Entrusting the Future to a Small Toothpick. Kikusui Sangyo's Dream is to Connect Kawachinagano's Local Industry of "Domestic Toothpicks" to the Next Era.

Our company endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day for announcing dreams. This press release is the dream of Kikusui Sangyo Co., Ltd.

Purely domestic toothpicks

We want to preserve the toothpick, a local industry of Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, for the next generation.

That is our heartfelt wish at Kikusui Sangyo.

Toothpicks are very small. But each one embodies the history of the region, inherited techniques, and the time and pride of people who have dedicated themselves to manufacturing. Precisely because it is a tool used as a matter of course, the industry behind it is not yet widely known. First, we want to further raise awareness of toothpicks as a local industry in Kawachinagano City.

One of these initiatives is the promotion of November 24th as "Good Toothpick Day" by the Japan Toothpick Association. This anniversary was established last year by the Japan Anniversary Association.

Anniversary registration certificate

Upon its establishment, the association paid a courtesy visit to the Mayor of Kawachinagano City, and the event was covered by the Asahi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun, which helped raise interest in the local industry.

Furthermore, on the day itself, we conducted a "Good Toothpick Day" campaign on X, including a giveaway, and many people participated with enjoyment.

For us, it was an experience that made us realize how much a small item like a toothpick could move people's hearts and attract interest as a regional industry, simply by how it is communicated. That's why this year, we want to further expand this momentum. We want to transform toothpicks from "just something to use" into a local industry that Kawachinagano City can be proud of, something that people can't help but talk about. To achieve this, we are planning an event that will involve even more people and be even more exciting than last year.

Currently, only two companies nationwide still produce domestically made toothpicks of the common shape. Among them, our company is the last one continuing this manufacturing as a local industry. If the flame of this work, rooted in the community, carried out by hand, and passed down through generations, were to be extinguished, it would not be easy to restore it in the same form. That's why we want to make this industry not something that "must be protected," but a job that we can proudly pass on to the future.

When the University of Tokyo visited

For this purpose, the industry-academia collaboration with the University of Tokyo, which we are currently pursuing, is also a very important challenge for us. For the survival of domestic toothpicks, it is crucial not only to expand new possibilities but also to preserve existing technologies. Many of the machines that have supported our manufacturing are old equipment that has been used for many years, and no blueprints remain.

This is because the number of manufacturing businesses, which was 30 at its peak, has decreased, and machine manufacturers have also gone out of business. We are currently managing repairs ourselves, but if a machine breaks down completely and we don't understand its structure, we might not be able to repair or reproduce it, which could halt manufacturing itself. In other words, there is a serious reality in this industry that if it breaks, it might be the end. We are asking the University of Tokyo to proceed with the work of disassembling and examining such machines to confirm their structure and preserve them as blueprints.

Meeting with the University of Tokyo

In addition, they are investigating what kind of parts are used, whether they are readily available off-the-shelf products, or if new production needs to be commissioned. This is not just a machine survey; it is an initiative to pass on potentially lost technology to the future.

And on that foundation, we want to pursue even newer challenges. Currently, the main raw material for domestic toothpicks is white birch, but our goal is to be able to manufacture toothpicks from other types of wood as well. While preserving existing technology, we will also challenge ourselves with new materials. If both can be achieved, we believe this industry will not just "survive" but become an industry that can "advance into the future."

Furthermore, we feel that there is new potential not only in toothpicks themselves but also in the materials generated during the manufacturing process. When we posted on social media about the white birch shavings produced during the making of domestic toothpicks, we received a great response from farmers. In fact, a farmer from Nara Prefecture inquired and came to pick them up, and farmers from neighboring cities also directly asked us to "sell them," indicating that their use in compost making is already becoming a reality. Additionally, for purely domestic Kuromoji toothpicks, we are developing products that utilize unusable branches and waste materials. The fact that materials that were previously just by-products of the manufacturing process are now gaining new value and actually reaching those who need them is a great hope for the manufacturing site. Utilizing materials without waste and expanding the possibilities of the industry is also one of the dreams we want to realize.

Domestic toothpick shavings

Domestic Kuromoji toothpick waste material

On the other hand, looking around, Japanese manufacturing is facing increasingly severe challenges. They want to continue but cannot. They want to preserve but cannot. Such realities are certainly spreading. That's why we don't want to make local industries "jobs with an uncertain future." Rather, we want to make them jobs that young generations would want to do, as aspirational professions.

To that end, Kikusui Sangyo is not only protecting toothpick manufacturing but also established Tetote Co., Ltd. to deliver the charm of manufacturing and local industries across Japan to overseas markets, expanding sales channels and possibilities. (Press release here)

Tetote Co., Ltd.

Protecting Kawachinagano's toothpicks and creating new opportunities for Japanese manufacturing as a whole are initiatives that lead to the same future for us. Being involved in local industries is cool. Continuing manufacturing leads to the future. We want to increase the number of young people who feel this, even by one. We want Kawachinagano's toothpicks and the work of creators across Japan to be more widely known and needed. We are also focusing on social media outreach, with a total of approximately 140,000 followers across our SNS channels. By leveraging both this communication power and new initiatives through Tetote, we want to convey the interestingness and depth of the small toothpick, and the potential of Japanese manufacturing, to even more people.

Our dream is not just to sell toothpicks. It is to connect Kawachinagano's local industry to the future. To leave hope for Japanese manufacturing. And to create a society where the next generation can dream about this work.

This year, we will further expand the "Good Toothpick Day" initiative and concretely pave the way for the future of domestic toothpicks through both technical succession and new applications. Because it's a small toothpick, there are things it can do. There's a future that can only begin with a small toothpick. Kikusui Sangyo will continue to deliver the technology and pride embedded in toothpicks to society. And someday, we genuinely want to realize a future where local industries are chosen not as something to "protect," but as "aspirational jobs."

Akemi Suenobu, Representative Director

Kikusui Sangyo Co., Ltd. Representative Director Akemi Suenobu

Behind each small toothpick lies the history and technology of the region. I want to make this work not a "dying industry," but a job that the next generation can dream about. To that end, I will continue to communicate and challenge myself.

Company Description

Kikusui Sangyo Co., Ltd.

Head Office Location: 248 Takamuko, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture

Representative: Akemi Suenobu, Representative Director

Established: July 1983

Business Activities: Manufacturing of domestic toothpicks (white birch round shaft) and domestic Kuromoji toothpicks / OEM and wholesale / Handling of Japanese manufactured goods / Import and wholesale of overseas products

Corporate Website: https://kikusuisangyo.co.jp/

Awards (partial): "PR TIMES Press Release Award 2022 Story Award," "CAMPFIRE Crowdfunding Award 2022 Kinki Area Award," "10th Female Presidents' Choice Award for Female Presidents 2023 'J300 Award' Semi-Grand Prize"

Media Achievements (partial): [Nippon TV (national broadcast)] (July 2024) "news every." — [Yuki Saito's Keywords: April Dream, local industry, industry-academia collaboration, SDGs, Osaka, cross-border EC