Interview with Ogino Sana
We spoke with Ogino Sana, Planning and Public Relations Chief at KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD., about her thoughts on mt factory tour vol.14.
An event connecting fans with one another, and fans with KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
I heard that mt factory tour is like a pilgrimage to a sacred site for mt fans.
Ogino (name only)
Thank you.
mt fans are truly warm and welcoming. This mt factory tour is also a place where mt fans gather once a year. One of the things that makes it special is that it brings people together, creating connections between visitors and between fans.
Many of our customers are friendly and make us feel at home, greeting our employees like family with words such as, “How have you been?” and “I’m here again this year.” We look forward to this event every year, too.
Most of the fans are women in their 40s and 50s, but recently their children’s generation has also been coming, so I feel that the range of participants is growing year by year.
We want to make this an event the whole family can enjoy.
Could you tell us about the number of applications for the advance lottery?
Ogino
We received around 14,000 applications for 12,000 available places.
Because we have reduced the number of weekday buses this time, the number of places available has gone down.
Also, although the tour was free to attend up until the last one, we are charging a 500-yen participation fee starting this time, which has also lowered the odds.
In addition to entering the lottery, people who have collected stamps in the stamp app each time they attended an mt event can also get a ticket.
However, some people cancel due to scheduling conflicts. As a result, a few people can board each bus on a standby basis. If you didn’t win the lottery or didn’t feel one visit was enough, we hope you’ll take advantage of the standby option and come along.
Where do participants come from?
Ogino
Many of our customers come from within Okayama Prefecture and the wider Chugoku region, as well as from neighboring Kansai. But mt is popular around the world, and last time we even had visitors who came all the way from Taiwan.
mt also holds events overseas. We have held events in Taiwan, and in 2025 we plan to hold events in Europe as well.
We hope to share mt with the world from our Kurashiki City headquarters factory.
Take a look at the decorations throughout the venue
Could you tell us about the popular areas from previous years and what to look out for this time?
Ogino
The outlet section next to the festival games area is popular every year.
It features rare goods other than masking tape, including products from past collaborations with Hasami ware. And since they’re sold at affordable prices as outlet items, many fans seem to make a beeline for this section.
This time, the theme is “Looking back at mt,” so I’d like you to pay attention to the decorations throughout the venue.
At events when mt first started, our head office employees decorated the venue by hand using colorful masking tape in 100 mm and 50 mm widths. There are decorations made by arranging strips of tape in stripes throughout the venue, so be sure to look out for them.
We’ll also be selling masking tape featuring this stripe pattern.
Also, be sure to stop by mt CASA shop, near the bus stop. There’s a workshop where you can shrink-wrap products you’ve chosen yourself. It’s an experience unique to a factory tour, so please allow time for it when exploring the venue.
Some visitors use the standby option to come on multiple days, so we’re always trying to find ways to make the event enjoyable no matter how many times you visit.
Enjoy Kurashiki City through the event
I hear that events are held at support shops as well as at the head office factory during the event period.
Ogino
This event is made possible thanks to the support of the local community in Kurashiki.
That’s because many of the support shops for this event are long-established shops in Kurashiki. We’re deeply grateful that local businesses take part as support shops and are happy to carry our original masking tape.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Ogino
We’re holding this event because we want people to enjoy all of Kurashiki City, where mt was born, through mt factory tour vol.14. We hope you’ll enjoy not only mt, but also your stay in Kurashiki.
From the Writer
I first learned about mt factory tour around 2015. As someone who loved stationery and was attending university in Tohoku at the time, it was one of the “places I wanted to visit someday.”
Kurashiki was far from Tohoku, and since the event was lottery-based, I never managed to visit. But when I learned that there was a standby option, I was amazed: “So I could have just come to Kurashiki and tried my luck!”
At the venue, participants often took turns so everyone could see the products they wanted to see, creating a welcoming atmosphere. I was constantly amazed by all the goods and experiences you can only get by coming to the venue.
I hope this event continues as something that inspires people to visit Kurashiki and helps local people feel a connection to products made in Kurashiki.
There’s still time to attend this year’s factory tour even after reading this article, so why not come along?
Articles about KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
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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