Interview with President Kawai of NIHONMENPU TEXTILE CO., LTD.
We spoke with President Shinji Kawai about the appeal of Ibara denim and its ties to the local community.
Please tell us about Ibara denim.
Kawai (honorific omitted)
Ibara was located along the Sanyo Road, which flourished as a post town on the sankin-kotai route.
In the Sanbi area, 350 weaving mills worked together to make Bingo kasuri.
The indigo woven into the patterns of Bingo kasuri was the beginning of denim.
Denim was born from the traditional techniques used to weave durable, thick Bitchu Kokura-ori and Bingo kasuri.
The Sanbi area established its position as a production centre for sewing and denim fabric during the postwar shift to Western clothing, drawing on its indigo dyeing and textile-dyeing industries. However, from 1990 onward, it was swept up in the apparel industry's overall price competition.
Of the 350 weaving mills in the Sanbi area, only 14 remain today, in 2023.
Rather than mass-producing low-cost goods, the Sanbi area built a network in the non-mass-produced, high-value-added product market. Fuchu, Fukuyama, and Ibara produce denim fabric, while Kojima sews jeans.
The Sanbi area's defining feature is that jeans are produced by the region, rather than by individual companies.
This is a concrete example of regional cooperation in response to inexpensive imports, and is also said to be a way for small and medium-sized businesses to survive.
That's the power of “Made in Japan” from the Sanbi area.
From Ibara to the world
NIHONMENPU's Instagram posts are in English. Is that a message aimed at overseas customers? And do you, President Kawai, update the account?
Kawai
Our staff update Instagram.
Yes, it may also be intended for overseas customers.
In the United States, we have customers in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
In Europe, we also have many customers overseas, in places like Paris, London, and Milan.
Ibara denim is sought after and used all over the world.
Since Ibara denim first came about, we have expanded our sales channels overseas and built long-standing relationships.
It is only natural that people overseas seek out products made well.
Our long-standing trade in high-quality denim overseas is possible because we have maintained relationships of trust.
The appeal of shuttle looms
Which stage of denim-making do you find most appealing?
Kawai
The process of weaving denim on shuttle looms.
As of 2023, around 150 shuttle looms are still in active use at NIHONMENPU.
The sound of shuttle looms weaving denim beats out a steady rhythm and is very soothing.
Weaving denim on looms no longer in production
I hear shuttle looms are no longer being manufactured.
Kawai
The type of shuttle loom used at NIHONMENPU is no longer manufactured.
Whenever we heard that a nearby weaving mill was closing, we bought its shuttle looms.
If a shuttle loom breaks down, wouldn't it be impossible to make selvedge denim anymore?
Kawai
Even if a shuttle loom breaks down, it's okay.
Shuttle looms tend to break down in the same places, and the techniques for repairing those parts have already been established.
We make denim while carefully maintaining the shuttle looms we have.
The usual approach is to replace looms with the latest models to improve efficiency and productivity. But even though they work slowly, shuttle looms move in the most human way.
Shuttle looms and the skills of experienced artisans produce denim that looks as if it were woven by hand.
The texture that can only be achieved with shuttle looms and skilled artisans is what makes NIHONMENPU denim distinctive, further enhancing the value of Ibara denim.
I hear you also place importance on organic cotton.
Kawai
The organic cotton used by NIHONMENPU is grown in Turkey.
When harvest season comes and the cotton bursts open into cotton bolls, the sea breeze blowing in from the Mediterranean acts as a substitute for pesticides, drying out the stems and husks.
Cotton cultivation requires large amounts of water while the plants are growing, and a dry climate during harvest season.
In many cases, once the cotton bursts open and forms what are called cotton bolls, pesticides are used to dry out the parts other than the cotton, making it easier to pick.
Organic cotton, on the other hand, is grown using methods that take advantage of the local climate and prioritize safety.
Cotton called organic cotton must meet global standards through a certification body designated by the country.
