Fascinated by Cotton — A Warm Day Spun in Tenri
(November 15, 2025 National Cotton Summit in Tenri)
1 | Encounter with Cotton
My encounter with cotton began with the desire to "use silk floss for Noto Peninsula reconstruction support products."
While searching, I met Mr. Umeda, the executive committee chair for this summit. Every time I heard his stories, the scenery of the cotton fields unfolded before my eyes, and the more I touched the various types of cotton, the more I was drawn to their softness and the hidden vitality within them.
I was drawn to their softness and the vitality hidden deep within.
Cotton plants endure the morning dew and bloom in the evening.
The sound of the breeze, the warmth of the air enveloping the cotton.
Their appearance was like a "primal landscape" that reflects the very way we humans live.
2 | What is the National Cotton Summit?
The National Cotton Summit began in Kishiwada, Osaka, in 2011, with people who grow cotton across the country gathering to aim for "improving agriculture, education, welfare, and the community through cotton."
Cotton is not only a "material" that becomes thread and cloth, but it also has the power to connect people, protect regional landscapes, and bring a "sense of purpose" to everyone from children to the elderly.
Just as a single thread connects farmers, businesses, government, education, and welfare to weave a large cloth, the Cotton Summit is a "place to spin the future."
3 | Why I came to this place
This learning experience was a warm time, as if a single thread was gently passed from someone's hand and spun to the next person, and then to the next.
What I value in the craftsmanship of noriko brand is:
Making the most of locally produced materials for local consumption
Being grateful for the blessings of the land and growing together
Creating a 7th-sector industry = a "cycle of fun and happiness"
Circular social contribution projects will become a model that supports the revival of Japan.
That conviction was further confirmed at this summit.
4 | What I realized during the presentation in the main hall
While listening to the stories of practitioners from all over the country, one conviction emerged deep in my heart.
"The revival of Japan begins with leveraging Japan's strengths."
The power to coexist with nature, regenerate what already exists, and transform it into new value through ingenuity.
The management skills and research technologies passed down in each region.
This is the underlying strength of the Japanese people, something no other country can imitate.
And what is needed to preserve this power for the future is to
create it as a "product" that can be used in daily life and expand the options.
No matter how good the technology is,
it will not be passed on without profit.
I was reminded once again that culture cannot be protected just by "making good things."
5 | The future of our hometown, connected by cotton
Through the "Menka-chan Project" at the Mikasa Co., Ltd. Nara Factory,
the community is slowly beginning to connect through cotton cultivation.
The seed-sowing festival in May.
The harvest festival in October.
The scene of people gathering with the cycle of the seasons is the very "culture" that preserves the rural landscape of our hometown for the future.
Once, Japan's textile industry was,
50% in 1990 → 1.5% now
and the sock industry shrank from 85% → 10%.
I feel that regional revitalization is not about large projects, but something born from the accumulation of these small "seed sowings."
6 | The "power of the hands" felt at the workshop
The moment I saw the hand-spun thread,
my heart was moved by its rich expression.
There are threads that stretch straight,
and threads that are born while wavering.
Each one is the person's individuality itself.
Precisely because we live in an age where everything is easily obtained,
the act of "creating with your own hands" reminds us ofthe power to stand up.
The time spent spinning thread was a precious moment where the heart unraveled,
and at the same time, it felt as if a single core was pointing toward the future.
7 | Exhibition and sales, mini-lectures, and experience booths
Cotton ginning, thread spinning, hand weaving...
Both adults and children were absorbed in the booths where they could experience the process of "how cloth is made."
This is how people in the past grew cotton,
removed the seeds, spun the thread, wove the fabric, and built their lives.
We still carry in our hands the cultural memory that awakens things of great importance.
That feeling remained in my heart.
“Smiles through the warmth of the heart”
8 | The “power of the seed” felt at the evening reception
About 150 people gathered at the reception,
where local issues, challenges, and dreams were discussed.
Everyone’s eyes held the “pride of making things by hand,” and in that atmosphere, I was suddenly called to the stage and given the opportunity to talk about why I participated.
That night,
cotton is a seed that connects people,
I felt that strongly once again.
9 | Conclusion | Continuing to Day 2
Cotton was not just a material,
it was a “seed that spins culture.”
The first day was a time when I touched upon a story where people, land, and technology connect,
and a quiet fire was lit in my heart.
The next day, I walked the land of Tenri,
on a journey to visit the history of how cotton has been nurtured in this land.
Continuing to Series ②.
#132
#Cotton
#LocalProductionForLocalConsumption
#SpinningTheFuture