Vol.41

Surprised and impressed that so many people paid attention to our towels.

Mr. Ishimaru has longed to be a weaver of Imabari towels since his childhood, and joined IKEUCHI ORGANIC upon graduation from high school. He has been working at IKEUCHI ORGANIC for a long time as the youngest weaver, and is now in a position to teach his younger colleagues. We asked Mr. Ishimaru, who is steadily growing as a craftsman, about his thoughts on Imabari towels and his aspirations for the future.

Weaver Ishimaru

I have longed for a job weaving towels since I was a child.

My name is Ishimaru, and I am in charge of weaving at the Imabari headquarters factory. 2013 marks my 10th year since I joined the company.

I think the first reason I wanted to work as a towel weaver was because of my father. I was born and raised in Imabari, but since my father worked for a towel company, I was interested in towel manufacturing from an early age. By the time I can remember, I learned that towels are a specialty of Imabari and became interested in learning more about towel work.

One of my vivid childhood memories is when I saw the towel manufacturing process during a social studies field trip at elementary school. The loom I saw for the first time in front of my eyes was so beautiful and captivating.

Because of this childhood experience, I had a longing to become a towel maker, and I attended a school where I could learn manufacturing in high school. Upon graduation, I joined IKEUCHI ORGANIC (then Ikeuchi Towel) as a weaver.

I did not know about IKEUCHI ORGANIC until I started job hunting, but I was attracted by the company’s manufacturing with the utmost consideration for the environment and its corporate stance of focusing on organic cotton. And when I saw the actual products, I thought, “I would like to weave towels like this with my own hands. In particular, “Straits 220” is my favorite.

At that time, IKEUCHI ORGANIC had not had a new graduate for quite some time, and it was as if there was only one newcomer mixed in with the veteran weavers. We started by learning the different types of yarn, but at first they all looked the same because all the organic cotton we handle at our company is pure white.

The Difficulty of Achieving Careful and Prompt Production

I started from zero as a weaving craftsman, but senior craftsmen taught me their work carefully. I am especially indebted to Mr. Abe and Mr. Matsumoto, who has now been transferred to the Sewing, Inspection, and Shipping Section. They explained to me repeatedly how to do each task and the tricks to do it efficiently, and they really helped me a lot.

Before, I always had a senior craftsman next to me when I was working, and he taught me as I went along. Now I am entrusted with various tasks on my own. I have junior staff, and I have changed from being in a position to teach them. Little by little, I feel that I am standing on my own as a weaver.

I also feel a little more confident now that I have passed the second level of the Imabari Towel Manufacturers Association’s in-house certification test. Next, I would like to try to obtain the first grade, and I would like to deepen my knowledge of weaving and other machine structures.

However, no matter how much knowledge and experience I gain, weaving is not a simple task. Even if the same towels are woven on the same loom, the loom’s condition will change depending on the temperature and humidity of the day. Also, we cannot let up even a little bit during the weaving process, because the slightest mistake could result in out-of-spec product.

Careful and prompt. As a craftsman, I have come to really think about how to achieve both of these things. There is a lot of detailed work involved, such as connecting fine threads to the machine by hand, so even if we try to eliminate mistakes as much as possible, they inevitably occur.

Watching the movements of a skilled craftsman like Mr. Abe, I feel that careful and speedy is the very embodiment of what I am looking for. I would like to learn more, gain more experience, and grow as a craftsman.

The joy of having our towels attract attention

I work as a member of the weaving department, and perhaps because I was the youngest for a while, I was able to do many things that are not often experienced, such as appearing on TV programs.

I was interviewed by “Sarameshi” as a young craftsman of Imabari towels, and I participated as a runner in the “Japan Connection Project,” a project of “Mezamashi TV. When Shuzo Matsuoka visited the Imabari head office and factory for a TV interview, I gave him a tour of towel production in front of the camera.

There were times when I wondered if I was really the right person for the job, but every time I was interviewed, I felt happy that IKEUCHI ORGANIC was getting so much attention. When I participated as a runner in the “Japan Connection Project,” I have fond memories of running with “Straits 220” wrapped around my most favorite item.

It is also a valuable opportunity for me to interact with fans through the “Imabari Open House”. When I see fans who are interested in the manufacturing process and go out of their way to visit Imabari, I feel proud of my work.

I have always longed to work as a towel craftsman, and the fact that I am involved in the production of towels that are highly regarded by the world as a creator is a very rewarding experience.

I still don’t have the knowledge, ability, or confidence to carry IKEUCHI ORGANIC on my shoulders, but I would like to continue to devote myself to my work as a member of the weaving department.

Interview May 2023
Interview and text by Keiji Ide
Photographer: Yuji Kimura