Denim, canvas, tatami edging… Kurashiki is home to many kinds of craftsmanship, and the products are all popular souvenirs.
Among them, the masking tape manufactured by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD., called “mt” (pronounced “emutii”), is appealing for its extensive range and affordable prices. In addition to being used as stationery, some series can also be used for cleaning and interior decor, making them popular with people of all ages.
When I give mt as a souvenir to friends from outside the prefecture, they’re delighted by its stylish designs and ease of use, so I often buy it myself.
I’ve heard that mt has many fans. To find out what makes it so appealing, I went to the annual mt factory tour.
Here, I’ll share what the factory tour was like and the ideas behind it.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in October 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “mt factory tour” hosted by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.?
The “mt factory tour” is a factory tour held once a year by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. It began in 2012, and 2024 marked its 13th edition. The 2024 tour ran for two weeks, from September 11 to 24.
Visitors can see how mt, a popular Kurashiki souvenir, is made, browse and buy mt from its extensive range, and enjoy workshops using mt. There were also unusual sales displays, including tape sold by weight and a string lottery.
Limited-edition items that can only be found here are also on offer, so apparently many people return year after year.
KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. marked its 101st year in business in 2024. The mt factory tour also conveyed the company’s efforts to take on new initiatives as it looks toward its next 100 years.
What mt factory tour vol.13 was like
I joined the morning factory tour on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. Buses to the factory depart from Kamoi Parking, near JR Kurashiki Station.
After checking in at the parking lot, I received a pass card to show I was a participant and a ticket for the return bus. The return bus ticket lists the departure time, but apparently you can take a bus at a different time as long as there are seats available. It’s nice to be able to take your time and enjoy the factory tour at your own pace.
Before long, a bus wrapped in mt’s signature style arrived. Its cute design made me want to take a photo right away.
We watched a KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. promotional video on board, and by the time the staff had explained the rules, we had arrived at the factory.
Souvenirs were handed out as soon as we got off the bus.
The bag contained mt merchandise. Some bags randomly included a “Cutting Experience Winning Ticket” or a “String Lottery Entry Ticket,” so I checked the contents right away.
Unfortunately, I didn’t win either, but I was very pleased with the generous selection of souvenirs.
A factory tour offering a look behind the scenes of mt production
With my souvenirs in hand, the factory tour was finally underway.
The factory was clean, and colorful banners hanging from the ceiling brightened up the space.
Photography is normally prohibited inside the factory. Special permission was granted for this visit.
The first process introduced was called “rewinding.” A machine winds wide masking tape printed with a pattern onto a paper core.
Each core holds 7 meters of masking tape. In the past, each roll was 15 meters long, but that was gradually reduced to 10 meters and then 7 meters.
The cores that mt is wound onto are custom-made, and the mt logo was printed on the inside. It was a little fact I wouldn’t have learned without joining the factory tour.
The masking tape produced by the rewinding process is called a “semi-finished product,” and is then loaded into a cutting machine.
The cutting machines were charmingly wrapped in mt remake sheets, making them stand out in the factory. Apparently, each staff member responsible for a cutting machine decorates it with their favorite mt pattern. You can’t help but feel attached to a cutting machine decorated with your favorite pattern.
Next, we were introduced to the “combination machine.” This machine is used to mass-produce mt in the same pattern.
During the tour, I saw a robot place cut mt into a film-wrapping machine, where labels were then applied. It’s interesting to see how robots are also put to good use in making mt.
Some mt is mass-produced, while other mt is finished by hand. Across from the combination machine, employees were wrapping the tape in film by hand.
The mt, which comes in a variety of sizes and widths, is checked to make sure it has been cut properly, then each roll is wrapped in film. The employees wrapped the film quickly and smoothly, but I feel like it would take me until nightfall to do the same.
During the tour, employees not only explained each process, but also shared little facts, such as “White is the best-selling mt color. Black is second, by the way,” making the walk enjoyable.
The “Exhibition Room,” packed with highlights
After the tour, visitors are free to explore the factory grounds.
In the exhibition area, I saw the winning entries from the “mt art contest 2024” and a classic car wrapped in tape. The classic car was especially popular with children, and many parents and children were taking commemorative photos.
If your novelty item includes a ticket for a cutting experience, you can try it using the cutting machine set up in the exhibition room. The mt-making experience was introduced as one of the new initiatives for the company’s 101st year.
On the second floor, many valuable exhibits offer a glimpse into the history of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
The fascinating exhibits, including posters for Haitori paper—the origin of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.—offer a glimpse of design trends and the changing times.
The exhibition rooms are well worth seeing, and you’ll want to linger as long as time allows.
