Nishijin is a Small to Medium-Sized Corporate Group
In 2008, Nishijin textile exports accounted to over ¥800 billion. That value is comparable to some of Japan’s largest textile companies. However, among the approximate 460 different existing manufacturing companies, we are a relatively small one. Equipment statistics include about 3,600 looms and about 1,200 hand machines. The amount of people that are directly and indirectly engaged in our business is roughly 30,000 people.
- Shipments of Nishijin Textile Product (2010): ¥81,779,632,000 (approximately $81 billion)
- Nishijin Textile Production Sites: 465 facilities
- Number of Looms: 4,783 units
Nishijin & the Development of Division of Labor
In order to meet our high quality standards, there are many prepartory steps that are taken. For example, certain processes such as the weaving process are all allocated by division of labor. Graphic designers, Jacquard card designers, twisted yarns & heddle industries all work independently but are related through their interactions with each other. These independent industries share their skills to create unparallel products in the region of what is known as Nishijin.
Thus, the division of labor is highly developed and utilized in the Nishijin production region.
The 3 Different Kinds of Nishijin Production Facilities
Nishijin production facilities can be sorted into the following 3 categories:
- Production facilities that produce products entirely in-house.
- Production facilities that produce products utilizing 3rd-party help.
- Production facilities that utilize both 3rd-party help and in-house production.
3rd-party help: Textile manufacturers will occasionally will entrust the weaving to sub-contract factories. This is often seen in the Tango district as well as the city of Kyoto.