There is a small city in Japan called Kurashiki, and somewhere inside it, the tape you love is being made.
Once a year, for two weeks only, the doors of the mt Masking Tape factory swing open to the world. Fans travel from across Japan and beyond to get a glimpse behind the curtain - to see the machines, meet the people, and understand a little better what makes mt so special. In March, our team was lucky enough to be among them.
This is what they found.
The Bus, the Curtain, and the Beginning of Everything
It starts with a bus. Decorated, naturally, entirely in mt masking tape, it picks you up from the centre of Kurashiki and carries you to mt HQ. Even before you arrive, the anticipation is real.
"Even having been before, it was still just as exciting trying to imagine what was waiting behind that curtain wall," our team told us. And when the curtain finally dropped, the first thing to greet them wasn't tape at all, it was flypaper.
Kamoi Kakoshi, the company behind mt, began as a manufacturer of industrial flypaper. That heritage is celebrated right at the entrance of the tour: a beautifully laid-out table of raw materials, and alongside them, the humble product that started it all. It's a small moment, but a meaningful one. A reminder that great things often come from the most unexpected places.
Watching mt Tape Come to Life
The factory tour doesn't give away everything straight away. There's a little gentle teasing before you reach the production floor. But when you do get there, it's worth every moment of suspense.
Rolls of tape move along conveyor belts, cut to size, checked, packaged, and boxed up ready to travel to homes and studios all over the world, including yours. What strikes you most isn't the speed or the scale. It's how human it all is.
"It's not automated at all," our team said. "My favourite part was watching the rolls being packaged. The person in charge has this clever little cone-shaped funnel tool - they manually pop it inside the cellophane wrapper to slide the tape in, and then each end is dabbed to lift any dust. Simple but genius."
For the more intricate patterned designs, the process demands an almost meditative precision. The tape must be perfectly aligned before cutting. One small slip and the whole design would be off. It gave our team a new appreciation for every roll with a detailed print. Someone, somewhere, made sure it was exactly right.
Bigger Than It Looks. More Impressive Because of It.
Here's what surprises most people: the factory isn't vast. It's not an enormous industrial complex. And yet the range of designs it produces is staggering.
"When you're standing there in person, trying to get your head around just how much tape is being produced within those four walls, it's quite remarkable," our team reflected. There's something quietly extraordinary about a relatively modest space creating something so beloved, so widely, for so long.
Joy, Games, and the Moment Everyone Was Talking About
The factory tour is not just a production line walkthrough. It's an experience, and the mt team have made sure of that.
After the factory floor, everyone is handed a numbered ticket. A spinning wheel appears on screen. The room holds its breath. The winner walks away with a bundle of mt tape, and then someone is chosen to take a swing at a piñata for another prize. "The whole room was just filled with such pure joy," our team said. "It was so lovely to be a part of it."
But the moment that everyone came home talking about? The tape fishing.
One of the halls is set up with interactive games, and this one is brilliant in its simplicity. Using a fishing rod with tape stuck to the bottom as bait - you fish for the rolls that catch your eye and reel them in to keep. It's playful and clever and completely, perfectly mt.
The Things You Can Only Get Here
Beyond the factory floor, the complex opens up into shops and experiences that feel like a treat for anyone who loves the brand. Limited-edition tape sets exclusive to the factory tour. Cute storage boxes designed to hold your three favourite rolls. Tape holders that clip onto your bag or keyring.
And the most coveted find of all: a model mt masking tape bus, limited to just two per visitor. The kind of thing you'd keep on a shelf and smile at every time you walked past it.
The Gallery That Said Everything
While waiting for the bus home, our team stumbled upon something they hadn't expected: a gallery of artwork created by local students, made entirely from mt masking tape. Whales. Fish. Safari animals. Galaxies.
"The pieces were amazing and genuinely inspiring," they told us. "A perfect reminder of just how creative you can get with a simple roll of tape."
That's the thing about mt. It starts as tape. It ends as anything you want it to be.
Come and Find Your Favourite Roll
Our team came home from Kurashiki inspired, a little overwhelmed, and very grateful. If you've ever wondered what makes mt masking tape different, this is your answer. It's the care, the craft, the people, and the joy that goes into every single roll.
You can't get on the bus to Japan right now, but you can explore the full mt collection right here. Find your next favourite roll at mtmaskingtape.co.uk.
