Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

The paper sheds light on recent developments of the obi silk-weaving industry in the Nishijin district in Kyoto. Based on rich interview data, the paper maps change and continuity in the industry and explains the findings referring to concepts from the economic sociology and economics literature.

Paper long abstract

This paper sheds light on recent developments in the 500-year-old obi silk-weaving industry of the Nishijin district in Kyoto. Based on rich interview data collected in 2016-2017 and 2025, the paper maps change and continuity in the industry and aims to explains the findings with reference to concepts from the economic sociology and economics literature. Overall, the paper argues that established social and economic structures, while having facilitated the successful growth of this industry during the economic boom years before the burst of the bubble economy, are now an important part of the explanation why Nishijin producers finds it difficult to adapt to various challenges, ranging from changing consumer demand, over difficult distribution channels to aging workforces and machinery. In particular, the paper will focus on the reasons behind the difficulty of cooperation among producers, wholesalers, and retailers in improving trading practices and in safeguarding important production practices.