WOW!WAKAYAMA! 未来へつなぐ、おどろきの国（April 30th – May 3rd, 2025）
SANBELM, a household goods manufacturer in Kainan City, Wakayama Prefecture
Kainan City in Wakayama Prefecture is a town surrounded by the sea and mountains.
The Kuroe area, close to the sea, has been known throughout Japan as a producer of lacquerware.
The mountain side, known as Nogamidani, is a thriving production area for brooms, ropes, and scrubbing pads
made from a plant called hemp palm,
and as a result, the area has come to be known collectively as the “town of household goods.”
Palm trees, found around Nokamidani, are a plant characterized by their oily fibers.
Because they are water-resistant, they have been processed into ropes for marine aquaculture and scrubbing pads for use around water.
With many people involved in household goods and lacquerware, the city of Hainan has flourished and prospered.
Handcrafted craftsmanship passed down through the generations
All steps in the production of palm brooms are done by hand. Although the number of craftsmen has decreased,
these techniques are still being handed down to the present day.
Kishu lacquerware is characterized by its painting techniques.
These techniques are also used to make miscellaneous goods other than lacquerware, creating new value.
No two tools made by hand by artisans are the same.
From handicraft to mechanization
The rise of retail chains across Japan has led to greater demand for products.
Household goods, which were once made only by hand,
can now be mass-produced with consistent quality thanks to the introduction of machinery,
so products made in Hainan are now available in retail stores across the country.
While reducing costs through mechanization, we began to create products that focused on design
and functionality in order to create new product value.
We shifted from simply making cleaning tools to developing products that are essential for housework.
Fusion with new technology
Originally created as a cleaning tool, scrubbing brushes have undergone new evolutions to ensure they remain needed in the future.
To achieve this, new technology and new materials are essential.
In Wakayama, there is a company that invented the world’s first machine that can make seamless knitting.
Using this seamless knitting technology, it is possible to make gloves with special shapes.
By combining the technology of a Wakayama company with special fibers,
we were able to create a special scrubbing pad that can remove dirt using only water.
Generally, by making the cross section of the rounded fibers into a triangular shape,
the edges of the fibers create the effect of removing dirt.
Since it can remove dirt without using detergent,
it is ideal for reducing the amount of detergent used or for washing items that cannot be washed with detergent.
At Sunbelm, we believe that by connecting the old and the new, we can create products that will shape the future.
The creation of new value is our eternal mission.
About us
You can see our product catalog here
You can purchase our products on the Japanese e-commerce site.
