In the small town Omori in Ohda city, Shimane Prefecture, with a population of around 400 people, is the home of a World Heritage Site, Iwamiginzan. Here, a company conducts its business rooted in the local community. They run the lifestyle brand 'Iwamiginzan Gungendo', known as Iwami Ginzan Lifestyle Culture Research Institute Co., Ltd. They aspire to create a 'lifestyle with roots'. By proposing ways of life in Omori town through their products, they provide an opportunity to rethink the richness and pleasure of life in different regions.
We conducted interviews with three company representatives: company director, Yukiko Mineyama, and project managers, Rina Yanagisawa and Shoko Handa. They shared insights about the charm of Gungendo's products and their passion towards craftsmanship.
PROFILE
Yukiko Mineyama
Director, Iwami Ginzan Lifestyle Culture Research Institute Co., Ltd.
She is the second daughter of Daikichi Matsuba and Tomi, the founder of Gungendo.
She started living in Iwami Ginzan from the age of 3, and began to think about the lifestyle and the charm of rural living while living in the United States and Kanto, upon entering high school.
In 1999, she joined 'Iwami Ginzan Lifestyle Culture Research Institute Co., Ltd.'.
After working as a store staff and planner, she has been serving as the Managing Director since 2023.
While enjoying life in Iwami Ginzan, she is sharing with the world about living a prosperous lifestyle.
PROFILE
Left）Rina Yanagisawa, Right）Shoko Handa
Left）Rina Yanagisawa
Designer, Craftsman Department, Iwami Ginzan Lifestyle Culture Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Right）Shoko Handa
Textile Designer, Craftsman Department, Iwami Ginzan Lifestyle Culture Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Preserving Craftsmanship to Produce Comfortable Clothing
'Iwamiginzan Gungendo' was established in 1988. According to Mineyama, the business started with her parents, Daikichi and Tomi Matsuba, traveling around selling handmade goods.Mineyama"Back then, my mother, who was not accustomed to using a sewing machine, loved designing. She designed by cutting and pasting cloth using adhesive and scissors, and completed the products with the help of skilled craftsmen. At that time, they were making lifestyle goods like bags, pouches, and aprons. It wasn’t until she was in her 40s when she started thinking, 'What kind of clothes would I want to wear?' and, 'I want clothes that allow me to be myself,' that she started making clothes."
In Omori town, buildings line up along a single winding narrow street. Many of the buildings were built during the Edo period, and the surrounding nature is abundant.
Gungendo opened its first store in Omori town, where one can feel the town's historic and natural charm, which seems to be reflected in their apparel.
"In addition to color and material choices, at the beginning, buttons were attached in a curved line to represent winding roads, and the fabric was loosely woven to add expressions to the material.
"Since my mother had no prior education in clothing design and manufacturing, she conveyed what she wanted by drawing pictures of the clothes she wanted to wear, and the patterns were created by professional pattern makers."
Being able to compact the charm of the town into a unique piece of clothing is a defining characteristic. While these designs were realized due to Tomi's creativity, Mineyama suggests that the town's relative isolation also played a part, stating, "It was a good thing there was nothing in town."
Mineyama"Nowadays we have the internet and social media, you can get information from anywhere. However, up until about 10 years ago, there was almost no apparel information in Omori town.
"Because Omori town is nestled in the mountains, improved internet speed is a fairly recent advancement, making it difficult to obtain information. However, I believe this environment was the reason unique ideas were born."
Gungendo started with miscellaneous goods but now has expanded to variety of products themed around 'clothing, food, housing, and beauty'. Majorly focusing on women's clothing in their apparel section, they sell their products at around 30 stores nationwide in addition to an online shop.
"Since we mainly set up shop in department stores, our customers were mostly those in their 60s and 70s. To attract customers from other age demographics, we started focusing on producing items that can be used in daily life about a year ago.
"The strength of Gungendo's is the "fun of fabric", so we plan to continue working with original fabric to reach out to a broader range of generations."
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