About Toyoboshi | 東洋紡糸について

The Beginnings of Cashmere Spinning in Japan
In 1879, the Osaka Prefecture Shimashimo District Spinning Company was established on land in Kuwanohara, Ishikawa Village, Shimashimo District (now Kuwanohara, Ibaraki City), Osaka Prefecture. A waterway was constructed and operations commenced with a 2,000-spindle mule spinning frame powered by a waterwheel. Over the years, the name changed to Kuwanohara Spinning Factory, then Mishima Spinning, and Mishima Spinning and Weaving, which marked the origin of today’s Toyoboshi Kogyo Co., Ltd.

In 1930, Seijiro Ohno of Osaka Woolen Spinning (later renamed Mishima Woolen) turned his attention to cashmere, which until then had been imported exclusively from Europe. He was the first in Japan to import raw cashmere from China and pioneered techniques for processing and spinning it domestically, marking the birth of cashmere spinning in Japan.

By 1940, it was obvious that the mountainous, riverside climate of Kuwanohara was ideal for cashmere production and the creation of high-quality fibers. Mishima Cashmere quickly gained renown, and the export of domestically processed cashmere to the United States marked Japan’s first-ever export of cashmere fiber.

After the end of World War II in 1945, Kikuji Kobayashi, then sales manager at Mishima Woolen, joined forces with former colleagues to purchase the Mishima Woolen Kuwanohara Factory. In 1947, he founded Toyoboshi Kogyo Co., Ltd. and became its first president. From that point, the company began full-scale production of dehaired cashmere and spun cashmere yarn, creating a legacy of craftsmanship and commitment to quality that continues to this day.

A pioneer in Japan’s spinning industry, TOYOBOSHI has been working with cashmere since before World War II. This reflects not merely many years of work, but the accumulation of skill and wisdom by craftsmen dedicated to bringing out the best in these delicate, precious natural fibers. As the natural environment and the yield of fine fibers vary from year to year, yarn production—requiring advanced techniques at every stage, from sourcing raw materials to dehairing, dyeing, and spinning—has been carefully honed over many long years.

1879

Origin of Japan’s textile industry, the Kuwanohara Bosekisho factory was founded.

Started construction in 1878 as a spinning factory using water wheels.
↓

1930

Started spinning cashmere for the first time in Japan.

↓

1934

Changed company name to Mishima Keori, Co., Ltd.

Around this time, the company led the cashmere woolen yarn industry as the largest integrated cashmere manufacturer in Japan with 80 dehairing machines, 6 spinning machines, and 10 looms.
↓

1940

Exported dehaired cashmere to the U.S.

Became the first to export cashmere in Japan.
↓

1947

Toyoboshi Kogyo Co., Ltd. was established.

Kikuji Kobayashi, later called the “Japanese cashmere king,” established Toyoboshi Kogyo Co., Ltd. in collaboration with a former Mishima Keori stakeholder.
↓

1974

Toyo Keito, Co., Ltd. was established.

Started cashmere worsted spinning.
↓

1979

Established the joint company, Tianshan Wool Tex Stock Co., Ltd. in China.

Established the joint company, Tianshan Wool Tex Stock Co., Ltd. in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uighur, China, which was the first joint Japanese – Chinese company that became the third Chinese-foreign joint company in Japan. NHK’s (Nippon Hoso Kyokai / Japan Broadcasting Corporation) news program and various newspapers featured this event as the first Japan-China joint venture based on the Law on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures.
↓

1985

Toyo Aqua, Co, Ltd. was established.

The dying department spun off to become an independent entity.
↓

2008

Started as part of a group of companies called SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD.

Toyoboshi Co., Ltd. was started as part of a group of companies called SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. It is one of the leading manufacturers of automatic flat knitting machines in the world. The company has globally expanded and promotes yarn development that matches the evolving flat knitting machine.
↓

2012

Ichinomiya office was established.

Started a textile department based in Ichinomiya, Japan’s important production area for clothing.

