[Yamato Co., Ltd.] 'Minsa Obi Month' to Share Okinawa Yaeyama's Traditional Textile
Yamato Co., Ltd. has designated May 2026 as 'Minsa Obi Month' to promote the traditional Okinawan textile 'Minsa Obi', hosting events in Shibuya where creators and consumers can interact.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 19:00
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Yamato Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Takayuki Yajima), a company operating specialty kimono stores, will implement various projects designating May 2026 as 'Minsa Obi Month' as an initiative to broadly share the charm of the 'Minsa Obi', a traditional textile woven in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture.
During this period, coinciding with 'Minsa Day' on May 4th, the company will host 'Sanchi Fes' (Production Region Festival), an event where creators from the production area and visitors can meet and experience the background of craftsmanship. Additionally, they will hold the 'Minsa Obi Contest', where obi woven by creators from the Yaeyama Islands will be exhibited and awarded based on visitor voting.
In 2026, the event will be held at the Yamato Co., Ltd. headquarters building in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, welcoming creators from the production regions. It will be implemented as an event where visitors can feel the charm of Japanese craftsmanship up close by providing opportunities to interact directly with the creators.
This project is co-hosted with the Kimono no Mori Foundation. By multiplying the relationships Yamato has built with production regions and the Foundation's activities aimed at inheriting and developing kimono culture, the goal is to broadly share the charm of the Minsa Obi, a traditional Okinawan textile, and connect the skills and passion of the production regions and creators to the next generation.
About Minsa Obi Month
Minsa is a traditional textile woven in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture.
The five and four kasuri patterns woven into the obi carry the sentiment, 'May we live happily together forever (itsu-no-yo-mademo)', and it is also called the 'textile of love'.
In the Yaeyama Islands, located about 400km from the main island of Okinawa, centered around Ishigaki Island, Taketomi Island, and Iriomote Island, it is still woven by hand one by one using cotton threads dyed with natural dyes made from plants growing wild on the islands.
Yamato Co., Ltd. is holding 'Minsa Obi Month' coinciding with 'Minsa Day' on May 4th to share the charm of such traditional textiles with more people.
During the period, we will broadcast the charm of kimono and the value of Japanese handiwork through projects that touch upon the craftsmanship and cultural background of the production regions.
'Sanchi Fes' Held
- An event to meet creators and learn about craftsmanship -
'Sanchi Fes' is an event where you can meet creators from kimono production regions (sanchi) across Japan and experience the charm of craftsmanship.
At the venue, we will invite creators from regions that received voices saying 'I want to know more' in questionnaires, and carry out work exhibitions and introductions to their craftsmanship.
We aim for a place where not only Minsa creators but also kimono creators from all over Japan gather, connecting various people—those with a high interest in handiwork, those interested in kimono, those who love dyeing and weaving, and those who enjoy kimono—through 'kimono and craftsmanship'.
Backed by the relationships built so far with production regions by the Kimono no Mori Foundation and Yamato Co., Ltd., we will connect the charm of Japanese craftsmanship to the future by creating opportunities for creators and consumers to meet directly.
Minsa Obi Contest
- The future of Minsa, connected through visitor voting -
During this period, coinciding with 'Minsa Day' on May 4th, the company will host 'Sanchi Fes' (Production Region Festival), an event where creators from the production area and visitors can meet and experience the background of craftsmanship. Additionally, they will hold the 'Minsa Obi Contest', where obi woven by creators from the Yaeyama Islands will be exhibited and awarded based on visitor voting.
In 2026, the event will be held at the Yamato Co., Ltd. headquarters building in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, welcoming creators from the production regions. It will be implemented as an event where visitors can feel the charm of Japanese craftsmanship up close by providing opportunities to interact directly with the creators.
This project is co-hosted with the Kimono no Mori Foundation. By multiplying the relationships Yamato has built with production regions and the Foundation's activities aimed at inheriting and developing kimono culture, the goal is to broadly share the charm of the Minsa Obi, a traditional Okinawan textile, and connect the skills and passion of the production regions and creators to the next generation.
About Minsa Obi Month
Minsa is a traditional textile woven in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture.
The five and four kasuri patterns woven into the obi carry the sentiment, 'May we live happily together forever (itsu-no-yo-mademo)', and it is also called the 'textile of love'.
In the Yaeyama Islands, located about 400km from the main island of Okinawa, centered around Ishigaki Island, Taketomi Island, and Iriomote Island, it is still woven by hand one by one using cotton threads dyed with natural dyes made from plants growing wild on the islands.
Yamato Co., Ltd. is holding 'Minsa Obi Month' coinciding with 'Minsa Day' on May 4th to share the charm of such traditional textiles with more people.
During the period, we will broadcast the charm of kimono and the value of Japanese handiwork through projects that touch upon the craftsmanship and cultural background of the production regions.
'Sanchi Fes' Held
- An event to meet creators and learn about craftsmanship -
'Sanchi Fes' is an event where you can meet creators from kimono production regions (sanchi) across Japan and experience the charm of craftsmanship.
At the venue, we will invite creators from regions that received voices saying 'I want to know more' in questionnaires, and carry out work exhibitions and introductions to their craftsmanship.
We aim for a place where not only Minsa creators but also kimono creators from all over Japan gather, connecting various people—those with a high interest in handiwork, those interested in kimono, those who love dyeing and weaving, and those who enjoy kimono—through 'kimono and craftsmanship'.
Backed by the relationships built so far with production regions by the Kimono no Mori Foundation and Yamato Co., Ltd., we will connect the charm of Japanese craftsmanship to the future by creating opportunities for creators and consumers to meet directly.
Minsa Obi Contest
- The future of Minsa, connected through visitor voting -