Nishijin is a Small to Medium-Sized Corporate Group
The shipment value of Nishijin textiles in 2023 was approximately ¥17 billion. The number of manufacturers stands at about 275. While the shipment value per company is low, a wide variety of textiles are produced.
The number of looms is approximately 2,000 power looms and about 500 hand looms and similar equipment. Furthermore, approximately 3,000 people are engaged in Nishijin textile production.
- Shipping value of Nishijin-ori products (2023): 16,955 million yen
- Number of Nishijin-ori manufacturers: 275 companies
- Number of looms: 2,504 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.