When you live in Kurashiki City, it seems you often get the chance to see or receive original masking tape not only at shops and companies, but also when attending events hosted by Kurashiki City.
And for good reason. The masking tape “mt” made by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. was born in Kurashiki City, and many of its products are still manufactured at the company’s factory in Katashima.
Once a year, KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. holds “mt factory tour,” an event that lets visitors tour its head office factory. The 2025 tour began on March 20 (Thursday, a national holiday).
The mt factory tour is also known as a “sacred place for mt fans,” drawing participants mainly from Kurashiki City and Okayama Prefecture, as well as from overseas. Advance participant selection by lottery has ended, but apparently you may still be able to join as a cancellation standby if there are cancellations on the day.
Here, we introduce what the venue is like and how to join the tour.
The information provided was current when this article was published in March 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is mt?
mt is short for “masking tape,” and is the brand name of masking tape made by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
Colorful, beautifully designed masking tape for stationery and miscellaneous goods is easy to tear and stick on, and can be removed right away. It is now hugely popular not only in Japan but overseas as well.
Since KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. first made “mt” in 2008, Kurashiki has come to be known as the birthplace of masking tape.
What is mt factory tour vol.14?
“mt factory tour” is a factory tour held once a year by KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. It began in 2012, and 2025 marked its 14th edition. The 2025 tour was held for two weeks, from March 20 (Thursday, a national holiday) to April 2 (Wednesday).
In addition to touring the manufacturing process for mt, a popular Kurashiki souvenir, visitors can enjoy shopping from a wide selection of mt products and workshops using mt.
There are also limited-edition items that can only be found here, so apparently many fans return every year.
KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.
This year, with “Looking back on mt” as its theme, participants are welcomed by colorful stripes inspired by decorative patterns often used at events in mt’s early days.
What the venue is like
As someone who used to teach at a special needs school, mt was one of my work tools.
That’s because mt tape is easy to tear even for children who have difficulty applying force with their fingertips, and it has no blade, so it can be used safely. This made it ideal for craft activities for young children and for children with challenges in fine motor skills.
Of course, I always kept several kinds of mt tucked away at my desk.
This was a rare opportunity to see mt’s head office factory, a place filled with so many memories for me.
I visited the venue shortly after noon on the first day, March 20, 2025 (Thursday, a national holiday), and will report on what it was like.
Ride a decorated bus to the head office factory
The tour starts at Kamoi Parking, in front of JR Kurashiki Station.
The shuttle bus is decorated with masking tape too, making it instantly eye-catching.
You may have seen this bus, decorated in bright colors, driving along the road. Apparently, its decorations are replaced every year for the tour.
We watched a KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. promotional video during the roughly 20-minute ride, and before long we arrived at the factory after hearing staff explain important points to keep in mind.
As soon as you get off the bus, you’re handed a souvenir.
The bag contained mt goods. Some bags randomly include a “Cutting Experience Winner Ticket” or a “String Lottery Entry Ticket,” so be sure to check the contents of your giveaway right away.
The souvenirs for mt factory tour vol.14 were as follows:
- Original eco bag
- Stainless steel box
- Two kinds of original masking tape
Apparently, many fans join the tour every year hoping to get these precious souvenirs, including items not for sale.
Holding the bag handed to me by a smiling staff member, I was about to enter the factory when…
I came across a lucky-bag recipient, selected from among the participants on the second factory tour, breaking a ceremonial ball marked “Congratulations.” One person is selected for every second bus departure.
The festive atmosphere starts right away.
Tour the “How mt is made” production process
First, small groups enter Factories 2 and 5 and watch a video explaining the history of mt and how masking tape is made. The video has subtitles throughout, so as someone with a hearing impairment, I felt I could join the tour with peace of mind, just like the other participants.
When the video ends, the curtains open and the factory tour begins.
Photography is normally prohibited inside the factory. Special permission was granted for these photos.
Inside the factory, KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. employees carefully explained the “process of making mt” in front of the machines. A few people couldn’t help leaning forward at this rare chance to see mt actually being made.
You can see that the mt we use every day without a second thought is made by many people.
