Introducing Fukuroya Towels


Fukuroya has been meticulously designing and manufacturing towels since 1926. Since then, they has pioneered a number of efficient and noteworthy methods in their production stage and continue to reimagine the making of their towels to better suit the world they are made for. 

In 1963, Fukuroya introduced name branded towels to the market using the Jacquard loom. Demand increased exponentially and Fukuroya made their way into popularity. What was an efficient process at the time, eventually became too old-fashioned and in 1983, Fukuroya designed the first computer in the world to digitize towel production. Since then, Fukuroya has worked through a variety of different kinds of electric Jacquard looms to respond to their growing need and popularity. 

More recently, Fukuroya has redesigned the way they produce their towels in response to the environmental distress our world is facing and has introduced eco-towels that are manufactured using environmentally friendly methods. Their "Shizuku" line of towels, communicates this change in mentality best. 

 

More than any company, Fukuroya understands the inseparable connection between textile production and agriculture. Once cotton seeds germinate from the soil, they go through their long growth cycle and eventually produce cotton bolls. This cotton becomes the raw material for the thread that is then woven into towels. Fukuroya wanted to further communicate the importance of nature in their process by utilizing more raw organic materials into the making of their towels. Fukuroya has added towels that are colored using natural dyes from freshly grown local vegetables. The vegetables that they use for this process are harvested by local farms that are unable to sell this produce because of slight imperfections. By using vegetables that would otherwise end up in waste, Fukuroya has created a more sustainable solution for both the agricultural community and their company. 

In addition to using the flesh of the vegetables, Fukuroya also makes sure to use the leaves of all of their vegetables for dye in order to minimize waste. Once the vegetables have been chosen, dyes are extracted, and testing begins. The dyeing experiment is repeated many times in order to better reflect the strong hue of the vegetable. After this phase, the vegetable extract is dyed on the towels using a  new technology. During this process, no bleach, optical brightener or fabric softener is used. Because of this refined production, the color of the towels do not easily fade and are much more durable than products that use a more conventional plant dyeing process. Once the dyeing process is finalized, the towels are woven to add texture and aesthetic. 

 

Fukuroya is a company that embraces change and responds to the needs of their community and their customers. They take pride in their passion and in their process and because of this, Fukuroya makes products that are thoughtful and well-designed.