Gosen City in Niigata Prefecture is one of the three major white fabric production centers in Japan, along with Tango in Kyoto and Nagahama in Shiga Prefecture. YOKOSHO Co., Ltd. has been weaving only white silk (without dyeing process) for more than 100 years in this area with a long history in the textile industry. The company, which has inherited the pure water nurtured by the local climate, traditional techniques and a weaving spirit, has developed its “ROSHA-KIMONO” line of products so that the elegance and beauty of kimono fabric can easily be a part of daily life. It is a scarf made of 100% silk, both the fabric and the dyeing process of which are derived from kimono fabric. The concept is to “concentrate the beauty, grandeur and culture of kimono fabric in a single scarf” as if a “kimono you can carry around with you.” Behind the development of such a product was the recent trend moving away from kimonos. The company, therefore, reviewed the basic materials and focused on “ro” (high quality silk gauze) and “sha,” (high quality gauze) special fabrics used for summer kimonos. After four years of trial and error, the company has created a new material with unique permeability that is less than a quarter the weight of a kimono. This unique transparency, which can be transformed by wind and light, is the greatest feature of “ROSHA-KIMONO.” The manufacturing method of the fabric also inherits the know-how of kimono making, minimizing seams by weaving the fabric according to the width of the product in advance, and avoiding the production of scraps. The company also collaborated with a dyeing factory specializing in kimono to ensure the quality of dyeing, colors and patterns. The lightness of the product makes it easy to carry, and it is also attractive to people of all ages and body types. YOKOSHO Co., Ltd. hopes that these newly conceived scarves and stoles, which have the true essence of kimono, will serve as a bridge to convey the traditional beauty and wisdom of Japanese life to the world and to the future.