Imabari Towels: Japan’s Best Towels of Craftsmanship and Care
Discover the story behind Imabari towels and how you can now find them online, beyond Japan’s borders.
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At first glance, a towel may seem like one of the simplest items in everyday life. Yet in Japan, towels carry a cultural depth and craftsmanship that set them apart from the ordinary. Among them, Imabari towels have earned a reputation as the very best—renowned for their unmatched softness, remarkable absorbency, and understated elegance.
These towels are more than bathroom essentials; they represent over a century of tradition and a story woven from Japanese values of care and attention to detail.
Once found mainly in Japanese homes and luxury hotels, Imabari towels are now reaching a wider audience, with brands such as Japarcana making them accessible to people around the world.
1. What is an Imabari Towel?
Imabari towels (今治タオル) are a premium category of Japanese towels that originate from Imabari, a coastal city in Ehime Prefecture. Recognized for their superior comfort, these towels are often regarded as the best towels in Japan and are frequently chosen by luxury hotels seeking the perfect balance between indulgence and practicality.
What makes an Imabari bath towel stand out is not just its softness, but the way it absorbs water effortlessly while remaining lightweight. While bulkier, heavier towels are more common in the West, Imabari towels reflect a different approach—lightweight yet luxurious, designed to bring comfort to everyday life.
This thoughtful balance reflects the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in small moments and elevating daily routines into experiences of quiet luxury.
2. Where is Imabari?
Located in Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Imabari City (今治市) has been Japan’s hub of towel production for more than 120 years. The region is often called the “towel capital of Japan” because of its deep-rooted tradition of weaving and innovation.
One of Imabari’s secrets lies in its natural environment. The city is blessed with soft, high-quality water from the Soja River (蒼社川), which plays a crucial role in the dyeing and finishing process of the towels. This water ensures that the fibers remain gentle and absorbent, giving Imabari towels their signature soft texture.
Combined with generations of local expertise, Imabari has built a global reputation for producing towels that are both functional and refined.
3. What Makes Imabari Towels Special?
Imabari towels stand apart for a combination of qualities that make them not just useful, but truly exceptional.
Softness and Absorbency
Each towel undergoes rigorous absorbency tests before receiving the official Imabari certification.
A genuine Imabari towel must begin soaking water within five seconds of being placed on the surface. This ensures not only efficiency but also a luxurious, skin-friendly experience.
Lightweight and Quick-Drying
Many Western towels are produced at around 700 GSM (grams per square meter), giving them a thicker and heavier texture that many people enjoy for its plushness.
Imabari towels, on the other hand, are typically around 360 GSM, reflecting a preference in Japan for a lighter feel. This makes them quick to dry and well-suited for humid climates or smaller living spaces, while still maintaining durability and a soft touch. Both styles have their appeal, but Imabari towels stand out for the way they combine lightness with comfort.
Tradition and Culture
The story of Imabari towels is not just about textiles—it’s about heritage.
For over a century, local artisans have passed down their weaving techniques, focusing on details that often go unnoticed but make all the difference. This tradition reflects the Japanese cultural value of monozukuri—the pursuit of perfection in craftsmanship.
In Japan, towels are more than daily tools; they are symbols of hospitality and care. To own an Imabari towel is to hold a piece of that quiet dedication in your hands.
4. Towels in Japanese Gift Culture
In Japan, exchanging gifts is more than a custom—it’s a way of expressing care and strengthening connections.
Towels in particular carry a special meaning, often chosen as tokens of respect, gratitude, or well-wishes for occasions such as weddings, housewarmings, or seasonal exchanges and moments of recovery. Towels are chosen because they are both practical and symbolic—they represent the act of caring for someone’s comfort.
This is why Imabari towels, with their combination of quality and cultural resonance, make such ideal gifts. For international travelers, they are also one of the best things to bring back from Japan: a functional souvenir that carries deep meaning. For those abroad, they are thoughtful gifts for Japan lovers who want to experience a piece of authentic Japanese tradition.
5. Japarcana: Bringing Imabari Towels to the World
While Imabari towels have long been cherished in Japan, finding authentic ones outside the country has not always been simple. Few brands focus on making these products easily available to international customers. This is where Japarcana plays a unique role.
Founded by Yoshiharu Shiozawa, Japarcana was inspired by a personal experience. While studying abroad, Shiozawa gifted towels from his hometown of Imabari to friends. Their delighted reactions revealed that something as everyday as a towel could spark joy and curiosity. That realization grew into a vision: to share this small but meaningful part of Japanese culture with the wider world.
Japarcana’s collection highlights both tradition and modern lifestyle needs:
The Omiyage Towel – Made from untwisted Supima cotton, this towel is lightweight, soft, and ideal for gifting. It embodies the Japanese concept of omiyage—bringing back something thoughtful for others.
The Yudono Towel – Inspired by Japan’s bathing rituals, this towel has a velvety texture that recreates the calm, refreshed feeling of stepping out of a hot bath.
Both lines are certified with the Imabari Brand mark, ensuring authenticity and quality. Customer reviews often highlight their softness, absorbency, and elegant packaging—qualities that elevate them beyond daily essentials into meaningful expressions of care.
By combining cultural storytelling with modern accessibility, Japarcana allows people worldwide to experience what makes Imabari towels extraordinary.
Imabari towels are not just another variety of Japanese towels. They embody more than 120 years of craftsmanship, cultural tradition, and the Japanese way of finding beauty in life’s quiet details. They are light yet durable, soft yet strong—ideal for daily use and meaningful as gifts.
For those wondering what to bring back from Japan or searching for the perfect gift for Japan lovers, Imabari towels are a timeless choice. And now, through brands such as Japarcana, it has become easier for people everywhere to experience the gentle luxury of Japan’s towel capital.
A towel may not change the world—but an Imabari towel can change the way you experience the everyday.
For more information about souvenirs and local products, check the articles below!
Written by
Born and raised in Costa Rica, I started living in Tokyo from college. I love traveling within Japan & around the world. Since I wasn’t born in Japan, I know the cultural impact that you can get when visiting Japan for the first time and what you might be worried about before your trip. And I’ve lived long enough to somewhat understand the nuances of the Japanese culture that make this country such an attractive place to visit. Hopefully I can provide to you both the information you’re looking for and the information you didn’t know you needed to know.
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