Fostering a Rich Spirit Through Kimono

Creating a spiritually rich Japan through traditional Japanese dress

Wearing a kimono straightens your posture and encourages graceful movements.
Graceful movements calm your mind.
A daily life of cherishing both yourself and others begins.

By creating kimono from "denim,"
a beloved specialty product of Okayama known worldwide,

we help people live a life where "every person, thing, and event is valued and handled with care,"
and we support the cultivation of mutual respect.

Wearing traditional Japanese clothing encourages polite behavior.
We support each other with respect by wearing traditional Japanese clothing
made from Okayama denim.

 

I was born in Kobe City.
In the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, my family home was damaged.
Fortunately, my family and neighbors were all safe.
However, due to being in different evacuation centers and moving,
before I knew it,
the familiar community had disappeared.

The people who always watched over me during my upbringing
were gone.
It was a major event that made me feel like
I had "lost my hometown."

My parents' house was damaged by the earthquake,
the local community disappeared, and I felt like I had lost my hometown.

One day, I learned that Kojima is called the "textile town."

Kojima, a town facing the Seto Inland Sea,
began cultivating cotton approximately 400 years ago.
Textiles from Kojima spread to various regions through the transportation of goods by Kitamae-bune ships and others,
leading to its current textile industry.

The textile industry, which developed over a long history,
connected people to people, and people to the town.

"Ah, so if there's an industry, the town will remain."

Kojima is known as the “textile town.”
Cotton cultivation began about 400 years ago,
and Kitamae ships transported textile products to various places,
bringing prosperity to the town.
As long as there is industry, the town will remain.

 

Actually, I had been living in Okayama for about 10 months
before the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake,

so I didn't experience that big earthquake.
Afterward, I was able to provide support from afar,
delivering relief supplies
and serving as a contact person for welfare checks.

I thought, "Okayama protected me."

I lived in Okayama, so I was not affected by the disaster,
and　I felt that “Okayama protected me.”

It might be a presumption, but
I want to repay Okayama.

I don't want anyone else to lose their "hometown."
That means "preserving the town."
That means "supporting the industry."

I want to contribute by
"creating new kimono from Okayama's textiles and making it a culture."

Supporting industry and preserving the town will ensure
that our hometown does not disappear.
We want to give back to Okayama by creating new kimonos using Okayama textiles.

A hundred years from now,
I want people to say,
"When you think of Okayama, you think of silk denim kimonos and Kojima obi sashes."

We will create kimono that everyone can love.

Utilizing Okayama's textiles,

using them,
enjoying them,
and preserving the town.

We will continue to create such things.

In a hundred years, I want people to say,
“When you think of Okayama, you think of silk denim kimonos and Kojima obi sashes.”
To preserve the town, we will continue to create
beloved Japanese clothing using Okayama textiles.