[Rediscover the charm of Chita cotton] What is Chita cotton?

• Table of Contents
• Chita Cotton: A side job for farmers that became Japan's No. 1
• Exploring the current state of Chita cotton at the "Okatoku" factory
• New trends surrounding Chita cotton - Introducing the spots -
• ■ Chita Cotton Antenna Shop 4 7 8 (478)
• ■ Hand-woven Village Cotton Storehouse Chita
• ■ Traditional Chita Cotton Tsumonoki
• Old townscape of Okada

Chita Cotton: A side job for farmers that became Japan's No. 1

During the Edo period, Chita cotton was said to be the best in Japan for sending cotton to Edo, but its origins date back to the Keicho period (1596-1614) in the early Edo period, when farmers would weave cotton as a side job between farm work. At that time, the raw white cotton produced was sent to Ise and sent to Edo as "Ise bleached" or "Matsusaka bleached". The name "Chita" appeared boldly on Chita cotton only in the Tenmei period (1781-88) in the mid-Edo period, when Nakajima Shichiemon and others introduced bleaching techniques. In Chita at that time, it was women's work to spin thread with a spinning wheel and weave it on a loom, as well as to dye it with indigo and weave striped cotton for home use. It was a handicraft that every household did, so much so that it was said that "those who cannot weave cannot get married". The texture of hand-woven cotton made by Chita's hatago is exceptional, and the name of high-quality "Chita bleached" gained a reputation in Edo, and before long it was known as the best in Japan for sending cotton to Edo. It was during the late Edo and Meiji periods that the name began to attract attention in both name and reality. There were two reasons for this. The first was the improvement in quality and the development of the cotton industry throughout the Chita Peninsula. Okada in particular was known as one of Japan's leading textile towns at the time. Takenouchi Gensuke and Nakajima Shichiemon's large-scale factory had very expensive foreign-made looms, and there was also Takenouchi Torao, who was attempting to develop the first power loom, making the town a sort of exhibition center for cutting-edge technology.

Exploring the current state of Chita cotton at the "Okatoku" factory

In the early Taisho period, when power looms were at their height, Ando Umekichi, who had become independent from Nakanana Momen, founded Okatoku with 24 wide-width looms. In the 26 years since its founding, the company had 2,698 looms in 3 factories, and by 1961, it had five factories not only in Okada, but also in Taketoyo and Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture, and had rapidly grown to become Japan's leading cotton-only company. However, today, the country is in a period of decline, with its domestic cotton self-sufficiency rate at just 1%. The sawtooth-roofed buildings that were a symbol of textile factories have disappeared without a trace, and Okatoku has closed most of its factories. What is now happening to Chita Momen, which was once the best in Japan? To find out, we visited the Okatoku factory that continues to operate in Okada.

Enter the Okatoku factory!

This is the Okatoku Okada Higashi Factory.

Inside the factory, air jet looms are constantly making a loud clanging noise. I can't take my eyes off the rhythmic weaving of white threads, which are rapidly turned into cloth. A veteran-looking employee is working between the rows of looms, skillfully connecting broken threads.

The former women's dormitory of Okatoku's headquarters factory, weaving together the history and culture of Okada

The Okada area flourished as the center of Chita cotton from the Edo period to the 1950s. Many female employees from all over the country supported this prosperity. The women's dormitory where the employees lived still remains today, and is a historical heritage that allows visitors to imagine life in the past. We will introduce the interior of the building, which is not open to the public, in a video.

Chita Cotton in Every Part of Our Lives

When we think of cotton products, we think of clothing and bedding, but the Chita cotton currently manufactured by Okatoku is used in unexpected places: car seat interiors, the lining of dictionary covers, industrial fabric sandpaper, elastic sports tape...far from being out of the ordinary, it is actually found in places all around us.

A wide variety of products are produced here, from thin fabrics like gauze to thick fabrics like canvas, and functional fabrics, and the number of reeds in the warehouse is too numerous to count. All are made to order from trading companies, with weaving and dyeing taking place in Japan and processing in China and Southeast Asia.

We asked Ando Yoshitsugu, the fourth-generation president of Okatoku Corporation, what exactly is Chita cotton. "Even if it's called Chita cotton, there are no particular conditions or definitions. The texture changes greatly depending not only on the material and manufacturing method, but also on the way it is prepared, and each has its own flavor. If I had to say, it would be that they all have the same place of production (roots)."

Okatoku also applies the techniques cultivated by its predecessors in Chita to produce functional products with high added value, but its journey is by no means the same as other Chita cotton products. Still, Chita cotton shares the same backbone in that it is a cotton product born in this area and imbued with the soul of this place. "Chita cotton is a word that represents Chita, it's like a symbol. Both the traditional hand-woven crafts and the machine-woven industrial products are important cultures that have been nurtured in the Chita region, and I think it's important that we all protect and pass them on," says President Ando.

Click here for Okatoku factory tour

New trends surrounding Chita cotton - Introducing the spots -

Chita Cotton was originally a B2B (business to business) business, but recently there has been a growing B2C (business to consumer) movement among local companies and organizations in an effort to keep the light of tradition alive.

■ Chita Cotton Antenna Shop 4 7 8 (478)

One of these is the Chita Cotton Antenna Shop 4 7 8, which was opened by fabric wholesaler Takeuchi Hiro Shoten in the former Nakanana Cotton main store in Okada. With the aim of "making more people aware of Chita Cotton and making them feel closer to it," the shop plans and sells products aimed at general consumers, including its original brand "WATAKUMI" and brands made by dyeing artisans from around the country, proposing Chita Cotton that can be enjoyed in everyday life.

This is an antenna shop for Chita Cotton located in the former Nakanana Cotton main store in Chita Okada. All products in the store are made using Chita Cotton.

[Address] 28-1 Okada Kaito, Chita City (former Nakanana Cotton Main Store)

[Business hours] 10:00-16:00

[Closed] Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays

Easy to experience

Another feature unique to Chita is the abundance of experience facilities. "Hand-woven Village Momengura Chita" and "Traditional Chita Cotton Tsumonoki" are facilities where even beginners can experience the joys of hand-weaving, and you can enjoy weaving coasters and rugs, spinning thread, and more.

■ Hand-woven Village Cotton Storehouse Chita

You can experience hand weaving here, and it is a popular tourist spot in Chita.

*We may be closed on days other than our regular holidays to prevent the spread of infection.

[Address] 9 Nakatani, Okada, Chita City

[Business hours] 10:00-16:00

[Closed] Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays

■ Traditional Chita Cotton Tsumonoki

This is a facility where you can experience Chita cotton. "Tsumonoki" is the name given to the shape that is created by spinning thread on a spinning wheel. You can experience spinning and weaving using the traditional techniques of Chita cotton.

[Address] 24 Okada Kaito, Chita City (inside Masayasu's residence)

[Business hours] 10:00-16:00

[Closed] Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays

Hand-woven items, shops, and walks around the town. Why not experience the bond that is connected by cotton in Chita?

Old townscape of Okada

The Okada district, which has a nostalgic atmosphere, prospered as the center of Chita cotton from the Edo period to the 1950s. Along the gently curving roads, vestiges of the glory of the past can still be seen today, such as houses and storehouses with black board walls and namako walls.

Old streets of Okada

5 Dantobo, Okada, Chita City, Aichi Prefecture 478-0021

[Train] Get off at Meitetsu Tokoname Line "Asakura Station", get off at Chita Bus Okada Line "Daimon-mae" and walk about 2 minutes [Car] Ab...