Watanabe Pile Textiles, founded in 1963 in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, is a manufacturer that plans, manufactures, and sells towels.
Since the sudden death of her husband, Toshio, the previous president of the company, Chitose Watanabe, has continued to support the company with her eldest daughter Arisa and eldest son Fumio.
Even as he continues to create new Watanabe pile fabrics, the things that Toshio holds dear remain unchanged.
I move forward because there are people I want to protect
Chitose says that the previous owner, Toshio, was a true towel lover.
"Even when we went overseas on our honeymoon, she loved towels so much that if she saw a towel shop while walking down the street, she would immediately go in. She would often say, 'It's so moving to see the towel I designed woven right before my eyes.'"
Toshio loved towels so much, but he passed away suddenly in 2019.
"It was really sudden. However, we had employees and we had to protect the company, so we didn't have time to grieve. All three of us were back to work the day after the funeral."
Fumio felt the same way.
"After I joined Watanabe Pile Textiles, I was almost always with my father. He was someone I could talk to about anything, and he was such a big presence. I thought that being sad would only have a negative effect. Above all, even though we lost such a great leader as my father, the employees stayed on."
Perhaps Toshio's teachings were the reason why the employees stayed.
"My father always told me, 'If you have business with our own factory or a partner factory, don't call them, go and see them in person.' So I visited our own factory every day, and I think we got to know each other really well."
I felt that it was because they had always treated their employees with sincerity that they were able to prevent them from feeling any more anxious than necessary.
Treat everyone involved with sincerity
Toshio's sincere approach to people has firmly taken root within Watanabe Pile Weaving.
"There was a time when the cost of raw materials for towels soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even then, we properly explained to consumers why we had decided to revise prices rather than lower quality."
And this attitude doesn't just extend to employees and consumers.
"Whenever possible, I visit local farms to purchase cotton and meet the producers face-to-face. I look at the type of cotton, but I also want to know the thoughts and feelings of the people who grow it."
There are few towel manufacturers who know about the people on the overseas farms that produce the cotton used as raw material.
"We take the finished towels to the people at the farms where we actually purchase our cotton. The local people don't know what kind of products the cotton they grow will become. So when we bring them the towels, they are so happy and say, 'I didn't know it would become such a wonderful product.'"
Watanabe Pile Weaving takes a sincere approach to all those involved with the company.
I will never forget the help I received
One of the things that Watanabe Pile Orimono is particular about in its manufacturing is making towels that are good for consumers.
"We want to provide consumers with towels that remain fluffy and durable. To achieve this, we source the best cotton and consider the best processing and sewing methods."
Each and every product from Watanabe Pile Textiles is made using different materials and manufacturing methods.
"Some of our products are made by slowing down the loom speed to about one-tenth of the normal speed to make them fuller. We never choose a manufacturing method that is easier to make just for our own convenience."
Why is he able to face others to this extent? Fumio says:
"My father lost both his parents when he was in high school. At that time, he received a lot of help from the people around him, so he would often say, 'I've been blessed with good people. So I can't let others down.'"
Toshio's original experience is the basis of Watanabe Pile Fabrics' current manufacturing.
Now, several years after Toshio's death, Watanabe Pile Fabrics is steadily moving forward with the new business.
However, the "truly important things" remain unchanged and continue to be woven together.
