Moved by Watanabe Textile’s distinctive brand identity and its philosophy of craftsmanship, BELLUSTAR TOKYO reached out in 2024 to propose a collaboration. Mr. Watanabe says he readily accepted—partly because BELLUSTAR TOKYO is housed in the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, a building designed by architect Yuko Nagayama, whose work had already caught his attention—and also because the theme was “Sakura Upcycling.” As it happened, this coincided with the time when he first began taking an interest in botanical dyeing, especially with cherry blossoms.

The first outcome of the collaboration was Japanese fans dyed with cherry blossoms. However, unlike the threads he usually works with, botanical-dyed threads proved far from easy to handle.

Mr.Watanabe:“Normally, threads arrive wound on paper tubes, but since these were hand-dyed, I received them in skeins and had to wind them myself. In the process, more lint appeared than I had anticipated, and it proved more labor-intensive than expected. On top of that, there was a sense of responsibility and tension in working with cherry blossoms—a resource so scarce and precious.”

Even so, when he finally held the finished fan in his hands, he says he was astonished by the result, thinking, ‘We’ve truly created something beautiful.”

In 2025, the second phase of the “Sakura Upcycle Project” began with the creation of scarves dyed with cherry blossoms. For the material, Watanabe Textile combined its specialty, cupro, with lambswool sourced from Australia. The dyeing was entrusted to futashiba248, a workshop in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, run by the Seki couple—who, in fact, had been Mr. Watanabe’s first mentors when he attended a botanical dyeing workshop.

Mr.Watanabe:“For me, they represent something like a starting point in botanical dyeing. Being able to turn to them for advice again this time was deeply reassuring.”

Rather than a simple plain weave, the scarves use a double-layered structure. They are designed to allow for the natural shrinkage that occurs after washing, resulting in a unique texture.

The scarves were woven on a dobby loom that has been in continuous use for over 40 years. Mr. Watanabe says he continues to maintain and use it with great care, because it feels “like an extension of his body” when he works.

Once focused on OEM production, Fujiyoshida’s textile industry is now seeing more workshops—like Watanabe Textile—increasingly launching their own brands.

Mr.Watanabe:“Even when producing for well-known brands, your name never appears—that’s the nature of OEM. That’s why it was difficult for people to understand what kind of production area Fujiyoshida truly was.”

Government support and the effective use of social media have also provided a strong tailwind, with younger generations finding new value in the hometown industry.

Mr.Watanabe:“We’re currently running an industry–academia collaboration project with Tokyo Zokei University, and an increasing number of students who participated in the project have chosen to work in Fujiyoshida after graduation. Recently, we’ve also seen a rise in inquiries about internships and factory visits.”

In recent years, a growing number of inbound visitors have been drawn to the townscape framed by Mt. Fuji and to its rich textile heritage.

Mr.Watanabe:“We’re often asked by overseas visitors, ‘Do you have anything made with botanical dyeing?’ I feel that, more than Japanese customers, they tend to find greater value in things derived from nature.

“Making the most of what we receive from nature—without letting it go to waste—is the foundation of our approach to craftsmanship. The ‘Scarves Dyed with Cherry Blossoms that Decorated the Hotel’ were created with that spirit in mind. We hope that those who use them will connect with that spirit, along with the memories of their journey.”

The “Scarves Dyed with Cherry Blossoms that Decorated the Hotel” embody Watanabe Textile’s sincere commitment to seeking harmony with nature and weaving a vision for the future. We invite you to discover them firsthand during your visit to BELLUSTAR TOKYO.

Please refer to this article for more about topics
→『Sustainability Committee Interview』

→ BELLUSTAR TOKYO’s cherry blossom decorations reborn as folding fans
→ Transforming discarded cherry blossoms and branches into something new