Masking tape has become a classic souvenir in Kurashiki.
There are specialty masking tape shops in the Bikan Historical Area, and masking tape is sometimes given away as event prizes. It has become a familiar part of everyday life.
Colorful masking tape for stationery and miscellaneous goods was actually first created around 2008.
The company that developed this masking tape is KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
Once a year, KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. holds a factory tour at its headquarters, inviting customers and welcoming them.
We’ll introduce why KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. began making masking tape for stationery and holding factory tours, as well as what the tour is like.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in October 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is mt?
mt is short for “masking tape” and is the brand name for masking tape made by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
Colorful, beautifully designed masking tape for stationery and miscellaneous goods is easy to tear and stick, and can be removed easily. It is now hugely popular not only in Japan but overseas as well.
When KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. first made “mt” in 2008, masking tape came to be known as something that originated in Kurashiki.
What is the mt factory tour?
The factory tour (mt factory tour), which began in 2012, is a special opportunity to visit a KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. factory once a year.
The 2023 tour was the 12th in total.
The tour was postponed at times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has continued to be held every year without a break.
To take part in the factory tour, you must apply online and be selected in a lottery.
I apply every year, too, and was lucky enough to be selected this time, so I went on the factory tour with three friends.
Join the mt factory tour vol.12
The “mt factory tour vol.12” is held once a year for a limited two-week period.
What kinds of events and tours can you enjoy inside the factory?
Let’s take a look.
Board the bus
The “mt” factory tour begins by boarding a free shuttle bus from Kamoi Parking in front of JR Kurashiki Station.
The shuttle bus is also decorated with masking tape, making it instantly eye-catching.
You may have seen the brightly decorated buses driving along the road.
The bus decorations are apparently replaced for each year’s tour.
There are three types of buses, decorated with masking tape designs in white, yellow, or blue.
You can’t choose the bus color, but it seems you may ride a different-colored bus on the way there and back.
The bus ride takes about 20 minutes. A DVD of the mt factory tour, which aired on TV in 2022, plays on board, building anticipation.
Arrive at the factory
When we arrived at the factory, the employees greeted us with smiles and handed out novelty goods to each visitor.
The novelty goods are free for those selected for the factory tour who visit in person.
It seems some people apply every year hoping to get these novelty goods.
2023 marked KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.’s 100th anniversary, and the package contained lots of goods, including items not for sale.
The bag, made from sturdy-looking fabric, apparently has a different design each year.
The cute “mt” patterns are so exciting.
Factory tour: How “mt” is made
First, we were shown around the Second Factory, where “mt” is made and visitors are not usually allowed.
Pepper welcomed the visitors.
An employee of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. carefully explained each step in making “mt” in front of the machinery.
Photography is normally prohibited inside the factory. Special permission was granted for photography this time.
The factory was spacious and bright, and “mt” was stuck all over the machinery. The cute patterns were so charming that we couldn’t help stopping to look.
Watching the small, cute “mt” being made was a fresh experience that made us grow fond of it.
Move to the Third Mixing Factory (Exhibition Room)
Next, we moved to the exhibition room, where we could learn about the history of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
We were told that a factory where ribbon flypaper was once actually made has been turned into an exhibition room, retaining its original architecture.
Ribbon flypaper is adhesive tape with a ribbon-like design, hung from high places such as ceilings to catch flies and other pests.
On the first floor, cars and bicycles decorated with “mt” are on display, and you can sit on them and take photos.
Further inside, works that won awards in the “5th mt Art Contest,” held since 2019, are on display.
All the works were apparently created entirely with “mt,” and they were all unique and wonderful.
On the second floor, exhibits such as products and posters that tell the history of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. are on display.
You can learn about the 100-year history from flypaper to “mt”.
“mt” Sales Corner (mt shop)
The next facility is the mt shop.
Half of the facility was devoted to panels displaying designs from past “mt” collections, arranged in chronological order.
The countless designs are overwhelming.
It seems that more than 10,000 designs have been created so far.
At the sales booth next door, a “100 Years, 100 Yen Market” was being held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
Amazingly, everything was just 100 yen, regardless of its design or pattern!
It seemed to be while supplies last, and some items were already sold out.
I even forgot I was reporting and searched carefully for tapes I liked.
In another corner, products released in 2023 and factory-exclusive “mt” items were on sale at their regular prices.
They were presented in a ranking, making it easy to see which products were popular.
I couldn't help buying the number-one bestseller.
mt CASA shop
In the facility at the very back, products made with masking tape for uses other than stationery were on sale.
Fluffy masking tape that can be used for kitchen mats and toilet mats was also available.
The surrounding walls were decorated with “mt,” and the space included rooms designed to look like the inside of a home. It was such a lovely space that it was hard to believe it was a factory.
Festival Games & Outlet Corner
The tour continued.
Here, booths packed with playful activities reminiscent of a traditional Japanese festival lined up, including capsule toy machines, grab bags, and string lotteries.
There were lots of ways to pique your curiosity, such as getting to draw a lucky lottery ticket when you spent 1,000 yen or more, and finding additional winning tickets inside the capsule toy machines.
Hi-Tori Kiln
Next was the Ribbon Hi-Tori kiln, opened to the public for the first time in 2023.
It is no longer in use, but in the past, adhesive was boiled in this brick kiln.
When I spoke with a former employee who worked there at the time, I learned that one person used a special machine to make as many as 2,000 pieces of Ribbon Hi-Tori paper every day.
This nostalgic space feels as if time has stood still here.
Employee Cafeteria Open to Visitors
A space normally used as an employee cafeteria has been opened as a rest area.
The udon restaurant “Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuichi” and the coffee shop “BESSO COFFEE” had set up stalls, and many people were using the space.
There was also a workshop being held at the back, which looked like it would be fun for adults as well as children.
There were also other photogenic spots where you could take pictures, as well as life-size, adorable child figurines on display. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time on a factory tour that felt just like a theme park.
The mt factory tour is hugely popular every year, with even a waiting list for cancellations.
We spoke with Kamoi Takashi, president and representative director of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD., which organizes this event, and Takatsuka Shin, head of its Consumer Products Department.
mt factry tour vol.12 details
| Name | mt factry tour vol.12 |
|---|---|
| Dates | September 6–20, 2023 |
| Location | 236 Katashima, Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Free. Only those who apply and win a lottery can attend. |
| Website | mt masking tape |
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