Hosokawa-Tex, Inc.

Hosokawa-Tex, Inc. (細川機業株式会社) is a Japanese textile manufacturer based in Kamiichi-machi, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama. Founded in 1891, it began with silk fabrics for apparel and has since worked with rayon, cupra, nylon, polyester, aramid, carbon fiber, and paper yarn. Its products span fashion textiles, food packaging fabrics (including tea bag mesh), industrial materials, and washi (paper) cloth. The company holds FSSC 22000 certification for food packaging fabric production and launched the ORIGAMI washi-cloth product brand.

Hosokawa-Tex, Inc. was founded in 1891 as Hosokawa Kigyojo, starting with silk fabrics (habutae) for export. In 1915 it switched to French crepe (crêpe de Chine) weaving, and in 1917 established the Kamiichi factory. In 1920 it added a scouring plant, establishing integrated production of silk and rayon fabrics for export. In 1932 it succeeded in developing Bemberg georgette using Bemberg silk yarn (cupra). In 1935 it added a dyeing factory, but a fire that year destroyed most of the Kamiichi, scouring, and dyeing factories; in 1936 it established the Terada branch factory in Tateyama. On June 2, 1948, it reorganized as Hosokawa-Tex, Inc. (細川機業株式会社). In 1954 it began nylon fabric production and developed nylon crêpe de Chine; in 1955 it obtained a patent for a synthetic fiber crepe fabric manufacturing method; in 1958 it began Tetoron (polyester) fabric production. In 1964 it established the Otosugi factory, and in 1967 added a scouring plant there. In 1974 it consolidated production from the Kamiichi factory to the Otosugi factory. In 1985 it began aramid fiber fabric production; in 1990 it provided technical cooperation to Toray Textiles Europe Ltd.; in 1996 it began carbon fiber fabric production. In 2005 it began tea bag mesh fabric production; in 2009 carbonized fiber fabric and insect net fabric; in 2011 agricultural net fabric and carpet fabric; in 2015 washi cloth fabric. In 2016 it obtained FSSC 22000 certification for tea bag mesh fabric production. In 2018 it created the washi cloth product project "Origamics" and began selling washi cloth slippers, which won a Good Design Award.

A textile manufacturer with over 130 years of experience, offering high-quality fabrics from fashion textiles to precision industrial materials, with FSSC 22000-certified food packaging fabric production.

• Fashion apparel textiles

  High-grade women's apparel fabrics for Europe, the US, and Japan; kimono, yukata, and monk's robes; and high-grade fabrics for Middle Eastern ethnic costumes.

• Food packaging fabrics

  Fabrics for high-grade tea bags and beverage filters, distributed domestically and internationally; produced under FSSC 22000 certification.

• Industrial material fabrics

  Fabrics using carbon fiber, silicon carbide fiber, and aramid fiber for applications such as fishing rods, rackets, bicycles, automobiles, aircraft, F1, space development, bulletproof vests, helmets, and civil engineering/construction.

• Washi cloth

  Fabric woven from washi paper yarn made by slitting machine-made washi paper and twisting it; lightweight, highly absorbent, quick-drying, moisture-releasing, and with very low thermal conductivity.

• Miscellaneous material fabrics

  Includes carpet base fabric for housing, ink ribbon base fabric for commercial printers, insect nets, and agricultural nets.

1. 1細川機業株式会社 | 織物製造及び精練染色加工hosokawa-tex.co.jp
2. 2会社概要 | 細川機業株式会社hosokawa-tex.co.jp
3. 3織物製品 | 細川機業株式会社hosokawa-tex.co.jp