Nishimura Shouten

Minoru Nishimura, the founder of Nishimura Shouten, started the gold and silver thread and hikihaku business for the Kyoto Nishijin textiles industry in 1924. Craftsmen who design hikihaku make the base papers with skillful use of gold and silver foils. Then, craftsmen called "kiriya" cut those base papers as thin as 0.3mm wide. These thin thread yarns are handed to the "oriya" who weave them into Obi textiles.

Shuichi Nishimura, a second-generation owner took over from his father in the 1970's during the Decade of Osaka Expo, an unprecedented era of strong economic growth. With growing demand for hikihaku, he evolved the business from general gold thread manufacturing to specialized hikihaku production, expanding to 20 craftsmen and multiplying their product range.

Naoki Nishimura, the third generation and current head of the company, was brought up amidst the busy workshop and the true beauty of hikihaku. After studying business administration and three years of training with an obi wholesaler, he learned the techniques of hikihaku by practicing every day. He is now in quest of the limitless possibilities of hikihaku, designing unique works of art leveraging a wide range of skills and artistry.