Spring, the season of delightful sunshine, has arrived.
In this coming season, where the temperature varies from day to day, there is growing interest in our stores in hand-held fans.
Folding fans are used from early spring to late summer and are an attractive accessory due to their ability to be easily carried. Not only do they keep you cool, but they can also be enjoyed as a fashion accessory. In the past few years, they’ve become a midsummer staple for beating the ongoing heat waves.
We would like to introduce some of our most popular fans from Nishikawa Shoroku Shoten.
What's Nishikawa Shouroku Shoten?
Nishikawa Shoroku Shoten was founded in 1585 in Omi Hachiman.
It is what we now call a "select store" that has been in business for about 400 years, since the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
It handled high quality goods from all over Japan in Osaka and Edo.
Riemon, the eldest son of the Omi merchant Sukichi Nishikawa Kan'emon I, purchased a horse and carried many loads of goods back and forth along the Tokaido Highway to Edo. He is said to have amassed a fortune by peddling tatami mats, borders, mosquito nets, etc., and later opened a store in Nihonbashi, Edo (present-day Tokyo).
The company's credit-first business practices were so highly regarded that it was even contracted to replace the tatami mats in the Honmaru and Nishinomaru areas of Edo Castle. At a time when there was no nationwide distribution system for goods, merchants had to establish their credibility with ideas, energy, and conviction.
Nishikawa Shoroku Shoten continues to offer goods of excellence that have endured in Japan for use in modern life, based on the teaching that "in business, it is more important to look further ahead than at immediate profits".
Today, folding fans are the company's mainstay products.
Multicolored Fan
First of all, we would like to introduce an impactful fan with a tri-colored design.
This gorgeous design, beautiful and simple in form, looks great as a colorful addition to simple fashion.
Beige, green, and orange are the most popular colors in our stores, both for domestic and international customers.
It features a stylish combination of vivid colors based on calm earth colors.
→Multicolored Fan
Gradient Fan
This fan has ribs made of bamboo, dyed in a slightly contrasting color.
The thin, uniform lines drawn on the edge of the fan are a traditional technique called "shikibunkin".
The delicate gradation is created by hand by paper fan craftsmen in Kyoto and Shiga.
The shape of the fan, called "tanji", is characterized by its long and flexible ribs, which give it a graceful and soft feel.
→Gradient Fan
Okayama Denim Fan
And this fan is a collaboration with Japan Blue, a jeans manufacturer in Kojima, Okayama Prefecture.
As you can see when you touch it, it is made of 8 oz. thick denim fabric and creates a strong airflow.
Due to its large size and rugged charm, it is the perfect option for men. It has become a standard favorite for Father's Day every year!
The red ear selvedge on the edge of the fan and the non-washed dark indigo blue, produced by hand by one of the few Japanese cloth fan craftsmen, make this a gift for that person who is particular about his or her work.
→Okayama Denim Fan
We have more Nishikawa Shoroku Shoten fans in our stores and online store. They are very popular items, so if you find a color you like, please purchase as soon as possible!