Shopping at “mt shop,” a must for fans
Shopping is an essential part of taking the mt factory tour.
The “mt shop” retail area is very deep, and its extensive selection will have your attention darting from one item to another.
The blue mt inspired by denim and the mt designed to look like Sanada-himo cord are unique to Kurashiki. For visitors from outside the prefecture, they make memorable souvenirs.
There was also mt in packaging modeled on the design of old industrial tape. It’s full of retro charm and cuteness that’s hard to find today. Apparently, it’s also popular with young women.
As a souvenir for myself, I bought two types of the “mt Chigihari” workshop kit. I heard that this kit for making thin, easy-to-tear masking tape is also used in welfare settings to help people practice moving their hands and fingers. It’s a product that people of all ages can enjoy.
At “mt shop,” in addition to the products for sale, patterns from mt products made in the past were also displayed in rows. I knew there were many different patterns, but seeing them all lined up in person was overwhelming.
A playful “Festival and Outlet Corner”
After leaving mt shop, I headed to the “Festival and Outlet Corner.” There are things like mt sold by weight and capsule toy machines, offering a slightly different kind of shopping experience from the area I’d just visited.
The string lottery costs 1,000 yen per try, with mt rolls of various sizes hanging from strings. Both the string lottery and capsule toy machines appeal to your playful side with the thrill of “not knowing what you’ll win.” The area was bustling with visitors.
Outlet items that are rarely available were also on sale in this area.
What caught my eye was a Hasami-yaki plate that was sold exclusively at “mt Expo 2022,” held in Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture. The Hasami-yaki plate features a stylish, abstract masking-tape design. It’s a rare item, but amazingly, you can buy one for just 500 yen.
There were also venue-exclusive items from past events, and I got absorbed in searching for hidden gems.
A hidden gem? Tour the “Ribbon Haitori Kiln”
At the far end of the facility, the “Ribbon Haitori Kiln” was on display. The kiln, with its original workspace preserved just as it was, is an atmospheric spot steeped in history. Apparently, fathers often visit while waiting for their families to finish shopping.
Inside, we found an old, well-used kiln.
This kiln was used to make the adhesive for Ribbon Hae-tori until around 1990. It may be called mochi, but it is not food: it is an adhesive made from resin and wax to catch flies. Its rusty appearance shows just how long it was in use.
In addition to the kiln, machines and tools used at the time were also on display. They are all well-worn and valuable historical materials. This may be an irresistible exhibit for enthusiasts.
Experiences unique to the factory tour
There were many other highlights besides the merchandise, so let me introduce them.
At the venue where the workshops were held, colorful mt designs were displayed at the entrance.
The designs covering the wall were the top 101 designs among those sold from 2008 to 2011, selected through an online vote. A final vote was held during the event, and the designs receiving the most votes will be brought back for sale.
Further inside, a workshop where visitors could customize badges was underway.
Besides the workshops, mt goods other than stationery were also on sale, including items for cleaning and wrapping. It made me realize how mt comes in handy in all sorts of everyday situations.
The product called “heta box” is a bundle of mt offcuts produced during manufacturing. These were originally discarded because they are the parts used for the adhesive overlap, but since they work perfectly well as tape, they are now sold as a product.
Some people say they are “easy to hold” because the cores are still attached, and they are sometimes used for arts and crafts at kindergartens and preschools.
I also stopped by “mt casa shop,” where another workshop was being held.
“mt casa” is one of the products in the mt series: mt for interiors that can be applied and peeled off. It is a great DIY product that can completely change the look of walls and furniture simply by applying it.
Shopping baskets decorated with the products were on display at the venue. It made me want to choose a favorite design and use it while shopping.
At “mt casa shop,” visitors could take part in a “shrink-wrapping experience,” choosing three mt rolls and wrapping them themselves. At an affordable 300 yen, many women were carefully choosing their mt designs.
After covering the selected mt rolls with film, we fed them through the shrink-wrapping machine. It reminded me of the work I had seen during the factory tour.
As the mt rolls passed through the shrink-wrapping machine, the film was sealed around them by heat. By the time they rolled out of the machine, a set of three that looked ready for store shelves had been made.
Finally, we attached a label with our favorite design to complete the set.
I wanted to display my one-of-a-kind mt set just as it was, without opening it.
My overall impression after touring the facility was that this is a factory tour packed with attractions beyond just seeing the factory. There were many hands-on workshops, and I think there was something for everyone, from children to adults. After seeing the behind-the-scenes manufacturing process at the factory, looking at the actual products made me feel even more attached to mt.
The cafeteria is also open on the day, so mt fans could easily spend the whole day there.
