thread and its manufacturing process.

“In addition to thread, we can twist any material that is long, slender, and flexible. I think this presents a lot of revolutionary potential for using twisted materials in various fields such as food processing, IT, and medicine. I hope to reverse the image that the work is simply twisting threads, by making a material that can really grab people’s attention,” says this 33 year old confident rookie.