Handmade Here: Japan's Senshu Towel District

by Jacqui Miyabayashi of Mee A Bee

About five years ago I moved from downtown Osaka to a much smaller city about an hour south. With a population of just 150,000 I often wondered why there were so many towel shops everywhere. This curiosity led me to do a bit a research and I found out that this area is a well-known towel manufacturing district, collectively known as the Senshu Towel District.

This tiny city produces almost half of the towels made in Japan. What’s really interesting is that production is undertaken by over a hundred small businesses locally. Most have only a few employees and their ‘factories’ are barely more than small workshops housed in old buildings and garages. It’s kind of funny to see them in amongst houses in quiet residential areas.

In the late 1800s a local man began experimenting with towel making. It took him about two years to perfect the weaving of long strands of cotton into toweling pile. He then pioneered a method of bleaching the towels that is still considered unique to this area. The resulting product was very soft, extremely absorbent and long-lasting. Atozarashi (bleached after weaving) towels are beautiful and so luxurious.

It’s very difficult to compete with mass-produced, cheap imports so the industry differentiates itself by consistently making a high quality towel. Most senshu towels are still made according to the traditional technique. The cotton is imported, mainly from the USA, but all of the weaving and sewing is done right here in my city. Great strides have been made with environmentally-friendly techniques. Low-impact chemicals, low noise-emitting machinery, hand-finishing. Organic cotton has been incorporated into some lines, others are not bleached and some are colored with plant dyes. Senshu towels are great for people with sensitive skin and are lovely for babies.

While not exactly handmade, the senshu towel is a great example of a traditional industry that has evolved to survive in the modern world. By remaining committed to their core-product, keeping up with consumer trends, incorporating new technology and being dedicated to quality, the group ensures they will continue to be a strong local employer for hopefully another one hundred or so years!



If you’re interested in buying senshu towels you could try Rakuten, Japan’s biggest online shopping site. Want to have a little bit of Japan for your very own? I will be giving away the two lovely towels pictured on the right to a randomly selected commenter. Open internationally, just leave a comment! Also be sure to visit my blog http://www.bloomingnihon.blogspot.com for snippets of my life in Japan and my Mee A Bee work.

This giveaway is now closed! The winner is comment #18 from Allison-hope you love your towels!

33 comments

  1. Crysta says:

    What a cool industry. I think one of those towels will be a part of my boyfriend’s birthday present – he loves Japan, and this would be a nice non-traditional, unexpected present! 🙂

  2. Holly says:

    They look so wonderfully soft and delicate! If I won these they’d be strictly for my use only…No kids with their sticky little fingers, or husbands with their stinky hockey hands!

  3. brandy says:

    I love that something so special and unique is still being done, bettered and passed on.. how cool is it that a century old tradition can now be shared in a global market too?

  4. Tiffany says:

    How nice to see a beautiful tradition continue to thrive, given the prevalence of mass production. I definitely appreciate the care and eco-consciousness involved here. 🙂 The towels are lovely!

  5. Garin says:

    I love these towels so much! I have a few that I’d brought back form a previous trip and never knew the story behind them. Now I love them even more and would love to win some new ones to replace the threadbare ones I have now. A beautiful post!

  6. Allison says:

    LOVE your blog. As someone who dreams of running a successful business one day, I check have it at the top of my Google Reader! Thank you for the great tips, tricks, and ideas! Keep them coming!

  7. Marta says:

    It’s very interesting to know the story behind a product like this. I’d love to try one of these towels, my little son would love it, and I have never seen them here. Best regards from Barcelona,
    Marta

  8. Viv Smith says:

    Having spent nearly 3 weeks in Japan as part of an International Guide visitn in my teens, I love reading about Japan. I wish I could revisit now 16 years on, as my older self would appreciate so much more the culture.
    Thank you for sharing a bit of Japan for us all to enjoy,
    Viv 🙂

  9. Kristina says:

    Beautiful! And a very interesting story. thank you for personalizing your city and the local industry. I hope to win one and will buy some too. thanks for the website!

  10. Charlotte says:

    What a wonderful story . I adore these towels and would love to import them into New Zealand. By any chance would you have a contact for one of the families that make the towels. Thank you so much
    Charlotte

Comments are closed.