Takada Kozo Shoten was established in 1948 as a manufacturer of products derived from the windmill palm tree - a tall, evergreen palm that has been an important staple of the Kishu region in Wakayama since the Edo period. Third-generation sales manager Daisuke Takada sought to revive its traditional use in brushes, so he found a craftsman who understood the old methods. After 7 years, the company began selling shuro tawashi made from high-quality palm bark grown through organic farming methods.