Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and Organisation for Small Business Support decide on 84 companies to exhibit at Expo

It was featured in the 27 May 2025 issue of Senken Shimbun.

We will introduce Nishijin Okamoto’s challenge, which was featured in Senken Shimbun, and the potential of the new Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade, which combines tradition and innovation.

The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency and the Organisation for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation (SME Support Centre) have selected 84 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in the Osaka-Kansai Expo from 3rd to 7th October.

The theme of the event is ‘Leveraging the strengths of SMEs to tackle social issues and move forward into the future,’ and SMEs from various regions, including textile and fashion companies, will showcase their future-oriented products, services, and technologies through experiential exhibitions.

The participating companies were selected through a process that included recommendations from regional support organisations, applications from companies, and a review by an external panel of experts.

Among the 84 small and medium-sized companies selected, Nishijin Okamoto (Okamoto Textiles) will exhibit interior products (high-quality tapestries made from Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade).

Among the 84 companies exhibiting products that utilise regional characteristics and innovative technologies, Okamoto Orimono will display Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade tapestries that combine contemporary design and traditional techniques, created in collaboration with the young manga artist unit ‘ぐらにゅーとー Guranyuto’.

They are young university students who form a unit called ‘Guranyuto.’ Their dynamic manga art will be woven into fabric using traditional Nishijin-ori techniques, creating new value. This collaborative tapestry is an attempt to take a contemporary approach to Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade, with the aim of conveying the new appeal of traditional techniques to the world. We are currently working hard on its production.

We are preparing to showcase the work of our craftsmen at the Osaka Kansai Expo exhibition. This tapestry is woven using the combined expertise of many skilled craftsmen living in Nishijin. At the Osaka Kansai Expo, we will not only display a single piece of our product, but also introduce the work of the craftsmen themselves. This will be an opportunity to see the manufacturing process of Nishijin weaving up close.

Please come and experience the appeal of Nishijin-ori Kinran Brocade, which combines tradition and innovation, proposed by Nishijin Okamoto at the Expo venue. We will offer a special experience that can only be enjoyed during the exhibition period.

We will notify you again once the exhibition details have been finalised, so please wait for further information.