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[Taka Town] Promote the charm of Taka Town with Taka tartan, revitalize the town by supporting young people starting businesses

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``Taka Tartan'' is an original check pattern that expresses the image of Taka Town, Taka District, in the Kitaharima region of Hyogo Prefecture, using six colors with green as its base color. Naomi Kotani, who concurrently serves as the chairperson of the Taka Tartan Committee and vice president of ...

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Mr. Kotani's office and store<br>
Mr. Kotani's office and store

Naomi Kotani is a graphic designer from Nishiwaki City and currently living in Taka Town. After graduating from high school, he trained at the Tokyo branch of an advertising design company headquartered in Kasai City, and became independent at the age of 23. Next year I will celebrate my 30th anniversary as a designer.

Some of the works designed by Mr. Kotani<br>
Some of the works designed by Mr. Kotani

Mr. Kotani has worked on a variety of designs including logo marks, business cards, shop cards, DMs, envelopes, and packaging throughout Hyogo Prefecture, mainly in the Kita-Harima area. It may have been a natural progression for Mr. Kotani, who has a wealth of experience and accomplishments as a designer, to become involved in the planning and development of Taka Tartan products.

What is “Taka Tartan”?

There are other patterns of

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There are other patterns of "Taka tartan"

"Taka Tartan" is an original tartan check pattern created in Taka-cho, Taka-gun, the production area of ​​Banshu-ori .

There are 6 colors in total that weave the tartan pattern. The image of Taka Town is expressed in six meaningful colors rooted in its climate, including the "yellow" of Yamada Nishiki's rice ears, the "white" of sake rice, snow, and Sugihara paper, and the "green" of Taka Town's nature. doing. Another major feature is that the fabric is made by Banshu-ori craftsmen using traditional techniques.

Development of Taka Tartan began in 2018. We took over the ``Banshu Ori Shirt Project'' (a PR project that utilizes the local industry of Banshu Ori) from the government office, and began thinking about the design of Taka Town's original ``tartan.''

In 2018, the planning committee led by Mr. Kotani conducted inspection training and repeated discussions, and decided on six image colors.In July 2019, they were registered at the Scottish Tartan Registry, and in September, Banshuori Takata Tartan was announced. The fabric was completed and it was made its debut.

"You can only call it tartan if you register it with the Scottish Registry Office. Without registration, it's just a check."

Tie 3,500 yen, masking tape 418 yen, handkerchief 1,100 yen ~, water bottle 4,400 yen, etc.<br>
Tie 3,500 yen, masking tape 418 yen, handkerchief 1,100 yen ~, water bottle 4,400 yen, etc.

Using the Taka tartan that was born in this way, Mr. Kotani took the lead in developing products such as stationery such as masking tape and clear files, fashion goods such as handkerchiefs, tenugui, bags, and parasols, practical items such as water bottles, corsages, and earrings. The number of items is increasing rapidly, including accessories...

``Basically, it's a product that can be used as an advertisement for Taka Town when you see it, and I think it's a product with a high level of design that will appeal to a wide variety of people,'' says Kotani. Some Takatatan products are also available at Michi-no-Eki Yamadanishiki Birthplace Taka/Machi-no-Eki Taka and Cafe Chattana (inside Chattana no Mori).

In addition to product development, we also host exchange events, and in 2022 and 2023 we held live talks and exhibitions as the "Tartan Summit in Taka - Connecting, Expanding, Tartan Circle".

Mr. Kotani says, ``All of the prizes in the 2023 Summit raffle were Taka Tartan.I was really happy to see Taka Tartan all over the venue.''

Opened “Miscellaneous Store Sun 3ix”

Products selected by Mr. Kotani are lined up in a row.<br>
Products selected by Mr. Kotani are lined up in a row.

In July 2021, Mr. Kotani opened his own design office ``Land Graphics'' and ``Miscellaneous Store Sun 3ix.'' It's a wonderful space that was renovated from an old folk house.

``A mix of good things from Taka town, a mix of companies, shops, people, and my own designs...The store name has many meanings,'' says Kotani.

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"HALOP" products

This store carries not only Taka tartan products developed by Mr. Kotani, but also other good items selected by Mr. Kotani. There are also environmentally friendly goods, and it's fun just looking at them. There are also locally made products.

This is a product of HALOP, a washi paper brand from Taka town that uses Sugihara paper, which has a history of over 1,300 years, and Banshu-ori, which has a history of over 200 years. It feels like "the Taka town".

Very popular

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Very popular "conte" leather products

Mr. Kotani wants to support artists who are active without a store or those who are working hard and dream of starting their own business someday, so he not only sells works and products on consignment at his store, but also creates logos and logos that are unique to them. I design business cards, etc.

We will continue to support Taka Town and people who want to start a business.

With the popular teddy bear<br>
With the popular teddy bear

When I asked him, ``What are your future plans?'' he replied, ``I would like to further develop products to increase Taka Tartan's popularity.'' For Kotani, product development is one way to contribute to the community. It seems that Taka tartan has been adopted as tablecloths in the library of a junior high school in the town, and she is smiling and thinking that she can promote this even a little to the people in the town.

We have started a new service at our store. Its name is "mixBENTO". This is a service for people who want to give a present but don't know what to choose.It is a service for people who want to give a present but don't know what to choose.It is a service that allows you to choose a present together with someone who consults with you at a store or online.

They want to deliver a gift similar to a bento box that will make you remember when you opened the lid of your bento box and found your favorite side dish inside. While receiving consultation, she hopes to be able to choose products from Taka Town and products made by people who are working hard.

Mr. Kotani is also a ``town cheering group'' and a ``supporting group for young people starting a business.'' I am playing one or two roles in the revitalization of Taka Town by making full use of my abilities.

(Writer Utami)

*This article is information as of June 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may change.

basic information

Rand graphics/Miscellaneous Store Sun 3ix

Address: 108-4 Ansaka, Naka-ku, Taka-cho, Taka-gun, Hyogo Prefecture

Phone number: 0795-20-1689, 090-3486-3026

Business hours: [Miscellaneous Store Sun 3ix] Friday and Saturday 13:00-18:00

*Open every day from July 21st to 29th, 13:00-18:00

Closed: Sunday to Thursday

Access: 26 minutes by car from Takinosha IC on the Chugoku Expressway, 28 minutes by car from Kanzaki Minami IC on the Bantan Access Road, right from JR Nishiwaki-shi Station/Hon-Kuroda Station by getting off at the Shinki Green Bus ``Ansaka'' bus stop.

Parking lot: 4 cars

SNS [Land Graphics]: Instagram , Facebook

[Miscellaneous Store Sun 3ix]: Instagram , Facebook

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What are good things and good experiences? There are many characteristics such as having a story to tell, overflowing with the thoughts of the creator, having a history, and being loved by the locals. Have you ever come across a special thing or experience that made you want to tell someone about it? And as a result of telling, someone new leads to something. We think that's what "good" is all about. In order to deliver such encounters to our customers, we discover Hyogo's good things based on the concept of "talk, communicate, and connect", and provide information that will shorten the emotional distance between customers and the region of Hyogo Prefecture.

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