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SAITO ORIMONO Co.,Ltd.

COMPANY

OUR HISTORY

The desire to create woven ori belts that go well with kimonos dyed by GION SAITO

SAITO ORIMONO was established in 1976 based on this desire of our predecessor, Teiichiro Saito. It started from borrowing a friend’s rice granary in the Saiin area of Kyoto and using one trial loom and two homebased weavers. As the number of homebased weavers gradually increased, in 1989 he established a new company building in what is now the Nishigamo area of Kyoto. In the early days, they brought materials into the empty studio, purchased a loom, and had the artisans assemble it themselves. Now, we work on eight handlooms.

 

To date, we have created all and every kind of woven fabric from this single studio. This is due in a large part to meeting Hidekazu Kawaguchi, who played somewhat of a woven fabric professor role for SAITO ORIMONO. From the initial days of the new studio launch, Kawaguchi and the founder were inseparable in their attempts to recreate antique kogire fabrics and train the young generation of weavers while hard at work producing.

 

Thoroughly studying and clarifying the antique kogire fabric elements like structure and materials, and faithfully recreating the essence of Nishijin-ori fabric obi belts. Learning the workings of the loom and making it possible for weavers to make repairs on their own. Providing an environment in which young artisans could freely create, and keep trying techniques without fear of failing.
Being able to work on the loom every day in this wonderful environment is joy to each and every artisan.

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OUR FUTURE

What we work to create daily is not just obi belts as a simple device to fasten kimonos. We feel confident in saying that within our weaving resides an aesthetic sense of yore that is still unfading today, the culture and the atmosphere of the time in which it originated, and most of all, the pinnacle of technique we want to leave for future generations.

 

We want to keep creating ever better products that would make our predecessors proud.
We want to aim for a level of skill that is not boxed in by old Nishijin standards.

 

Our goal is to continue to weave each individual stroke with the creative spirit and free expression we have kindled since our inception.

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Company name SAITO ORIMONO Co., Ltd.
(Nishijin Textile Industry Association / Union Certificate Number 2550)
Founded 1976
(1980 Incorporated as a joint-stock company)
President Koji Saito
Address 21 Nakagawakami-chō, Nishigamo,
Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan 603-8815
Telephone (+81)75-493-4445(Representative)
Fax (+81)75-493-4525
E-mail saito-orimono@gion-saito.com
Business Activities
  • Manufacturing of traditional Japanese textiles using handlooms
  • Wholesale business / Production and sales of accessory items
  • Operation of an e-commerce website
1976 Started the business with one trial loom and two looms.
1980 Officially became independent as a joint-stock company.
1989 Established an atelier in Nishigamo.
1997 Expanded the atelier / Operated with eight handlooms.
2024 Completion of the antique fabric storage facility is planned.
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