Key Facts
• Aichi’s Ichinomiya City thrived on textiles but declined due to cheap imports.
• Sawtooth roof factories, built from the Taisho to Showa eras, numbered in the thousands.
• By the 1970s, over 8,000 factories existed; now, only about 2,000 remain.
• Artist Natsumi Miyata grew up in a family running a textile factory.
• Miyata and Colin Lamb formed the art unit “Koubas Only” to preserve factory imagery.
• Sawtooth roofs were designed for natural light, aiding textile production without electricity.
• Miyata’s “Owari Dialect Art” combines local language and nostalgic factory scenes.
• Lamb, a UK native, moved to Ichinomiya 24 years ago and cherishes its history.
• Their collaborative works were exhibited at the Ichinomiya City Setsuko Migishi Memorial Art Museum.
• Visitors praised the exhibition for evoking memories of the city’s industrial past.
Summary
Ichinomiya City in Aichi Prefecture, once a hub of Japan’s textile industry, has seen a sharp decline in its iconic sawtooth roof factories due to competition from cheaper overseas products. Artists Natsumi Miyata and Colin Lamb, under the name “Koubas Only,” are preserving the legacy of these factories through art. Miyata, inspired by her upbringing in a textile factory family, and Lamb, who considers Ichinomiya his second home, aim to highlight the cultural and historical significance of these structures. Their works, including Miyata’s “Owari Dialect Art,” were showcased in a local museum, drawing attention to the city’s industrial heritage. The exhibition resonated with visitors, many of whom recalled the once-thriving textile industry. The duo hopes their art will inspire appreciation for the region’s history and the craftsmanship that once defined it.
