LOVE Sanuki's report

The 40th glove

One of the major projects of Yoshimoto, "A project to live in your town", to make Japan feel good from the area. Entertainer "Kaji Tsuyoshi" who lives in Kagawa reports on local products.

Higashikagawa City has prospered as a glove town since the Meiji era.
Production in this region accounts for about 90% of national production.
This time, I visited Higashikagawa City and reported on the history of gloves and the manufacturing process.
Kaji-san, the gloves are presented and the tension is up!

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  The appeal of Higashikagawa is its excellent quality.

  Mr. Kaji came to the glove museum of the Japan Glove Industry Association. It is located near Higashikagawa City Hall, about 10 minutes on foot from JR Sanuki Shiratori Station.Mr. Ohara, the secretary general of the glove museum, greeted us.When you enter the museum, various gloves are displayed. “There are many kinds, but are they all made in Higashikagawa City?” Kaji immediately asked. "Yes. We manufacture almost all kinds of gloves for cold protection, fashion, and sports. Our domestic production volume is the largest in Japan. Even from a global perspective, we are proud to say that we are one of the top producers." The feature of Higashikagawa City is, above all, excellent quality,” says Ohara.Kaji-san, I'm very curious about that charm.

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  We also produce gloves for many famous athletes.

  "Huh! Are you making these too?" Mr. Kaji looked surprised and saw the sports gloves of a famous athlete.Gloves such as Ota, the gold medalist of the Fencing World Championship, and Gen Kanemoto, a professional baseball player, are lined up.Mr. Ohara told me, "This is only a small part. We also make products for major leaguers and professional golfers."This is proof that Higashikagawa City's glove manufacturing technology is supported.Higashikagawa City is said to have developed as a glove kingdom in 1888 with the manufacture of knitted gloves by Shunrei Futago.After that, a glove company was established, and the foundation as an industry was established due to special procurements during the First World War.Thanks to the efforts of many of our predecessors, we continue to maintain our nationwide market share.

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  Always be careful with water when using leather products.

  The glove museum also has an outlet shop.Making use of the sewing technology cultivated in the production of gloves, we also make bags and wallets, and sell not only gloves but also various leather products. "It's popular because we offer high-quality items at low prices. Mr. Kaji, please choose your favorite gloves. I'll give you a present!" "Are you sure? Thank you!" A big smile. “This is a leather product, so be careful with water. If it gets wet, remove it immediately and dry it in the shade. The key is to remove the moisture before shaping it. I also received advice on handling from Mr.

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  Handcrafted with attention to detail.

  Next, we visited the tumugu studio of San Ace Co., Ltd. in Shikoku and observed the manufacturing site.The process is divided into three stages: cutting, sewing, and finishing.Mr. Okada, the guide, explained each point. “Different materials stretch and contract differently, so we cut them according to that. In sewing, we combine the cut patterns and sew them together. I can't, so I use high-performance Japanese sewing machines."And finally the finish. “The finishing touches are like makeup, which is delivered to the customer in a clean state. We adjust the shape and put it in a bag, all of which is done by hand,” says Okada.Mr. Kaji was fascinated by the depth of the carefully crafted gloves.

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Past reports

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  No. 80 Olive Hamachi

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  70th White Miso

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  Fall 2007

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  The second olive hamachi