The staff in charge will also share some fun facts about mt, so we recommend taking in the unusual processes and listening to what they have to say.
The Third Mixing Factory, packed with exhibits
Up to the factory tour, staff accompany you and explain the process, but from here on, you can explore at your own pace. You’ll be told the return bus time when you board the bus on the way there, so enjoy the tour while making sure you get back in time.
If seats are available, you can also take a bus outside the designated time
When you enter the factory, you’ll see cars and motorcycles wrapped in colorful mt.
In keeping with this year’s theme, “Looking Back at mt,” you can go inside some of the classic cars decorated by hand with wide strips of tape. It was adorable to see the children happily pretending to drive.
Also on display are works that have won awards in the “mt Art Contest,” held since 2019.
From a distance, it looks like a single picture, but up close, you can see the fascinating art made by sticking mt tape all over it.
On the second floor of the exhibition room is an archive where you can learn about the history of Kamoi Kakoshi. The exhibits were fascinating, offering a glimpse of design trends and the changing times through items such as posters for Ribbon Haitori Paper, the product that marked the beginning of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
mt shop, where you can also get venue-exclusive goods
The busiest place at the mt factory tour was, as expected, the mt shop. Half of the facility is devoted to panels displaying more than 10,000 designs from the history of “mt,” arranged chronologically, alongside a wide selection of paper products, from standard mt to venue-exclusive mt.
Each table also displays wrapping sheets and examples of wrapping made with mt, so you can let your imagination run wild thinking about how to use the items you buy.
The souvenir given to participants was an eco-bag, but you can also get one of the ten venue-exclusive tote bags displayed in the mt CASA hut.
There is a wide range of mt products made by adapting regular masking tape, including transfer stickers and fabric tape made with Liberty fabric.
There was also a button-badge workshop, where participants of all ages, from adults to children, enjoyed making their own creations.
A popularity vote for past mt designs is also being held at the venue entrance. It’ll be fun to see which designs fans choose from the many mt patterns.
“Festival Games & Outlet,” where you can have fun and get goods at affordable prices
There’s still more to explore.
At “Festival Games & Outlet,” booths packed with playful activities reminiscent of a festival lined up, including capsule toy machines, grab-and-win games, and string lotteries.
Many adult mt fans gathered around the grab-and-win and gachapon games, having a wonderful time like children again.
What surprised me at the outlet corner was finding not only stationery but also drip-bag coffee.
This coffee is from Sarutahiko Coffee.
It is one of the collaboration products with Sarutahiko Coffee, which uses mt every day to manage coffee bean expiration dates and seal bags of bread sold in its stores.
The collaboration came about in part because the material for the upcycled tape that mt entered in the Stationery Store Awards 2025 and won an award for was coffee filters.
There was also a wide selection of everyday goods, including mt plates made in collaboration with Hasami ware and toilet paper featuring mt designs. All the participants were excitedly searching for items to take home.
“Ribbon Haitori Kiln,” where you can feel the origins of mt
The Ribbon Haitori Kiln, which could be called the origin of KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD., is also featured.
It is at the very back of the venue, but it is a must-see, as you can get a cute sticker when you enter.
The kiln, where the original work area has been preserved, is a hidden gem where you can feel the history.
A narrow iron bridge for visitors was installed for the kiln’s opening to the public in 2023. Inside, old kilns, well-used machinery, and tools are also on display.
This striking “KAMOI´S FLY-PAPER SHEETS” logo was used to spray-paint the logo onto cardboard boxes for export. Traces of the culture that gave rise to the transfer stickers made with mt can be seen throughout this nostalgic space.
Plenty of photo spots
At mt factory tour vol.14, photography is permitted everywhere except for the “How mt Is Made” process held in Factories 2 and 5.
Highlights include artworks by Pip & Pop, who created an installation at the head office factory during the 2014 mt factory tour,
as well as a Momotaro mural made with mt—there are plenty of photo spots.
Why not look for not only special merchandise but also that perfect photo while exploring with your camera?
Head to the “Cafeteria & Rest Area” when you get hungry
At mt factory tour vol.14, two businesses, Kurashiki Bukkake Udon Furuichi and BESSO COFFEE, serve food in the actual employee cafeteria.
