Product Details -Cotton and Silk Twill Kakuobi -《Cosmic Patterns》
Sotton and Silk Twill Kakuobi (Men's Kimono Sash) with "《Cosmic Patterns》
【About This Product】
・This product is made using the traditional industry of Kojima, Kurashiki City.
・From material production to sewing, everything is Made in Japan — and specifically, Made in Okayama.
・Please note that the color of the product may appear differently in images than it does in person.
【Product Features】
~ Cotton and Silk Twill ~
・A top-tier denim made by twisting three fine cotton threads together for the warp, and using silk thread for the weft.
・It combines the softness of silk with the durability of cotton, bringing out the best qualities of each.
・The fabric has an overall sheen, with a translucent, luminous color that is one of its key attractions.
・Dyes that resist fading are used.
~ Tatami-beri (Tatami Edging Fabric) ~
・Kojima, Kurashiki City accounts for approximately 80% of Japan's production — a traditional industry with a history of about 150 years.
・Being firm and lustrous, this material allows for full, rounded obi knots as well as elegant, refined knots that make the most of its sheen.
~ Cosmic Patterns ~
・This refers to the design applied to the Cotton and Silk Twill surface, drawn using gold and silver pigment.
・It uses the "Shichisai-zome" technique, created by a traditional craftsman certified in Nagoya black-crest dyeing (Kuromontsuki-zome).
・Because the dyeing is done entirely by hand, every piece is one of a kind.
【Care Instructions (Obi Care)】
・This product can be hand-washed.
・Do not use a washing machine or dryer.
As this is a long item, the spinning motion may cause it to become misshapen.
・Please avoid using bleach when washing.
・Leaving the item wet for an extended period may cause the color to fade.
・Please be aware that strong friction or sweat may cause slight color transfer.
・When ironing, please use a pressing cloth and a medium heat setting.
【A Message from the Shop Owner】
Long ago, Kojima in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, was an island floating in the Seto Inland Sea, but large-scale land reclamation during the Edo period connected it to the mainland.
There, cotton — a crop resilient to the salty soil — began to be cultivated, and in time cotton thread and cotton fabric came to be produced, developing into the "textile town" it remains today.
In recent years, the area's value has been further enhanced by a continuous stream of original processing and sewing techniques, and Kojima continues to grow as a town renowned for its high quality and technical skill.
【Kojima Obi®】 is created by combining materials such as denim, tatami-beri, and Sanada-himo, all produced in Kojima, the "textile town."
Focusing mainly on half-width obi for women and kaku-obi for men, we aim to create designs that are "elegantly stylish."
《 Features of Kojima Obi® 》
~ Materials ~
●Tatami-beri
Kojima has the largest production volume of tatami-beri in Japan.
It is a fiber the local area is proud of.
(Tatami-beri refers to the fabric sewn along the edges of tatami mats to add color and protect the edges.)
The characteristics of tatami-beri are:
① Lightweight
② Stains can be quickly wiped away (depending on the type of stain)
③ Firm texture
In particular, thanks to characteristic ③, it has become possible to create obi knots that are unlike any before — big, gorgeous knots that make people wonder, "Is this really made from just one half-width obi?"
This is one of the major features of the obi knots created with 【Kojima Obi®】.
※Our company uses a specially developed, heat-resistant tatami-beri so that an iron can be applied even after knot-related creases have formed.
※Our tatami-beri is made by Takada Orimono Co., Ltd. and Nishinaka Orimono Co., Ltd., both located in Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
●Denim
"Kojima Denim" is already a well-known name in the fashion world.
However, there are so many types of denim that it's impossible to describe them all in a single word.
So we asked ourselves: what makes denim suitable for an obi? — and selected a fabric that meets the following conditions:
① The finished obi's total weight must be no more than 500g (so as not to burden the body)
② It can be maintained at home (hand-washable and ironable, without fading or color transfer)
③ It does not compromise the dignity of a traditional garment
From the many options available, we chose "Cotton and Silk Twill" as our main fabric — an elegant blend of silk and cotton that retains a casual charm while offering refined beauty.
Cotton and Silk Twill is used not only for obi but also for kimono, and has earned a reputation for its sheen, pleasant texture, and comfortable wear.
※Our denim fabric is made by Showa Co., Ltd., located in Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
~ Sewing Techniques ~
Sewing together different materials and fabrics of varying thicknesses to create a reversible obi requires real skill.
Fortunately, Kojima is home to excellent sewing techniques originally developed for handling jeans and other garments with inherently complex construction processes.
Because the area still has a large population engaged in the sewing industry, 【Kojima Obi®】 is, true to its name, a MADE IN KOJIMA product — with everything from material production to sewing carried out entirely in Kojima.
The "textile town" is still home to the production of many other fibers as well.
We hope that through a single obi, more people will come to know Kojima as a unique town where multiple types of textile industries come together.