Company Profile
Company　 TOYOBOSHI KOGYO CO.,LTD.
CEO Yoshihiro Sakuma
Capital JPY 100,000,000

Osaka Head Office 3-3-10, Tadaokahigashi, Tadaoka-cho Senboku-gun, Osaka, 595-0805, Japan
TEL +81　725　22　3190　｜Representative｜
FAX +81　725　33　2161　｜Representative｜

Tokyo Office 8f, 2-8-6, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027, Japan
TEL +81　3　5299　4800
FAX +81　3　5299　4807

Ichinomiya Office 6-1, Noma, Sanjo, Ichinomiya-shi, Aichi, 494-0003, Japan
TEL +81　586　85　7356
FAX +81　586　62　7801

Company History
1879 Origin of Japan’s textile industry, the Kuwanohara Bosekisho factory was founded.
1930 Started spinning cashmere for the first time in Japan.
1934 Changed company name to Mishima Keori, Co., Ltd.
1940 Exported dehaired cashmere to the U.S.
1947 Toyoboshi Kogyo Co., Ltd. was established.
1974 Toyo Keito, Co., Ltd. was established.
1979 Established the joint company, Tianshan Wool Tex Stock Co., Ltd. in China.
1983 Haruki Spinning Co., Ltd. was established.　
1985 Toyo Aqua, Co, Ltd. was established.
2008 Started as part of a group of companies called SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD.
2010 Launch of our proprietary brand, CASIMICO.
2012 Ichinomiya office was established.
2024 Formed a partnership with Dall’Olio Alessandro & C. S.a.s. (Italy) as our overseas sales division.

Registered Trademarks
BABY CASHMERE TOYOBOSHI Trademark Registration No. 5897805
BABY CASHMERE TOYOBOSHI is a brand of yarn made from the downy hair of cashmere goats under 12 months old, sourced from specific areas in the east of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The brand also includes fabrics and products crafted from this yarn. This is one of the rarest raw materials in the cashmere world, supplied to only two companies globally, one of which is TOYOBOSHI.

ALASHAN Trademark Registration No. 4002295
ALASHAN products are made exclusively from cashmere from goats born and raised in specific areas of the Alxa League in the west of Inner Mongolia, which is renowned as having the finest cashmere with the best texture in all of China. This cashmere commands the highest prices in the country due to its exceptionally high quality and rarity. It’s no wonder it’s called the “cashmere of cashmeres.”

AERBASI Trademark Registration No. 3262457
AERBASI is a brand of products made from cashmere sourced from a specific area in western Inner Mongolia, known for producing the country’s most lustrous and silky fibers. Renowned for its whiteness and exceptionally smooth texture, this cashmere is considered the finest raw material—the “queen of cashmere.”

ARATTE! CASHMERE Trademark Registration No. 4678099
ARATTE! CASHMERE is a brand of washable cashmere products made using a unique processing technique developed to meet the needs of people who want to safely wash their cashmere sweaters at home. These items can be conveniently cared for by the wearer, allowing them to keep their cherished cashmere sweaters looking and feeling like new.

CASIMICO Trademark Registration No. 2467171
CASIMICO is a brand of products made using the company’s yarn.

ITOI Trademark Registration No. 5540486
ITOI is a brand of products made using the company’s yarn.

E-FILU Trademark Registration No. 5836972
E-FILU is a brand of yarn and fabrics/products made from yarn produced using the company’s proprietary spinning technology, which preserves fibers in a state as close as possible to their original form, allowing products to achieve exceptional whiteness, vivid color, and loft, while maintaining a lightfastness rating of Grade 3 or higher.。

MAYUCA Trademark Registration No. 6165133
MAYUCA is a brand of yarn made using TOYOBOSHI’s special protein coating technology, as well as fabrics and products made using it. These silk yarns are rustle-free, easily hand-washable, and finished with a special matte coating, making them easy to knit and handle.

CHESS Trademark Registration No. 6212002
CHESS is the name of a 30-count woolen-spun yarn made from virgin extra superfine Merino wool sourced from Australia. Classified as SUPER 110, this fine-count woolen yarn applies blending techniques honed over many years in cashmere spinning to create a lightweight yet voluminous yarn. By combining several carefully selected types of wool, CHESS achieves a well-balanced structure that offers strength, lightness, and a soft, resilient loft while delivering the distinctive softness, firmness, and whiteness of fine-count Merino wool.