Since this is the cafeteria actually used at the factory, it has vending machines, refrigerators, and microwaves, giving you a glimpse of everyday life inside the factory. It was also a convenient meeting spot for families and friends who had split up to explore their favorite areas.
At the back of the cafeteria, you can also buy laser-cut notebooks and home-care goods and take part in workshops, so you can enjoy mt to the fullest while waiting for your companions to finish their meal.
Exclusive to the mt factory tour! “mt casa shop,” where you can try shrink-wrapping
You might think the mt factory tour is over once you’ve enjoyed everything and filled your stomach. But there’s another must-see spot right in front of the bus stop for the return trip: mt casa shop.
Here, you can choose three or five mt designs you like and experience “shrink-wrapping” them in clear film. It’s a chance to try for yourself the work you saw during the initial process tour—an experience you can only have on a factory tour.
In 2024, we chose three favorite designs from a variety of mt patterns and shrink-wrapped them. This year, we’ll fit together three or five consecutive designs like a puzzle and shrink-wrap them to create a single illustration.
mt tape is made by cutting large rolls of tape to a specified width, so when the designs on the tape are combined, they form a single illustration. This workshop came about after an employee heard that “the trend among fans is to stick the tape together like a puzzle and complete a single illustration.”
Carefully arranging the tape while looking at the sample to make sure the designs line up neatly,
cover it with film and feed it through the shrink-wrapping machine.
As the mt passes through the shrink-wrapping machine, heat seals the film around it. By the time it rolled out of the machine, it had become a set that looked ready to be displayed in a shop.
Finally, attach a label featuring a design exclusive to mt factory tour vol.14, and it’s complete.
“mt casa” is one of the products in the mt series: mt for interiors that can be applied and peeled off. It’s a great DIY product that can completely change the look of a room simply by applying it to walls or furniture.
There was also a charming little hut made using this product.
After enjoying the tour right up until just before departure, board the return bus and head back to the Kamoi Parking lot in front of JR Kurashiki Station.
It was a tour packed with nonstop fun, from merchandise and hands-on activities to food.
After joining the tour, enjoy 30 support shops around Kurashiki City
On the return bus, a promotional video for the support shops participating in mt factory tour vol.14 is shown.
Support shops are stores that have joined in supporting mt factory tour vol.14. Tour participants who present their tour pass and meet each shop’s requirements can get an original mt design exclusive to that shop.
There are 30 support shops for mt factory tour vol.14.
See the image below for details.
There’s also a chance to join the cancellation waitlist
mt factory tour is an event with advance lottery entry. This means you can’t participate if you don’t win the lottery or miss the entry period altogether.
However, here’s good news for anyone reading this article and thinking, “I really would like to go to mt factory tour vol.14 after all…”
In fact, the factory tour accepts a small number of people on the cancellation waitlist for each departure almost every day. Go to the reception desk at Kamoi Parking on the day you’d like to participate; they’ll provide information about the waitlist, so you can apply.
You may not be able to board your preferred departure, so allow plenty of time when you go to the reception desk.
Many related events are also held around Kurashiki City during mt factory tour vol.14
During this period, visitors come to Kurashiki from across and beyond the prefecture for mt factory tour vol.14. The following mt events will also be held outside the head office factory.
- mt KIOSK (inside the ticket gates at JR Kurashiki Station)
March 19 (Wed)–April 2 (Wed), 2025, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. - mt ex at IVY RED BRICK HALL 2025 (Aibi Red Brick Hall inside Kurashiki Ivy Square)
March 27 (Thu)–April 29 (Tue), 2025
We spoke with Ogino Sana, planning and public relations chief at KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD., about how to enjoy mt factory tour vol.14, which has so many highlights.
mt factory tour vol.14 details
| Name | mt factory tour vol.14 |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 20 (Thu)–April 2 (Wed), 2025 |
| Location | 236 Katashimacho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | 500 yen |
| Website | mt factory tour |
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An adhesive strip hung from high places such as ceilings and used to catch flies and other pests