Taka District and the city of Nishiwaki in Hyogo Prefecture are renowned as the production center of Banshu-ori, a textile with over 200 years of history. In this region, rich in nature, Shoen Textile Co., Ltd. has been in operation for three generations.

Founded in 1926 by his grandfather, the company has supported Banshu-ori for nearly a century. Today, the third-generation successor, Kazumitsu Kobayashi, is devoting himself to the family business. At its peak, there were about 1,500 weaving mills in the region, but the number has dwindled to around 100. Now in his 30s, Kazumitsu is one of the few young weavers left in the area.

Shoen Textile is known for its unique techniques of Yoroke-ori and Kage-ori. Yoroke-ori features wavy, rhythmical lines that resemble flowing water. The company’s founder, a passionate inventor, developed a weaving device for this technique and obtained a utility model patent. His son, the second-generation head, modernized the device with computer control, enabling precise pattern weaving.

Building on both innovations, the third-generation Kazumitsu created Kage-ori, a weaving method that controls fabric density to produce shadow-like patterns. These designs reveal translucent depth when exposed to light, making the soft, finely woven fabric appear even more delicate.

Both techniques are exclusive to Shoen Textile, producing one-of-a-kind fabrics through delicate adjustments of thread tension on the loom. At times, these fabrics have even been supplied to luxury fashion houses overseas. With ongoing research, Kazumitsu continues to develop new creative applications of these weaving methods.

industry was at its peak—mills sprang up across the region, expanding sales domestically and abroad. Some fabrics were so valuable that the prosperity of the era was called the “Gachaman boom,” with a single clatter of a loom said to earn a fortune. Shoen Textile thrived during those times, employing many women weavers while enduring the hardships of wartime.

In the factory today, albums preserved from those years offer rare glimpses into daily life. Photography was still uncommon then, but the founder had a hobby of taking pictures, leaving behind a rich visual record of workers and community life around Banshu-ori. Among the materials are handwritten notes and organizational charts of fabric designs he was developing at the time, evidence of the craft’s deep history. Kazumitsu recalls being terrified of his grandfather as a child, but now, revisiting his grandfather’s legacy through photos, he has come to respect him deeply.

Though times have changed, Koen Textile still runs its looms in full operation. Today, Kazumitsu’s wife, Ikuka, also supports the business, managing an online shop that sells fabrics and handkerchiefs. Having overcome challenges like the Lehman Shock and the COVID-19 pandemic, Kazumitsu’s resilient nature has carried the company forward. In fact, Kage-ori itself was born out of such resilience, inspired by exchanges with customers. In an age when industries must constantly adapt, Kazumitsu embraces youth as his strength. “I want to be a weaving house that continues to take on challenges,” he affirms with determination.