Facing the Pressure of Being the Starting Point of Towel Making

An important process before weaving towels is "warp preparation," which refers to the preparation of the warp threads for the loom. The warp threads play a role in maintaining the strength of the towel, so if warping is not done properly, the quality of the towel may be compromised. We asked Mr. Akahoshi, who is in charge of warp preparation, to talk about his job.

Akahoshi, Osteoporosis

Facing the Pressure of Being the Starting Point of Towel Making

Why it is important to properly wrap the stretcher

My name is Akahoshi, and I am in charge of warping at the Imabari headquarters factory.

There are two types of warp yarns in towels: upper warp and lower warp. The lower warp is often made of tightly twisted yarn for strength, while the upper warp is often made of softer yarn for a better feel.

Both warp yarns must be wound while maintaining a constant tension to ensure the strength and stability of the fabric. Therefore, warp threads need to be warped as a preparatory process before weaving on a loom.

The warping process begins with the calculation of the type and quantity of yarn to be used, based on the towel’s blueprint. The yarn is then set into a machine called a creel, which has several hundred units, and is wound onto a large reel called a “Nobe”. The wound up nobe is then carried by crane and set on a weaving machine, where it is woven into towels by the hands of weavers.

If the stretcher is not wound properly, the weaving process may be delayed and the quality of the woven towels may vary. Because sutra preparation is the starting point of towel production, I feel a lot of pressure as I go about my work.

I want to be like the master who nurtured me.

I am currently in charge of suture preparation, but I started this job about three years ago.

Before that, I worked in the inspection and sewing departments, so at the time I was completely ignorant about the work of seijing. However, Director Watanabe told me that I would be suited to the job of suture preparation, and I accepted the position without thinking too much about it, saying, “Since I was offered the job, I should give it a try.

For the first year, I was sent to a vocational training school in Towel, where I learned about seikyo from scratch. However, even though I had studied it as knowledge, it was completely different when it came time to put it into practice. I could not wind the thread as I wanted at all, and I sometimes wondered if I would be able to do sutra chanting.

Then, through a connection made by Mr. Watanabe, a veteran craftsman who had been in charge of sutra preparation at another towel company in Imabari for many years came to IKEUCHI ORGANIC to help us for a limited period of time.

I respect this person with all my heart and call him “master. He taught me not only the techniques and knowledge of seijing, but also a lot about how to approach my work. I feel that he is the reason I am now able to do what I do as a seijing practitioner. I am filled with gratitude to him for generously sharing what he has cultivated over the years with a novice like me.

By the time I am called a veteran, I would like to be able to teach various things to the members who are new to the work of seikyo, just like my mentor. Such a goal has sprouted.

The stronger the pressure, the stronger the human being becomes.

The difficult thing about sutra-work is that it is often learned by feel.

Thread tension cannot be measured by numbers, so you have to touch it with your hands and check it with your eyes. The slightest difference can make a difference in the finished product, so it is necessary to identify the subtle differences.

Even if you think you have “rolled it up well,” it often turns out to be wrong when you actually weave it. Therefore, if I have even the slightest doubt, I ask a member of the weaving team, “Did you roll it up properly? When I am told that the weaving was done properly, I can’t help but feel relieved and relieved.

Since the tension of the yarn is also related to humidity and temperature, it is not always possible to adjust the tension only at the warping process. I am always grateful to the weavers for their efforts in making these adjustments.

Again, warping is the very first process in towel making, and any mistakes made by the weavers can affect the finished product. Therefore, the pressure will never go away, and I think it is something that should not disappear.

When I think about pressure, there is a message from Representative Ikeuchi that remains in my memory.

It was when I rolled my first shimbeh after becoming a seikei, and Director Watanabe shared a picture of the shimbeh with the rest of the company. He said, “You started from zero and have done very well so far.” His message was to the effect that “the stronger the pressure we feel, the stronger we become.

I believe this to be true, and even now, when I feel strong pressure, I try to reflect on the message from the representative in my mind.