kobooriza - Kobo Oriza - Stoles, mufflers and caps from Imabari, Ehime

You're surrounded by greenery and clear streams, and the nostalgic "clack, clack" sound of a loom can be heard.

Kobo Oriza is a studio located in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, known as a producer of cotton textiles such as towels, that produces highly original shawls and scarves using traditional weaving machines. Located in the mountainous area of ​​Imabari City, where time passes slowly and lushly, they pursue manufacturing that makes use of their unique weaving techniques.

Masatoshi Takeda, the head of Kobo Oriza, is an engineer who worked for a towel manufacturer for nearly 40 years, including as a factory manager. With the rise of cheap towels made overseas, the towel factory he worked for abolished its production department and began only selling towels, which was the opportunity he took to go independent.

One of the rare scarves is the "Yuragiori" scarf, which features a soft, wavy design. The weaving method, known as Mojiri weaving, in which the warp and weft threads are tied together, creates a wave pattern that is less likely to shift and will not collapse. This weaving method was awarded the "Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 3rd Monozukuri Nippon Grand Prize" for "operating a retro loom from the early Showa period to develop the world's first "warp and weft yoroke Mojiri weaving" and an original product."

There are also other items in a wide variety of colors and shapes, such as plant-dyed scarves made with natural dyes and cotton caps that can be used in eight different ways.

Items made using traditional techniques are becoming more and more familiar with modern fashion. Just as threads intertwine, people and traditions intertwine... The products produced by Kobo Oriza seem to be a bridge connecting the past and the present.