Powerful Tools to Enhance Productivity in Manufacturing

Japan’s textile and fabric culture is a rich tapestry, woven from centuries of tradition and meticulous craftsmanship. Over time, it has evolved into a globally renowned industry, celebrated for its exceptional quality and attention to detail. Even today, Japanese textiles continue to shape and inspire global interior design trends. At Tomita, we are proud to be part of this legacy. How would you define the modern Japanese textile and fabric industry, and what do you see as its key strengths?

When I think of textiles, my mind instantly goes to wall coverings, but the core of our business is paper and natural products. In terms of techniques, we carry a deep heritage of traditions and accumulated knowledge, with our staff being true experts in their craft. However, today, this expertise is becoming less valued, as purchasing decisions are increasingly driven by price rather than quality. We are concerned about the future if we do not take steps to preserve these traditions and the knowledge that has been built over generations.

Of course, new technologies are essential, but at the same time, we must not lose the craftsmanship that has elevated Japanese companies to where they are today. On a personal level, even I no longer have a tatami floor at home, which reflects the evolving landscape of our industry. However, the philosophies and techniques behind traditional Japanese room with fusuma or tatami flooring should not be lost to time—they should be preserved for future generations to appreciate and carry forward.

As Japan’s population continues to age, fewer craftsmen remain capable of producing the kinds of products you mentioned. How is your company working to preserve these skills and the accumulated knowledge for future generations?

First, I needed to change my mindset. When it comes to wallpaper, especially in Japan, strict building regulations make innovation challenging. I wish international standards were more widely accepted here, but Japan has its own, often far more stringent requirements.

For our company’s 100th anniversary, I wanted to rethink how we approach design. I worked closely with our staff, encouraging them to set aside conventional thinking and focus purely on the material itself—to bring out its inherent quality. Washi paper, a traditional Japanese handmade paper crafted from the inner bark of the kozo tree, has a history spanning over 1,000 years. However, when viewed strictly as wallpaper, its potential becomes limited by industry constraints. I urged my team to move beyond those limitations and explore the material’s possibilities from the ground up. This shift in perspective allowed them to take a fresh approach to creation, blending tradition with innovation. It was personally challenging to change my own mindset, and equally difficult to instill that change in my employees.

My father deeply cherished washi paper. To him, it wasn’t just a material—it was something uniquely beautiful and distinctly Japanese. Under his leadership, washi was primarily used for fusuma sliding doors, but he collaborated with washi craftsman honoured by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a “Contenporary Master Craftsman” in washi dying to develop wallpaper from it. The craftsman was a true washi master, and I had the privilege of working closely with him for many years. Honestly, his work could be considered art.

I have been making washi wallpaper along with the long history and experience cultivated & story my father’s time and the knowledge of the master craftsman   I wanted to empower the younger generation to create something new for the future. At the end of the day, even craftsmen must evolve, pushing the boundaries of tradition to give birth to fresh ideas. In March 2025, we plan to

launch our latest collection, a continuation of our KOZO series. KOZO VI will bring traditional technology to life while at the sometimes-bringing sensibilities of young craftsman to life in the wondaful blessing of KOZO, and connecting then to the next generation.

Personally, I spent 10 years in Canada and the United States. After returning to Japan in 1992, I continued to travel abroad every year for more than 30 years. This experience has given me a broader perspective on beauty. Before living abroad, I never considered myself particularly skilled at recognizing beauty. However, since returning to Japan, I have come to appreciate the unique beauty of my country—one that I believe should be shared with the world.

Japan’s declining population is not only reducing the number of craftsmen available to inherit specialized skills and expertise, but it is also shrinking the domestic market. As a result, many Japanese companies are reassessing their long-term business strategies. From your perspective, what opportunities do you see emerging from this demographic shift? To what extent must you look overseas to ensure business continuity?

In the early 90s before returning to Japan, I worked at an interior design office in California. Interestingly, I used a Tomita product to gauge its reception in Beverly Hills condominiums, and fortunately, it was well received. When I eventually returned to Japan, each time I travelled to the U.S., I packed all the sample books in my suitcase to present to different design offices across the country.

