As a textile town, Kojima draws fashion and handmade-craft enthusiasts from across Japan and around the world.
A wide variety of textile products are made here, including denim, school uniforms, and tatami edging.
Among them, Sanada-himo is the textile with the longest history among Kojima’s textile products. However, at one point, there were almost no artisans left, and production in Kojima remained in the hands of only a very few makers.
Seeking to carry on this precious Sanada-himo tradition, Sakamoto Orimono Co., Ltd. began making it in 2011.
Today, Sakamoto Orimono is the only maker of Sanada-himo in Kojima. We spoke with them about why they are carrying on the tradition and how they plan to pass it down.
The information presented is current as of when this article was published in July 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is Sanada-himo?
Sanada-himo is a traditional Japanese textile made from warp and weft threads.
It is about 3 to 12 mm wide and is sometimes called “the narrowest textile in the world.”
It has a long history. One theory says that it was named Sanada-himo because it was devised by the Sengoku-period warlord Sanada Yukimura, but apparently many mysteries about its history remain.
The greatest feature of Sanada-himo is its strength—it does not stretch even when used to suspend heavy objects. It was widely used in everyday life, for things such as cargo ties and kimono obi fasteners.
Its durability also made it useful in the past as protective gear for fastening a samurai’s armor, as a sword cord, and as a grip. Sanada-himo was sometimes wrapped around a sword in place of a family crest, as a way to identify its owner.
Sanada-himo in Kojima
There are no clear records of how Sanada-himo came to Kojima, but materials produced by the Kojima Junior Chamber of Commerce record that Sanada-himo was first made in Tanokuchi Village in 1789.
In the mid-Edo period, Sanada-himo became popular as a souvenir among pilgrims visiting both Mt. Yuga in Okayama and Mt. Konpira in Kagawa. It is said that village headmen’s houses lined the road to Yuga Daigongen, displaying beautiful Sanada-himo in rows. The Yuga pilgrimage route, adorned with Sanada-himo, must have been a lively sight.
Among travelers, it earned a reputation as “beautiful, inexpensive, and durable Sanada-himo from Kojima,” and became famous throughout Japan.
In recognition of Sanada-himo’s contribution to laying the foundation for Kojima’s development as a textile town, a monument honoring Sanada Yukimura has been erected at Mt. Yuga.
Sanada-himo had been widely made in Kojima since the Edo period, but changing times made it difficult to continue as a livelihood, and the number of weavers gradually declined. As of 2025, the only maker is Sakamoto Orimono.
Sanada-himo has also been recognized as a Japan Heritage component cultural property of Kurashiki City, and Sakamoto Orimono continues to preserve its traditional culture.
About Sakamoto Orimono Co., Ltd.
Sakamoto Orimono is a textile company in Karakoto, Kojima.
It manufactures narrow-width textiles, primarily Sanada-himo, and plans and develops products.
Sakamoto Orimono did not originally make Sanada-himo; it produced narrow-width textiles such as craft cord and seat belts. However, thanks to the efforts of executive director Sakamoto Sanae, production of Sanada-himo began in 2011.
Today, the company makes a variety of items that showcase the appeal of Sanada-himo, one of its signature textiles.
“A series of things fell into place, and that’s how I came to be able to weave Sanada-himo,” says Sakamoto.
As Japan’s textile industry declined, Sakamoto wanted to “make something that could only be made in Kojima.” Later, she encountered Sanada-himo, was captivated by its appeal, and came to want to weave it.
Around that time, she learned that her mentor, Ishihara Koichi, was the only Sanada-himo artisan in the area. She went on to inherit the craft from Ishihara.
“Ishihara wanted Sanada-himo to survive, but had no successor. I wanted to weave Sanada-himo. Thanks to that miraculous connection, he gave me some of the few precious power looms,” Sakamoto recalls.
They received ten power looms essential for weaving Sanada-himo and, it seems, repeatedly modified and improved them for that purpose.
The delicate patterns and colors expressed in these narrow textiles, along with the subtle irregularities—not too perfect—that only old-fashioned power looms can produce, have a beauty all their own.
We spoke with executive director Sakamoto Sanae about the background and motivations behind weaving traditional Sanada-himo.
Sakamoto Orimono Co., Ltd. Information
| Organization | Sakamoto Orimono Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacture and sale of Sanada-himo and other narrow-width textile products |
| Representative | Sakamoto Koji |
| Established | 1970 |
| Address | 3-8-37 Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-477-6340 |
| Website | Sakamoto Orimono Co., Ltd. |
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