Hello everyone. I have a question for you: are you familiar with the textile production area known as Bishu?

The Bishu region, centered around Ichinomiya, Inazawa, Tsushima, Konan, and Nagoya cities in Aichi Prefecture, and Hatori city in Gifu Prefecture, is Japan's largest wool textile production area, accounting for 80% of domestic production. It is a globally renowned textile production region, along with Biella in Italy and Huddersfield in England, and is considered one of the world's three major textile production areas.

A universally recognized characteristic of areas with excellent fabric production is "water." Biella in Italy is located at the foot of the Alps, and its high-quality water has given rise to Ermenegildo Zegna, Loro Piana, and Canonico. Huddersfield in England is located at the confluence of the Cornet and Holm rivers, and is home to tailor and lodge Edwin Woodhouse and William Halstead. Similarly, the Bishu region of Japan has the Kiso River, a first-class river, and its soft water, suitable for dyeing and finishing yarns and textiles, has greatly contributed to the development of the Bishu region's fabric industry.

So, this time, we'd like to introduce suits and slacks made from fabric woven by a weaving company called "Nakaden Keori" in the Bishu region.



The photo above shows trousers and a suit made from 100% wool gabardine fabric, a design created as an original product for Mitsukoshi Isetan. Gabardine is characterized by its durability, luster, and unique drape due to its moderate firmness and body, but we have added natural stretch to improve comfort.




When you hear the word tweed, you might have the image of it being "cool but itchy," right? This tweed fabric has been modified during the yarn-making process, significantly improving the traditional "feel" of the material. It retains a firm texture while achieving a soft and comfortable feel. You'll especially notice the difference when you wear the slacks, which come into direct contact with your skin.



Next time, we will continue our introduction to Bishu.