Before my return, my father had already collaborated with a U.S.-based wallpaper company, treating Tomita products with the utmost care—almost like his own children. In the 1980s, he was also exporting products, but with Japan’s economic boom, he didn’t need to rely heavily on international markets. In many ways, I find it difficult to surpass what he achieved before me. However, one of the core missions he entrusted to me was to introduce Japanese beauty to the world.

I have accelerated this process, expanding our presence in overseas markets. Today, we have partners across the globe, including in Europe, the U.S., Hong Kong, Taiwan, and many other countries. This has become an essential part of our business, and I see it as my mission to fully explore the potential of global markets.

Are there specific countries or regions that you believe align particularly well with your business? What differences in preferences have you observed among your international customers?

Relatively speaking, the U.S. is a young country with a short history, especially compared to Japan. This also means the U.S. market is generally more open to new ideas and different approaches. We have found that American customers embrace our company with open arms.

When it comes to metallic leaves, we have a strong relationship with one U.S. company that welcomed our products as if they were newborns. Over time, they have retained select items and even used them as inspiration to develop their own designs. These products have been on the market for about 30 years now, yet they continue to sell well.

The UK, on the other hand, has an abundance of natural materials such as trees, bricks, and soil, which influence local design sensibilities. Their color preferences tend to align closely with those in Japan, and they also have a strong appreciation for our products. Europe, in general, has a long tradition of Do It Yourself (DIY) home improvement, with homeowners applying wallpaper themselves. Initially, it was challenging for European customers to install our wallpaper since it is untrimmed, but over time, they have learned the correct procedures to accept our wallpapers.

Our partner in the UK is a strong supporter of our products and is currently in the process of securing contracts to supply wallpaper for hotels and shops.

When it comes to international expansion, are you seeking new partnerships to enter new markets? If so, what form do these partnerships typically take?

We have established partnerships in certain countries for distribution, but I’ve been reflecting on aspects of this strategy recently. Take the U.S. market, for example—an essential area for our business. The distribution models for contract and residential markets differ significantly, and even within the U.S., each state operates differently. New York, California, or any other state each has its own distinct dynamics.

Back in the 1990s, when I was in the U.S., I would drive to design center to explore materials. But today, with the rise of the internet and social media, access to information has become much easier for younger generations. This shift has made me think more carefully about how we communicate our brand message to customers. While I appreciate having a showroom, if people don’t visit or truly experience the products, it becomes a missed opportunity. I believe that physically interacting with wallpaper—touching it and experiencing its presence in a space—is essential.

Several people have approached me about carrying our products, but as we move forward, I need to carefully consider the right approach. The world is evolving rapidly, but for me, maintaining long-standing, trusting relationships remains crucial. At the end of the day, the customer is at the core of every decision we make, and we must evaluate how each move will impact them. In some markets, working with a middleman may be the best course of action, while in others, a direct approach might be more effective.

When my father came back to join the family company in the 1960s, he travelled around the world to study and look for partner factories of wallpapers and he introduced his first imported wallpaper collection, “TOMITA’S WALLPAPER 67/68”, which we still have on display in our headquarters today. At the time, the business was a small family operation, and he visited again and again to negotiate directly with manufacturers to build direct business, establishing warehouses and handling our own deliveries to provide comprehensive, end-to-end service. He minimized the number of intermediaries to keep prices reasonable for customers—an approach I’m proud we maintained.

Now, in 2025, I have many future possibilities to consider for the company. COVID-19 was a challenging period for everyone, making it difficult to visit partners and customers. To adapt, I developed a virtual showroom, which helped introduce some of our products. While it served a purpose, we now need to take the next step in engaging with our customers and expanding our reach.

Do you believe it is essential for customers to physically touch and experience your products in person?

Who knows—maybe in the future, technology will allow us to feel, smell, touch, or even taste things virtually. But for now, experiencing products in person is almost a necessity. Seeing something on a screen simply isn’t enough.

