KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. produces the masking tape "mt," a popular brand with fans across Japan and even overseas.
With over 1,000 diverse designs, it never fails to keep fans engaged. It is also a popular item as a souvenir from Kurashiki.
Moreover, events where people can experience mt are held throughout Japan, and efforts to build a fan base continue.
The department responsible for connecting mt with customers is the "Consumer Department" at KAMOI KAKOSHI. It is essentially a sales department, but its work encompasses a wide range of activities.
We spoke with Tokizane Yukino, a second-year employee (as of May 2025) in the Consumer Department, about the appeal of mt and KAMOI KAKOSHI.
About KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. is a long-established company in Kurashiki that manufactures and sells industrial adhesive tapes, adhesive tapes for stationery and miscellaneous goods, and insect-catching products.
Around the mid-Taisho period, flypaper imported from overseas was circulating in Japan, but it was expensive and not widely used in ordinary households. Therefore, the "KAMOI Flypaper" was created to offer a quality that could compete with foreign products at a price affordable for everyone.
In 1923, Mr. Kamoi Toshirou established the predecessor "KAMOI Flypaper Manufacturing Plant." KAMOI Flypaper quickly became a popular product after its launch and was exported to the United States and various regions in Asia. Since then, new insect-catching products have been continuously developed.
As Japan's sanitary environment improved over time, the demand for flypaper decreased. Therefore, the new business that started utilizing adhesive processing technology was the manufacture of adhesive tapes. The adhesive technology cultivated through flypaper became a weapon, and various adhesive tapes for painting, construction, sealing, and more were produced, supporting craftsmen on-site.
The masking tape for miscellaneous goods "mt" was launched in 2008.
A group of three women contacted KAMOI KAKOSHI expressing their desire to tour the masking tape factory. They shared their ideas of "it would be great if there were tapes like this," which were captured and transformed into what is now mt.
mt won the Good Design Award in 2008 and has since become a major hit product for KAMOI KAKOSHI, with fans nationwide.
KAMOI KAKOSHI has been manufacturing while incorporating customer feedback throughout its history. The flexibility and ambition of the company can be seen from its history.
Tokizane Yukino, responsible for the popular product "mt"
Tokizane Yukino works in the Consumer Department, which primarily handles the mt business. Born in 2001, she is from Hyogo Prefecture.
Tokizane attended a university in Shimane Prefecture and considered returning to her hometown of Hyogo during her job search, but ultimately joined KAMOI KAKOSHI, a company that handles masking tape, which she has loved since childhood.
When asked, "Did you have any concerns about moving for your job?" she replied, "I had been away from home since entering university, so I wasn't too worried about jumping into an unfamiliar environment. Kurashiki has both nature and city, and the population is just right, making it a comfortable place to live!"
What is the work of the Consumer Department?
The work of the Consumer Department, to which Tokizane belongs, can be broadly divided into two areas.
The first is sales activities directed at retailers and agents handling mt. The main tasks involve visiting stores and conducting surveys on popular products and introducing new products.
mt is sold at nationwide chain stores such as Loft and Hands, as well as at large stationery specialty stores like Usagiya in Okayama Prefecture. Tokizane's area of responsibility includes Okayama, Hiroshima, Tottori, Shimane, and Yamaguchi... covering the entire Chugoku region. This shows that mt is loved throughout Japan.
The second area is planning and managing events hosted by the company. Events featuring mt are held almost every month across Japan.
In Kurashiki City alone, there are major events held annually, such as the mt factory tour, as well as events in collaboration with Kurashiki Ivy Square and JR Kurashiki Station, providing enjoyment for fans. Particularly, the "mt factory tour" is so popular that it can attract over 10,000 visitors in certain years.
They create mechanisms that delight fans, such as selling event-exclusive designs of mt and conducting workshops to create large torn-paper artworks with mt, which is also part of the work of the Consumer Department to which Tokizane belongs.
In her second year at the company, Tokizane has also had the opportunity to take the lead in planning events, stating, "I've been given more opportunities to take on responsibilities early on, and I feel a sense of fulfillment."
How Tokizane joined KAMOI KAKOSHI
Tokizane has loved masking tape since she was a child.
The first masking tape she ever picked up in the third grade was a set of striped patterns in muted red and blue. It quickly became her favorite stationery, and she would stick it all over her pens and use it for her summer vacation research, putting masking tape on everything.
As she became more and more captivated by the charm of masking tape, she continued to collect various brands since childhood, resulting in over 100 pieces of masking tape at her home by the time she was a university student.
According to Tokizane, for enthusiastic fans, that might still be considered a small amount. This shows just how much masking tape captivates its fans.
In the summer of 2023, job hunting began, and Tokizane initially aimed to become a public servant in Kobe City, wishing to return to her hometown of Hyogo.
Unfortunately, her path to becoming a public servant ended midway, but from there, Tokizane thought, "If I'm going to work, I want to do something I enjoy and be involved with things I love!" At that moment, the first thing that came to her mind was her beloved masking tape.
In choosing a company, she focused on manufacturers and trading companies that handle masking tape and stationery, eventually leading her to her current job at KAMOI KAKOSHI.
Tokizane mentioned that during the interview, she was impressed by how employees spoke about their work with joy. She felt, "Here, I might be able to work happily just like everyone else" and decided to join KAMOI KAKOSHI among the three companies that offered her a position.
After joining the company, she was shocked to learn that the first masking tape she ever bought as a child was actually from KAMOI KAKOSHI.
Not only sales, but also considering mt designs
The Consumer Department has a wide range of responsibilities. They also consider designs for mt that are sold exclusively at events.
There were several mt products born from Mr. Tokizumi's ideas.
The stamp design mt that particularly caught my attention was sold at "Kami Haku in Okayama", where many stationery items gather. The Okayama specialty products are printed with a retro texture, and the design matches the "characteristic of stationery events" and "Okayama's uniqueness".
The vibrant floral-patterned mt was created based on a request from the designer to make it look like a collage with just one roll.
There are various ways to combine masking tapes, and the collage-style design makes it even easier to enjoy.
Mr. Tokizumi says, "I am also a fan of mt, so I think about designs that I want from a fan's perspective."
According to Mr. Tokizumi, the greatest charm of mt is its variety of over 1,000 patterns. Additionally, the exquisite adhesive strength and durability are also part of mt's appeal. This is made possible by the technology of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD., which has been manufacturing flypaper for many years.
The Appeal of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. According to Mr. Tokizumi
Mr. Tokizumi believes the biggest appeal is that it is a company that is very proactive in creating new things.
The mt itself originated from customer requests. He mentions that there is no resistance to new initiatives, and rather a flexible atmosphere for creating new things.
The flexibility to incorporate opinions is demonstrated not only towards customers but also towards employees. Mr. Tokizumi, who is in his second year at the company, finds it easy to propose his opinions during meetings.
Moreover, not limited to the consumer department, the presence of approachable employees is also one of the appeals of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
In event work, there are times when he collaborates across departments. "Even if they are from different departments, they help immediately if there is a problem, and they teach me carefully if I have questions. I feel that there are many kind people," he shared.
It seems that he has more opportunities to meet employees from the Osaka and Tokyo branches directly at events rather than online.
Mr. Tokizumi, who joined KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. and is entering his second year in 2025, shared his thoughts on the joy of working surrounded by his beloved mt.
Data of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
| Organization Name | KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing and sales of industrial and insect-catching products / masking tape for stationery and miscellaneous goods |
| Representative Name | Kamoi Naoshi |
| Year Established | 1923 |
| Address | 236 Katashima-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture 710-0805 |
| Contact | 086-465-5811 |
| Website | KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. |