Using high-quality organic cotton is one of NIHONMENPU's priorities.
You've opened a factory shop. How have customers responded?
Kawai
It's been very well received.
Overseas manufacturers usually have factory shops attached to their factories.
NIHONMENPU built a factory shop in the same way.
I heard that NIHONMENPU no longer does sewing. Where are the products sold in the factory shop made?
Kawai
The products in the factory shop are made by domestic jeans manufacturers such as EDWIN, as well as for overseas customers.
To be sold in the shop, a product must use NIHONMENPU denim.
We also have products made by members of the Ibara Apparel Cooperative Association, where I serve as chairman, and the Bitchu Textile Industry Association.
Ten years ago, the first thing we did to help more people learn about Ibara denim was to work with the mayor of Ibara City to open the Ibara Denim Store at Ibara Station.
The Ibara Denim Store is run by the Ibara Apparel Cooperative Association.
With the support of the local community, including Ibara City, NIHONMENPU, and the Ibara Apparel Cooperative Association, the Ibara Denim Store achieved excellent results.
It serves as the main hub for promoting Ibara denim, which overseas luxury brands recognize as the highest quality.
Then, ten years later, NIHONMENPU's factory shop opened, adding another store that showcases the appeal of Ibara denim.
Ties with the local community
Kojima in Kurashiki City is connected to Ibara through jeans sewing and denim fabric, respectively. What kind of ties do you have with Kurashiki?
Kawai
Quite a lot.
We do business with jeans manufacturers in Kurashiki.
Companies such as BOBSON and BIG JOHN.
Kojima started out making school uniforms, then shifted to jeans.
There were also denim and canvas weaving mills in Kojima, and the roots of both Kojima and Ibara lie in the same Bingo kasuri.
Each area took on its own role within the Sanbi area and helped develop the jeans industry.
Kojima and Ibara have grown older together and have a close relationship.
Jeans manufacturers in Kojima have worked hard, and Ibara has benefited as a result.
We are grateful.
What are NIHONMENPU's plans for the future?
Kawai
We started small in Ibara and have grown over time.
NIHONMENPU now has 65 employees.
The skills are being passed on naturally to younger employees.
While preserving traditional techniques that have continued for over 100 years, we want to keep creating interesting, new, distinctive, and innovative fabrics.
There are still so many things we want to do.
From the Writer
NIHONMENPU is located in the Takahashi River Basin, beside the tranquil Oda River where waterfowl play.
The company building has a charming exterior and has been designated a Modernization Industrial Heritage site.
The reception room has an American feel, with jeans on display that suit a denim weaving mill.
President Kawai and Mr. Yamamoto, Director and General Manager of Accounting, both stylishly wore NIHONMENPU jeans and original T-shirts.
In the reception room, a charming thank-you letter from kindergarten children for their factory tour was displayed on the wall.
The company has also been asked by neighbors for advice on how to use their land.
The neighbors affectionately call it “Menpu-san.”
“This is a lovely place,” says President Kawai.
NIHONMENPU TEXTILE CO., LTD. is in the sacred home of denim.
From Fuchu and Fukuyama in Hiroshima, Kojima in Kurashiki, and Ibara to the world.
I wanted more people to learn about the denim born in the Sanbi region.
The dyed yarn is a crisp indigo blue, strikingly beautiful.
The shuttle looms weave denim with a lively rhythm.
I will never forget the soft feel of the carefully woven denim.
I thought I’d like to turn up the hems a little and wear jeans made from NIHONMENPU TEXTILE CO., LTD. denim in style.
NIHONMENPU TEXTILE CO., LTD. Information
| Organization Name | NIHONMENPU TEXTILE CO., LTD. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacture and sale of denim and yarn-dyed fabrics |
| Representative | Kawai Shinji |
| Year Established | January 2, 1917 |
| Address | 1076 Higashiebara-cho, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 0866-63-0111 |
| Website | NIHONMENPU TEXTILE CO., LTD. |
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