Kojima is one of Japan’s leading textile towns.
Kojima has continued to produce a wide range of textile products to suit the times, from Sanada-himo cords and tatami edging to tabi socks, school uniforms, and jeans. I believe this flexibility and willingness to take on challenges are strengths unique to Kojima.
Kojima has prospered around its textile industry since long ago, but the labor shortage has become severe due to the declining birthrate, aging population, and outflow of residents. How will Kojima address this challenge faced by communities across Japan?
We spoke with the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which works to promote industry and develop the community.
The information presented here was current when the article was published in February 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry
A chamber of commerce and industry is a regional economic organization that works to promote local industries in collaboration with businesses and trade organizations in each area. More than 500 have been established in municipalities and other communities across Japan.
They are made up of local businesses known as “members,” who belong to industry-specific committees. At the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, textile-related committees are divided into “Weaving,” “Sewing,” and “Dyeing,” reflecting the distinctive character of Kojima’s industries.
The Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry was established in 1947 through the merger of the Kotoura Chamber of Commerce and Industry, founded in 1946, and the Minami-Koji Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As of January 2026, it has approximately 1,300 member companies.
Initiatives supporting Kojima’s local industries
The Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s main activities are community development through industrial promotion and business management support for local businesses.
1. Community development projects
As part of its community development projects to invigorate the region and local industries, it undertakes the following initiatives.
- Management and operation of the Kurashiki City Kojima Industrial Promotion Center
- Planning and support for Kojima Jeans Street
- Promotion of the Kojima Salt Knot Project
- Operation and designated management of the Kojima Civic Exchange Center
- Activities to encourage businesses to open in shopping streets in the Kojima area
- Planning and operation of local events such as “Sanpakuichi” and “Kojima Fest #Sen-i-sai”
- Planning and operation of the “Sen-i Kojima Jeans Tour Project”
- Other support for local events
Here are three initiatives that particularly caught my attention.
First, the management and operation of the Kurashiki City Kojima Industrial Promotion Center.
The building housing the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry has two floors, with the Kurashiki City Kojima Industrial Promotion Center on the first floor. It is a startup support facility operated under contract from Kurashiki City.
“Designers Incubation,” a rental office supporting businesses in their startup phase, is available to new businesses in textiles and apparel or creative industries.
For new businesses that have difficulty securing a workspace, Designers Incubation seems like a reassuring place to work, with rooms available to rent for around 20,000 to 30,000 yen a month.
There are seven rooms available, and apparently they are so popular that they are generally fully occupied. The facility also has a workshop equipped with industrial sewing machines and irons, a local information corner, and meeting rooms.
Second, the planning and support for Kojima Jeans Street.
Kojima Jeans Street was launched with the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry at its center in response to visitors saying, “There’s nowhere to buy Kojima jeans.” It is a tourist destination visited by many people from Japan and abroad as a place to buy locally made jeans.
Thanks to ideas from local businesses, photo spots have sprung up all over Kojima Jeans Street. Jeans hung high overhead, vending machines wrapped to look like jeans, and roads dyed blue are among the many creative touches that make the area fun for visitors.
The Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry focuses on creating a lively atmosphere, while supporting efforts such as attracting businesses to open there.
Finally, the planning and operation of “Kojima Fest #Sen-i-sai”.
Held every spring and fall, this event is said to draw large crowds even by Okayama Prefecture standards, as visitors can buy Kojima textile products at bargain prices.
Rather than simply holding a sale, the event is held under the slogan “Zero apparel waste! Get high quality at a great price!” with the aim of eliminating apparel waste from an environmental perspective.
Apparently, organizers are finding ways to increase the number of vendors to keep the event going, such as allowing manufacturers to try exhibiting at the event.
2. Business support projects
The other activity carried out by the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry is business management support tailored to local companies. Its main initiatives include the following.
- Loan consultations and “Anything and Everything Consultations” with invited specialists
- Administration of mutual aid programs that provide financial support to small and medium-sized businesses
- Labor insurance administration services
- Holding seminars and training sessions
- Bookkeeping and financial statement guidance
- Establishment of the Kurashiki Startup Support Center, where aspiring entrepreneurs can easily seek advice
During tax return season, even people who do everything themselves, such as sewing on buttons and cutting fabric, apparently come in for financial statement guidance. I feel that the many craftspeople who have supported the textile industry for many years are another feature unique to Kojima.
Challenges facing Kojima’s textile industry
Having prospered as one of Japan’s leading “textile towns,” Kojima is home to specialized textile companies working in areas such as fabric production, sewing, processing, and dyeing. With an integrated system that covers everything from manufacturing to sales, it is possible to produce high-quality textile products quickly.
Apparently, few places in the world have as many textile companies concentrated in one area as Kojima does.
When we asked Kohei Hosoba, secretary general of the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who helped with this interview, about Kojima’s characteristics, he told us, “Kojima is one of the areas experiencing population decline, but because its textile industry is so specialized, many people aim to start businesses in Kojima. I think that’s because it’s possible to create products with added value.”
However, even Kojima, with these strengths, is facing a serious labor shortage.
The biggest challenge is labor shortages
The serious challenge facing Kojima, as seen by the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is the labor shortage. It is not unusual for companies to receive no applications at all, even after posting job openings.
They were concerned not only about losing good workers to other areas, but also about the prospect of there eventually being no workers left in rural communities.
The textile industry in particular has many small companies and manufacturers, so job openings do not always reach young people. The lack of effective ways to share information and opportunities to connect with young people is also cited as a challenge.
Making employment at local companies one option
As a way to address the labor shortage, the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry works with Kurashiki City College to hold the “Kuratan Joint Company Information Session” for students in the Department of Fashion and Art.
In 2025, 15 companies from Kojima, mainly textile businesses, gathered to promote themselves to students at their respective booths.
I also went to observe, and seeing students gathered at the booth of a company in the lodging industry taught me that many students want to work for local businesses regardless of the industry or type of job.
Hosoba of the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry says, “Kojima has many businesses—not only in the textile industry, but also in construction, lodging, and services. We want to work hard to connect local businesses with students so they can have the option of working in Kojima.”
Kojima focuses on community development
The Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry works to promote industry from a variety of angles, but it also placed great importance on whether the area is an attractive place to live, not just on sustaining its industries.
Community development is essential for people to continue living in an area.
Improving tourist attractions to draw in visitors and holding events to benefit local businesses are both forms of community development.
With no single right answer to community development, what kinds of initiatives are needed to ensure that an area remains an attractive place to live?
We spoke with Takashi Takata, president of Takata Orimono Co., Ltd. and vice-chair of the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry Information
| Name | Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-37 Kojima Ekimae, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, 2nd floor, Kurashiki City Kojima Industrial Promotion Center |
| Contact | 086-472-4450 |
| Website | Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
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