Japanese towel maker Kontex among 45 brands at MOGYOK MARKET in Seoul
Japanese Imabari towel maker Kontex will take part in MOGYOK MARKET², a bath and sauna market in Seoul on 20-21 November, with MOKU towels, the patterned NUNOGOYOMI series and sauna hats.
Kontex, a towel maker from Japan's Imabari region, will take part in MOGYOK MARKET², a bath and sauna market to be held in Seoul, South Korea, on 20-21 November 2026. The company will present its MOKU towels, familiar to sauna and bathhouse lovers in Japan, the NUNOGOYOMI (布ごよみ) series known for its playful patterns, and sauna hats to visitors in Seoul.
45 brands, five themes
MOGYOK MARKET is described as a market where people who love bath and sauna culture recommend products they have used and liked, and discover new brands and items. This year's event is led by two parties: a sauna enthusiast who has visited 250 bathhouses and saunas around the world, and ROYAL&CO., which has supplied Korea's bathroom culture for 56 years. The event brings together 45 brands related to bathing and saunas.
Exhibitors were selected based on recommendations and a pre-vote by 478 bath lovers. The market is organised under five themes: design, function, recovery, food and content. Alongside towels and sauna goods, the stands will feature post-bath drinks and food, comics and magazines. The exhibitor list includes sauna brands from Sweden and Finland as well as local Korean care and textile brands.
Dates, times and venue
MOGYOK MARKET² will take place on Friday 20 November from 16:00 to 22:00 and Saturday 21 November from 11:00 to 18:00 at ROYAL&CO. HOUSE SEOUL, 709 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam, Seoul. Admission is free and no pre-registration is required; visitors complete a short registration at the entrance. Kontex said staff travelling from Japan will be at its stand on both days.
Imabari and the sauna towel
Imabari, a city in Ehime Prefecture, is Japan's best-known towel production centre. The regional name also serves as a brand for towels meeting specific quality criteria. Kontex's MOKU series is among the thin, light towels favoured by sauna users in Japan; the company's photographs show colourful rolled MOKU towels and a patterned towel resting by a bath.
The sauna culture that has grown in Japan and Korea in recent years is turning the towel from a bathroom accessory into a product category of its own: thin, quick-drying, portable towels and sauna hats. Kontex's appearance in Seoul is an example of Japanese towel makers taking this demand to regional markets, and a development worth watching for European towel buyers following bath textile trends in the Far East.
Source: Kontex
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