Traditional Crafts,
Artisanship

Awagami Factory, a general incorporated foundation, strives to produce Japanese paper that offers a fresh, modern appeal while preserving traditional techniques.
The name "Awagami" represents a collective brand of "Awa Washi" paper, which boasts a history of 1,300 years in Yoshinogawa, Tokushima Prefecture. Originally, Awa Washi paper is said to have started when the Inbe family cultivated hemp and "kozo" paper mulberry trees in Oe, the former name of Yoshinogawa, and handed down techniques for weaving cloth and manufacturing paper. The city has long preserved a tradition of receiving fibers as natural blessings and using these as tools in religious services.
Today, in the spirit of preserving and passing on the traditional culture of washi paper, Awagami Factory, as a producer of new materials, is seeking to move washi paper beyond the world of tradition and is engaged in research to develop a variety of techniques and materials. It aims to serve as a new base for communicating washi paper culture by listening to users' voices and utilizing their feedback for modern living spaces and the next generation.

SAKAI TRADITIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM exhibits and sells products from traditional industries in Sakai and also offers related experiences. On the first floor, items for sale include kitchen knives, "chusen" dyeing hand towels, incense sticks, kelp and Japanese sweets. On the second floor, at the Sakai Knife Museum “CUT”, visitors can learn about the history and manufacturing process of Sakai-made kitchen knives, with a wide variety of knives on display. There is also a chandelier called HIBANA, made of the materials of about 300 knives. Furthermore, there is the TAKUMI EXHIBITION, which showcases the history of Sakai traditional industries and tools, excluding knives. This space also hosts events and workshops regularly.

Founded in 1909, Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi inc. is an "urushi" lacquer maker. Urushi is a valuable natural resource because only about 200 milliliters of it can be collected from a single tree. After the trees from which sap has been collected are cut down, it takes 10 to 15 years to grow new trees from the stumps and then sap is collected from them. Urushi is a sustainable natural resource that has maintained this cycle since the Jomon period. It is used not only for everyday necessities such as bowls, tea utensils, and furniture but also in temples and shrines.
Alarmed by a sharp fall in urushi demand amid mass production and disposal, the company is engaged in activities to promote the charm of urushi. It is also working on projects to improve the environment and explore new possibilities and values for urushi such as "URUSHI×SURF" and "URUSHI×BMX," with Tsutsumi Asakichi Urushi opening "Und." as a base for these activities in April 2024. While focusing on operations as a urushi maker, the company is determined to play a role in creating new innovation through urushi in cooperation with other industries and materials makers, as well as with local communities, governments, universities and research institutes, and passing on urushi to the next generation.

Since its founding in 1946, NAKATA KOGEI Co., Ltd. is the only maker in Japan specializing in wooden hangers that has continued to meet the extremely high demands of Japanese apparel companies. A NAKATA HANGER product is made from the user's perspective and with the skills, knowledge and experience that the company has accumulated over many years. Each hanger is made by craftsmen, with a sophisticated design and the function to keep clothes in good shape. NAKATA HANGER has been supplied to customers in over 50 countries. It is also used in industries from railways and automobiles to sports. The company is exploring new possibilities, but its sincere approach to making hangers has not changed. NAKATA KOGEI pursues the values that its customers want, aiming to deliver "pleasure from wearing clothes."

Fukuoka Weaving Co., Ltd. was founded in 1902. Its main business is the production and sales of "obi" kimono belts made from "yusoku" fabrics. The company also produces "juni-hitoe" kimono. In the Heisei era, Fukuoka Weaving started to develop carbon and glass fabrics, which are now used in sports, auto and other sectors. In recent years, it has created fabrics using textiles made from used PET bottles collected in Kyoto Prefecture, and these are used in industries such as apparel and construction.

Founded in 1955, Takagi Hoso Co., Ltd. is able to make cardboard cases of all sizes and shapes, amid growing demand for their use as packaging materials for large products such as home appliances and motorcycles. The company is known as the first cardboard case maker in Japan to introduce equipment capable of manufacturing cases measuring up to 1,650 millimeters by 3,500 millimeters. It is also equipped with a high-speed, multi-color production line for smaller cases, with a production speed of up to 350 units per minute. High-performance inspection equipment prevents defective products from getting through and reduces losses caused by printing defects. Takagi Hoso's basic policy is to carry out everything itself, from order receipts to delivery, with employees visiting clients directly to take orders, all processes completed in-house, and products delivered by its own trucks. Subsidiary firm Pack In Takagi designs and sells toilets, beds and novelty goods that are made of cardboard.

Established in February 1981, KNITIDO CO., LTD. specializes in manufacturing five-toe socks.
Based in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, the company focuses on planning, developing, producing and selling five-toe socks and whole-garment knitwear.
As a pioneering manufacturer in the five-toe socks industry, KNITIDO has actively promoted the adoption of its products across Japan since its foundation.
The company has also expanded its operations internationally, with a European sales company, KNITIDO Europe GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and a production facility, Haining Xingyuan Knitting Co., Ltd., located in Zhejiang Province, China.