The mt factory tour is so popular that there is a waiting list for cancellations every year, and I heard that some fans travel all the way from overseas to attend.
The mt factory tour has captured the hearts of so many fans. We interviewed Ogino Sana, Planning and Public Relations Chief at KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. about the passion behind the event.
Interview with the person in charge
The previous factory tour marked the company’s 100th anniversary. How was the response?
Ogino (honorific omitted)
The “mt factory tour vol.12,” held in 2023, was the first event after the COVID-19 pandemic, and it also marked the company’s 100th anniversary, so we received an exceptionally large number of applications. The atmosphere on the day was like a festival.
The commemorative giveaways were also especially generous for the 100th anniversary, and many people were pleased with them.
It was a milestone year, so the media covered it extensively. Perhaps as a result, I feel that people who were not mt fans also joined the tour this time.
Until now, our events have tended to be centered on fans, but more and more new customers are taking part, so lately I feel that we are able to share the appeal of mt with a wider audience.
What are the highlights of this year’s factory tour, which marks the company’s 101st year?
Ogino
For this factory tour, with “Year 101 as if it were Year 1” as our main theme, we undertook initiatives to return to our roots as we look toward the next 100 years.
For example, we sold mt wrapping paper featuring revived designs from the packaging of past Hi-Tori paper products. Some people found them “nostalgic,” while others thought they were “retro and cute” and refreshingly original. They’re popular with people of all ages. Through these designs, we hope to share KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.’s history once again.
We also have a voting event where people can choose their favorite mt designs. I think many of the designs will feel fresh to people who have recently become mt fans. By introducing designs that were sold in the past, we hope people can enjoy the journey that led to the mt of today.
Another highlight is that we’ve added more hands-on activities, such as an mt tape-cutting experience—something we haven’t offered on previous factory tours. We’ll keep coming up with new ideas so that repeat visitors can enjoy the tour, too.
Are there any other initiatives unique to your 101st year in business?
Ogino
In addition to the factory tour, we plan to hold events across Japan to introduce our initiatives for our 101st year.
In October 2024, we’ll hold an event called “mt ex at Aibi Red Brick Hall” at Kurashiki Ivy Square.
Kurashiki Ivy Square is a place where buildings that were originally factories have been renovated and put to new uses. Masking tape is also about “adding new value and finding different ways to use something,” so we hope you’ll enjoy the fusion of Kurashiki Ivy Square and mt.
We’ve put a lot of thought into the space’s decorations, as well as the products for sale.
We’re sure you’ll discover new charms of mt.
Through these events, we hope to share our efforts to develop new products for the next 100 years and to add value to items that we previously discarded so we can offer them in new ways.
What kind of presence would you like mt to have in your customers’ lives?
Ogino
“Sticking to everyday life,” which was also the theme of our 100th anniversary. That’s exactly the kind of presence we want to have.
To be honest, masking tape isn’t something you can’t do without, and I don’t think it’s a product that stands out all that much. But it’s handy to have, easy to use, and useful in many situations.
We’ll continue creating products that people of all ages can enjoy in their everyday lives, as well as products for use as stationery.
We also want our products to continue to be something that brightens our customers’ spirits, even just a little, and inspires them.
Do you have a message for your fans?
Ogino
It’s been about 16 years since the mt brand was launched, and it’s very reassuring to know that we have fans who have supported us since the beginning.
We’re truly grateful to everyone who supports not only mt products, but also the employees who make them and the history and journey of mt.
In today’s digital age, it seems like everything can be done online and information can be found on the internet, but I believe analog products always have their own unique appeal.
The feel of washi paper masking tape and the way it tears are charms that only analog products can offer. I hope you’ll enjoy mt, including these kinds of tactile qualities.
We hold events all across Japan, so please come by if one is being held near you!
From the Writer
This was my first time taking part in an mt factory tour, and I felt that there were thoughtful touches and surprises everywhere to keep visitors entertained.
The shopping area wasn’t just a place to buy things. With displays of mt designs from over the years and creative ways to shop, such as by weight or through a string lottery, I enjoyed shopping for a long time without getting bored.
I think mt is supported, including the people who make it, because it’s a brand that keeps moving forward without forgetting its beginnings or its fans.
Taking part in the factory tour made me one of mt’s fans, too. Next time, I’d like to attend another event and discover more of mt’s charms.
Articles about KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
mt factory tour vol.13 Information
| Name | mt factory tour vol.13 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Two weeks, from September 11 (Wednesday) to 24 (Tuesday), 2024 Reservations required for visits between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. |
| Location | 236 Katashimacho, Kurashiki City |
| Website | Masking Tape “mt” |
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