The Town of Sayama Tea Adorns Itself with Japan's Traditional Color 'Indigo'. Iruma City Selects Grand Prize Winner in the '10th Echizen-Ori Neck Strap Design Contest'
Key facts
- The Town of Sayama Tea Adorns Itself with Japan's Traditional Color 'Indigo'. Iruma City Selects Grand Prize Winner in the '10th Echizen-Ori Neck Strap Design Contest'
- Iruma City wins Grand Prize in the 'Echizen-Ori Design Contest' for its Sayama Tea PR neck strap.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: March 31, 2026
Direct answer
Iruma City wins Grand Prize in the 'Echizen-Ori Design Contest' for its Sayama Tea PR neck strap.
- Citation
- The Town of Sayama Tea Adorns Itself with Japan's Traditional Color 'Indigo'. Iruma City Selects Grand Prize Winner in the '10th Echizen-Ori Neck Strap Design Contest' (March 31, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- March 31, 2026
Iruma City wins Grand Prize in the 'Echizen-Ori Design Contest' for its Sayama Tea PR neck strap.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 03:00
- 🔍 Collected: March 30, 2026 at 21:46
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 10:35 (372h 49m after Collected)
Following the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, Saitama Prefecture's Iruma City is focusing its efforts on promoting "Sayama Tea," one of Japan's three major famous teas. Recently, an original neck strap designed by Iruma City was selected as one of the Grand Prize winners (10 winners) out of 188 entries in the "10th Echizen-Ori Neck Strap Design Contest." Utilizing the technology of "Echizen-Ori," a local industry in Fukui Prefecture that boasts the top domestic share in woven labels, patches, and woven tapes, the neck strap embodying Iruma City's aspirations has been completed.

■ Award Overview
・Contest Name: 10th "Echizen-Ori" Neck Strap Design Contest 2025
・Winning Work: To Sayama Tea of the World
・Total Entries: 188 (10 Grand Prize winners)
・Organizer: Echizen-Ori Cooperative Association

■ Reason for Deliberately Not Choosing the Tea Color "Green"
The limited 20mm width features designs of the traditional Japanese pattern "Yagasuri" (arrowhead pattern), tea flowers, the city's mascot character "Iru-Tea," and the city's purpose (To create and pass down a "future original landscape" where people can live with rich hearts).
As a producing region of Sayama Tea, Iruma City would typically choose "green," which is associated with tea. However, this time, due to the city's strong desire to "let the world know about Japanese traditions," they deliberately omitted green and adopted "indigo blue," a traditional Japanese color.

■ Reproducing Complex Designs Through Weaving
FAQ
What is Sayama Tea?
Sayama Tea is one of Japan's three major famous teas, produced in the Sayama region, primarily in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture.
What is Echizen-Ori?
Echizen-Ori is a traditional textile weaving technique from Fukui Prefecture, Japan, known for its high-quality woven labels, patches, and woven tapes. It is a leading domestic industry in these products.
Why did Iruma City choose indigo blue instead of green for the neck strap?
Iruma City chose indigo blue, a traditional Japanese color, instead of green (the typical color associated with tea) to emphasize their strong desire to introduce Japanese traditions to the world.
What is the significance of the 'Yagasuri' pattern on the neck strap?
The 'Yagasuri' (arrowhead) pattern is a traditional Japanese motif. Its inclusion on the neck strap, along with other elements like tea flowers and the city's mascot, aims to represent Japanese tradition.
What is Iruma City's purpose mentioned in the article?
Iruma City's purpose is stated as 'To create and pass down a "future original landscape" where people can live with rich hearts.'