a b o u t
S h i j i r a w e a v e
Shijira is a type of fabric woven to make summer wear. At the end of Edo Period and early Meiji Restoration period, a lady named Kaifu-Hana accidentally discovered that a cloth drenched by rain developed a crimp. This became her inspiration, leading to the development of the unique Shijira weaving technique. The difference in tension of the threads gave rise to 'Shibo', the uneven surface, which is the main characteristic of the Shijira weave. Contact between the fabric and our skin is minimized, allowing greater air flow and retaining less heat. Hence, the result is a light and breathable fabric that is comfortable to wear in the hot summer. It also dries quickly after a wash, so you need not worry about the space required to dry the wrap.
Hokkyoku Shirokumado (Shirokuma for short) wanted to develop a wrap comfortable for summer and suitable for babywearing. In order to ensure the strength of the wrap while maintaining the lightweight feature, threads used to weave the wrap are made up of two finer threads, intertwining with each other. This enhancement also further improved the appearance of the wrap, giving it a natural shine.
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W a r a b e e
We are a husband and wife team, avid babywearers who started this ‘hobby’ of babywearing around mid-2014, when our first born was 4 months old. Travelling around Singapore with a baby, a pram and no car was getting too frustrating, especially with a baby who did not like staying in the pram. Also, we loved going outdoors but our baby would sweat buckets even when indoors with a fan blowing at him. In the following months, we were on the hunt for inexpensive and “cool” baby carriers.
One day, the husband stumbled upon Hokkyoku Shirokumado’s website and decided to try out their wrap (hekoobi) and onbuhimo. He was amazed at how thin and comfortable the wrap was in the warm Singapore weather. Not long later, he contacted the company to ask if the width of the wrap could be doubled – similar dimensions to the woven wraps that we are familiar with. That was how Warabee was gradually formed.
Warabee ワラビー is proud to be the authorised sole distributor for Hokkyoku Shirokumado. We are also now a authorised retailer for Didymos, Baby K'tan, and Manduca.
H o k k y o k u S h i r o k u m a d o
北極しろくま堂 (Hokkyoku Shirokumado, or Shirokuma in short) is a manufacturer and retailer of babywearing products in Japan.
In year 2000, Shirokuma started off by importing ring slings from other countries. Four years later, the Shirokuma Ring Sling was developed – a design that was tailored for Asians. The ring sling won the Good Design Award (Japan) and Kids Design Award (Japan) in 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Their ring slings are sold in several major departmental stores throughout Japan. All products are made in Japan so you can be assured about their quality.
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