The Strength Lies in Continuing to Challenge: Kusubashi Mon-Ori's Legacy

Could you tell us about your company's history?

Kusubashi Mon-Ori Co., Ltd. was founded by my grandfather's younger brother, Toshio Kusubashi. The Kusubashi family originally dealt in farming and agricultural tool sales.

However, after graduating from the Prefectural Industrial Workshop's Weaving Department, Toshio displayed his extraordinary talents by assuming positions such as technical guidance and educational roles at a textile factory by the age of 17. Driving the vision that "the future belongs to towels," he established the Kusubashi Saburoji Factory at the age of 21 dedicated to towel manufacturing.

His elder brother, my grandfather, Hideo Kusubashi, later joined to support business operations, forming a tandem that propelled the company's growth, with Toshio focusing on production and Hideo on sales.

Unfortunately, the company faced significant upheaval during World War II. While both brothers got summoned, Hideo, suffering from illness, couldn't go to the battlefield, and sadly, Toshio never returned.

Hideo then took over, and in 1951, the factory was renovated and renamed Kusubashi Mon-Ori Co., Ltd.

The strength of Kusubashi Mon-Ori lies in its commitment to research and development in materials and processing, alongside its drive to adapt to new creations. One example of such innovation is a patented technique known as new bio-scouring. Developed in collaboration with the late Professor Takuo Sakai, a former emeritus professor at Osaka Prefecture University, and the founder's second son, Akinori Kusubashi, this technique emerged.

"Scouring" is an essential step in towel production using cotton yarns, crucial for removing oil and impurities to ensure the cotton absorbs well, providing the towel's primary function.

Previously, this process depended on highly caustic soda, which posed severe health hazards. As organic towels gained popularity in the U.S., Kusubashi Mon-Ori aspired to enter this market with bio-scouring to achieve chemical-free towel production.

Forming a consortium, including textile firms and Professor Sakai, bio-scouring involved rigorous research. Despite initial repulsion from some members due to failure in achieving adequate absorption, only Kusubashi Mon-Ori and Professor Sakai carried on, achieving practical application.

Post-realization of the technique, the method not only eliminated the use of harsh chemicals, significantly reducing CO2 emissions, but has also championed environmentally friendly towel production.

The Roots of Towel Making in Abundant, Clear Waters

Can you tell us about the history of towel making in Imabari?

Imabari was originally known for its prosperous cotton industry. The abundance of clear water flowing from the surrounding mountains made it an ideal place for cotton cultivation.

Due to the high-quality cotton produced, the cotton was spun into threads, which eventually led to the development of cotton textiles, including fabrics for flannel shirts, known as "Iyo Men-neru," a highly esteemed fabric.

While Imabari was thriving with Iyo Men-neru, towel production had begun in Senshu, Osaka, which is considered the birthplace of towel manufacturing in Japan.

Recognizing the potential in towels, a company manufacturing Iyo Men-neru in Imabari modified its looms for towel production, marking the start of towel production in Imabari.

The towel boom soon swept across Japan, and the number of towel manufacturers in Imabari rapidly increased, eventually establishing it as a leading towel production area in Japan.

What are the characteristics of Imabari towels?

Imabari has a tradition of dyeing the cotton before weaving, a unique feature of Imabari towels.

In contrast, Senshu is known for its post-dyeing process, which allows for mass production. Additionally, the weaving techniques differ, with Imabari known for jacquard weaving, while Senshu is known for dobby weaving.

Overall, Senshu specializes in mass production, while Imabari focuses on high-quality craftsmanship.

However, the distinctions between these characteristics have blurred over time, as customer needs have evolved, prompting both regions to adapt.

Currently, Imabari utilizes mass production methods, and Senshu has established its brand, "Senshu Towel."

Even amid these changes, we are committed to maintaining the legacy of Imabari towels by paying close attention to yarn and processing.

Bringing Smiles to People: Thoughts Toward the 100th Anniversary

What challenges is your company undertaking at the moment?

Currently, we are energizing activities for our brand, ROYAL-PHOENIX OF THE SEAS, in preparation for our 100th anniversary in 2031.

The creation of this brand was driven by my aspirations about a decade ago. Although we had various in-house brands, none had yet secured a firm position in the market.

I proposed to the then-president that we should establish a brand that would represent the company as we approached our 100th anniversary, and he agreed, leading to the brand's establishment.

We spent around six months searching for a branding company to partner with, and subsequently worked on constructing the brand's narrative with their help. Developing the story took roughly a year.

The brand's narrative was crafted together with not only executives but also our employees, resulting in "ROYAL-PHOENIX OF THE SEAS."

The concept centers on the story of a luxurious fictional cruise ship, reflective of Imabari's dual identity as a town famous for both towels and shipbuilding. As a company involved in towel production in Imabari, we wanted to integrate the ship aspect into our story.

Thus, we built the concept around a luxury cruise ship, "Royal Phoenix," named for the presence of phoenix trees planted before our company and past visits by imperial family members during the Showa era.

Towels used aboard the fictional luxury cruise ship, Royal Phoenix, formed the development concept of "ROYAL-PHOENIX OF THE SEAS," and the flagship model for the brand was built over the subsequent year.

To you, Kusubashi, what does a towel mean?

I view it as a "captivating cloth that enriches people's hearts."

As creators, we strive to delight and excite our customers. We envision them enjoying a comforting sensation with our towels at the end of the day during baths, an experience we interpret as an enrichment of the heart that we aim to provide through our towels.

The vision of crafting with the user's smile in mind is a cornerstone of our mission.

Tailoring Towel Production to the Modern Day

Finally, please tell us about your future plans.

We aim to push hard towards our company's 100th anniversary in 2031. I've been conscious of our 100th anniversary since right after joining the company, and surpassing this milestone will allow us to be recognized as a so-called centennial company.

According to one theory, 90% of businesses close within 30 years of being established. I interpret this as "the business idea conceived by the founder fades within 30 years."

By that logic, our company has lasted 90 years, which suggests we've undergone structural changes three times. We are currently in the process of a fourth structural change.

Compared to 30 years ago, our customers are different, as are consumer preferences and societal demands. To survive these environmental changes, we must accurately capture the needs of the era and produce products that fit the times.

It's essential to preserve and pass down the philosophy of Imabari towel-making and Kusubashi Mon-Ori to the next generation.

We will continue to develop products that are a step ahead of customer expectations by listening to their feedback. More importantly, we want to keep crafting towels that bring smiles and excitement to our customers.