Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Collaborates with Osaka Seikei College to Develop Tote Bags Dyed with Kuromatsu Charcoal
Key facts
- Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Collaborates with Osaka Seikei College to Develop Tote Bags Dyed with Kuromatsu Charcoal
- Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, in collaboration with the Department of Living Design at Osaka Seikei College, has jointly developed tote bags dyed with Kuromatsu charcoal, a specialty of the Kurokawa region. This initiative is part of an industry-government-academia collaboration, utilizing charcoal fragments to create dyes. The tote bags will be registered as a return gift for hometown tax donations in March 2026.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: April 2, 2026
Direct answer
Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, in collaboration with the Department of Living Design at Osaka Seikei College, has jointly developed tote bags dyed with Kuromatsu charcoal, a specialty of the Kurokawa region. This initiative is part of an industry-government-academia collaboration, utilizing charcoal fragments to create dyes. The tote bags will be registered as a return gift for hometown tax donations in March 2026.
- Citation
- Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Collaborates with Osaka Seikei College to Develop Tote Bags Dyed with Kuromatsu Charcoal (April 2, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- April 2, 2026
Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, in collaboration with the Department of Living Design at Osaka Seikei College, has jointly developed tote bags dyed with Kuromatsu charcoal, a specialty of the Kurokawa region. This initiative is part of an industry-government-academia collaboration, utilizing charcoal fragments to create dyes. The tote bags will be registered as a return gift for hometown tax donations in March 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 22:11
- 🔍 Collected: April 2, 2026 at 13:34
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 23:43 (322h 8m after Collected)
Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, in collaboration with the Department of Living Design at Osaka Seikei College, has jointly developed tote bags dyed with "Ichikura charcoal (Kikutan)", a specialty product of the Kurokawa area in the northern part of the city. These will be registered as a return gift for hometown tax donations in March 2026.
This initiative was carried out as part of an industry-government-academia collaboration with the Department of Living Design at Osaka Seikei College.
Charcoal fragments, which were previously unused during the production process of Kikutan in the Kurokawa area, were pulverized to nano-size to develop a dye.
Using fabric dyed with its natural color, tote bags were created utilizing the students' ideas.
They will be registered as a return gift for hometown tax donations in March 2026, so please look forward to getting your hands on one!
Reference Press
Charcoal making continuing since the Muromachi period: Kiln firing of Ichikura charcoal (Kikutan) begins in the Kurokawa area
→ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000481.000098199.html
Hometown Tax Donation Sites
Furusato Choice https://www.furusato-tax.jp/product/detail/28217/6977562
Rakuten Furusato Nozei https://item.rakuten.co.jp/f282171-kawanishi/kwndg001/
Furunavi https://furunavi.jp/product_detail.aspx?pid=1744286
FAQ
When will the tote bags dyed with Ichikura charcoal be available as a return gift for hometown tax donations?
The tote bags will be registered as a return gift for hometown tax donations in March 2026.
Which academic department partnered with Kawanishi City and Osaka Seikei College to develop the charcoal‑dyed tote bags?
The Department of Living Design at Osaka Seikei College collaborated with Kawanishi City on the tote bag project.
What traditional product from the Kurokawa area is used as the dye source for the new tote bags?
The dye is made from Ichikura charcoal, also known as Kikutan, a specialty product of the Kurokawa area in northern Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture.
How were the previously unused charcoal fragments processed to create a nano‑size dye for the fabric used in the tote bags?
The unused charcoal fragments were pulverized into nano‑size particles, forming a natural‑color dye that was applied to the tote bag fabric.
On which hometown tax donation websites will the charcoal‑dyed tote bags be listed as a return gift starting in March 2026?
The tote bags will be listed on Furusato Choice, Rakuten Furusato Nozei, and Furunavi as return gifts for hometown tax donations.