Brand Story

Founder Tadao Ikeuchi becomes independent from his family's towel company and establishes the Ikeuchi Towel Factory to produce towels exclusively for export.
At a time when bath towels were not yet widespread in Japan, the company's main products were bath towels for Europe and the United States.

Export partners, which started in the Middle East when the company was founded, move to Germany and other European countries, and orders for towel products for high-end users increase.
In 1969, Ikeuchi Towel Co. was established.

To establish a position in Europe, the leading towel production country, 24 units of the latest equipment, the TOYODA 8, are introduced at the head office and factory.
The first generation was ordered at the design drawing stage, when the actual machine did not exist.
In addition to high-density Jacquard weaving, which was difficult to achieve with conventional looms, shirring technology is introduced, and the company is recognized as a specialized export towel company that produces cutting-edge, high-quality towels. The head office becomes a bonded factory.

Seven towel-related companies, led by Yoshii Towel, establish the Y Group Cooperative and build a new dyeing and sorting factory based on a new concept that emphasizes quality.
The wastewater from the factory, where the latest wastewater treatment facilities are installed, is said to be clearer than river water.

Advocates maximum safety and minimum environmental impact.
Established own brand "IKT" to coincide with the opening of the Shimanami Sea Route. Introduced Organic Color Solid 1 (now Organic 120), which was produced with the utmost consideration for the environment and safety from raw materials to production. Initially, it was an in-house brand created for sale at a product store in Imabari.

In order to reduce the environmental impact of its production activities as much as possible, the company utilized the Green Power Certificate System to become the first company in Japan to use 100% wind power to generate electricity for its own use.
This initiative has earned the company the name "Wind Woven Towels.

Towel received the Best New Product Award at the New York Home Textile Show, which was given to only five companies out of approximately 1,000 exhibitors from 32 countries around the world. This is the first time a Japanese company has received this award.
The award was an opportunity for "IKT" to gain recognition outside of Japan.
The company's own brand expands its sales destinations, especially in the U.S. market, and becomes a staple in the finest stores in New York City. The brand's reputation overseas also expands its name recognition in Japan. For the first time, the company begins handling products outside of Imabari in Japan.

Exhibited at Decorex International in London, one of the most important exhibitions in the world of interior design.
Textile fabric woven with organic cotton and bamboo receives the Best New Award.

To bring a new way to enjoy organic cotton, the company launches Cotton Nouveau, a line of towels woven entirely from organic cotton harvested the previous fall.
Representative Ikeuchi visited Tanzania, where the cotton is produced.

Ikeuchi Towel celebrates its 60th anniversary and under the leadership of designer Kenmei Nagaoka, the company undergoes a brand renewal with a view to the next 60 years.
In order to clarify our pursuit of pure organic products, we decided to change not only the brand name but also the company name to IKEUCHI ORGANIC.
The company declares "We will create towels that babies can eat in 2073," the 120th anniversary of the company's founding.

The first flagship stores outside of Imabari opened in Tokyo in March 2014 and in Kyoto in September 2014, under the supervision of store design by Kenmei Nagaoka, as a place to directly communicate our thoughts to our customers.

Based on the idea that our products are food, we reviewed the safety of our products and became the first in the towel industry to be certified under ISO-22000, the safety standard for food factories.
The main factory is transformed from a weaving factory to a food cloth factory and produces according to the food safety standard HACCP (HACCP).

IKEUCHI ORGANIC was selected as one of the first companies to be certified as one of the "Companies that will weave the next 1000 years" by Kyoto City, which aims to encourage companies that shape a sustainable society, in recognition of its thoroughly environmentally friendly manufacturing stance.

The first "Imabari Open House" fan event is held to give customers a chance to learn more about IKEUCHI ORGANIC, including a tour of the head office factory and a hands-on experience of operating a towel loom.
Customers from all over Japan gathered in Imabari.

Started operating a traceability system that discloses the manufacturing process of cotton from the place of production to shipping by searching the QR code attached to the product; from 2020, the system will be expanded to all towel products to promote more precise manufacturing.

Aiming for a more pure organic appearance, we will switch to organic cotton for sewing threads for all towel products except for sewn products.
Succeeded in raising the purity of organic cotton in products from 99.97 to 99.99%.

A towel clinic is opened at the Imabari head office and factory to provide customers with towel maintenance services so that they can use our products for a long time.