Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the production structure and marketing strategies of the weaving industry in the Kiryu textile production area in Gunma, central Japan. This study investigates Kiryu textile cooperatives and two representative weaving companies. From the postwar period to the 1970s, the cooperative weaving factories were under the control of the weaving firms. However, these above-mentioned firms have increasingly been located in weaving course. The Kiryu textile production area is now the main supplier to the domestic market, and sells chiefly materials for women's clothing and obi (kimono sashes). Meanwhile, the large-scale weaving companies are making separate efforts to sell textile products manufactured by external contractors who produce a wide variety of small-lot items. It is therefore important for the textile cooperatives in this area to establish a support system so that their marketing skills can be passed on to safeguard their future. (*: Naotatsu Ono, E mail: nono@cc.tuat.ac.jp)