As a contemporary interior designer, you understand that tastes evolve over time, presenting challenges for companies like yours to adapt to modern consumer preferences while staying true to your vision and brand identity. We found Art Wall LEGEND II to be a fascinating example of how traditional materials can be used in innovative ways. Could you share how your creative process allows you to adapt to modern tastes while maintaining a strong connection to traditional Japanese materials?

I still remember being very young and having the opportunity to choose the wallpaper for my room. Wallpaper has remained a strong influence on me ever since—it has the power to evoke memories of important moments in my life. Many of my ideas come from traveling and visiting places around the world, but honestly, inspiration can come from something as simple as a walk through a local park.

I recall looking at a tree in my grandfather’s house, noticing the beauty of the leaves as they fell from the branches. The colors spoke to me, and I remember rushing to turn those leaves into washi paper. In that sense, nature has always played a significant role in inspiring my designs.

What we do isn’t like painting or mixing colors, so translating the images in my mind into a final product can be challenging. However, the key is to preserve tradition and long-standing ways of thinking. Our work is about taking these valued traditions and reintroducing them in a fresh, contemporary way. At the end of the day, the most important aspect of any product is the feeling it evokes.

Could you provide a brief overview of your company’s founding and highlight some of the key milestones in its history?

The company was founded by my great-grandfather, and I am the fourth-generation executive. In 1923, he moved from Kyoto to Tokyo and established the business in the very location we are in today. Tokyo has endured numerous earthquakes and periods of devastation, yet he played a significant role in the city's redevelopment by producing traditional washi paper and for traditional sliding doors and “fusuma” brocade with gold thread used to frame hanging scrolls “kakejiku”. With the money he earned, he invested in establishing a fusuma factory—only for Tokyo to be destroyed once again. When my grandfather took over, he did an outstanding job of keeping the business alive through these challenges.

My father, interestingly, was an ice hockey player. He represented Japan as a goalkeeper in the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. During his travels, he stayed in many hotels and was struck by how different Californian interior design was from what he had seen in Japan. This experience made him think deeply about how Tomita could contribute to customers through the wallpaper business. After retiring from ice hockey in 1962, he travelled the world to begin importing wallpaper. From then on, every two years, we would curate and select wallpaper designs for our Original World Collection, tailored to the Japanese market.

In the 1980s , my father expanded the business by introducing his Japan made original designs, incorporating textiles and natural materials wallcovering. Like him, I also played ice hockey as a young man, though I didn’t compete in the Olympics. In 1983, I moved to Sskatchewan Canada to pursue ice hockey, and after two years, I relocated to Vancouver and started a business. From there, I moved to California to study interior design and later worked at an interior design firm, taking on projects in Beverly Hills and Palm Springs. However, when the Japanese economic bubble burst in 1992, I returned to Japan to join the family business.

If we were to return in 2030 for another interview, what goals or aspirations would you hope to have achieved by then?

I took over the business at 38, I’m 60 now ,In 2026, my father will turn 90. Remarkably, he still enjoys playing golf even at his age.

I remember when he handed the company over to me. I often think about the next generation of Japanese youth and how I want them to have a deeper appreciation for the beauty of Japan. I feel that I have a role to play in introducing that to them.

The introduction of KOZO VI is certainly a challenge for me. Looking ahead, one possible direction is to design a store where people can touch, feel, and experience our products in person.

I work alongside my younger brother, who is five years younger than me. Shortly after he graduated, I returned to Japan, and he spent a year in the UK before moving to Paris for three years. I don’t have children, but my brother has a son who is currently in Canada—and, amazingly, he also plays ice hockey. He’s also a black belt in judo. I remember when he was just nine years old, he told my father he wanted to be an NHL player. But he also said that if he didn’t make it, he would take over the family business.

During a recent summer vacation, he asked me to a company him to the KOZO Ⅵ product site and learn more about our business. He also spoke about how special it is that our company has now been around for over 100 years. He’s right—we are all extremely proud of what we’ve built. Business will evolve, but I’m confident that, in time, he will join the company and continue the family legacy.

No matter who leads the company, our philosophy will remain unchanged: to make our customers’ lives more comfortably. I want this company to become even more customer-oriented—a true treasure trove for all to explore.

For more information, please visit their website at: https://www.tominet.co.jp/