Why Japan
A body towel is texture,
not just fabric.
In Japan the body towel is a daily habit, and makers have spent decades tuning yarn, weave and firmness for it. That is why two towels in the same fibre can feel completely different.
Our job is to turn your idea — “soft and creamy”, “firm for men”, “gentle for children” — into a specification a Japanese maker can quote, produce and repeat.
Body towels / Wholesale, private label & OEM
An existing towel.
Your packaging. Or your own specification.
You do not need to develop a new towel to start. Choose existing-product wholesale, explore your own packaging, or discuss a custom body towel with our manufacturing partners.
Wholesale an existing range.
Source an existing body towel with the supplier's original product specification and packaging.
Start with: your target market, desired texture and approximate quantity. We check available items and order units.
Put your brand around it.
Keep an approved existing towel and discuss your own sleeve, header card, label or other packaging.
Start with: a reference towel, packaging concept and sales market. Maker approval and packaging print quantities apply.
Develop the towel itself.
Discuss material, weave, size, firmness, colour and finishing for a custom body towel.
Start with: a reference sample or intended wash feel, target quantity and launch plan. Feasibility is checked before quotation.
Availability, branding permissions, manufacturing origin, minimum quantities, samples and lead times are confirmed for each project. Existing-product wholesale does not imply stock is immediately available. Tell us when manufacture in Japan is a requirement.
Choose your route
What changes. What stays.
| Point to compare | Existing-product wholesale | Private-label packaging | Custom OEM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towel itself | Existing specification | Approved existing specification | Custom specification, subject to feasibility |
| Packaging | Supplier's original pack | Your approved artwork and pack format | Pack developed with the towel |
| Before a quote | Select items and quantities | Choose towel, artwork and pack requirements | Confirm material, dimensions, feel and sample requirements |
| What sets the minimum | Product and order unit | Towel order unit plus packaging print run | Material, weave, colour, design and production run |
Tell us your route.
An existing product, a packaging change, or a new specification. An estimate of quantity is enough to begin.
Check the product and terms.
We review feasibility, samples, order quantities and timing with the relevant maker.
Agree before production.
Final specification, origin, artwork, price and delivery arrangements are confirmed before an order.
Your next range starts here.
Tell us how you want to source. Include your company, destination country and an estimated quantity. A detailed specification is not required to start.
Email opens with your selected enquiry type. Please review and send it from your email app.
Can we buy existing products without OEM development?
Yes, you can enquire about existing-product wholesale. Tell us the material or wash feel you want and your destination market. We will confirm product options, supply eligibility and order quantities.
Can we change only the packaging?
This can be explored for suitable existing towels, subject to the maker's approval. The towel order quantity and packaging print minimum may differ. We confirm both before quotation.
Do custom colours, patterns or prints require OEM development?
Changes to the towel itself need a feasibility review. Send your design or reference sample. We will check the appropriate woven, dyed or printed approach with the maker rather than promise one method for every material.
Do all three routes have the same minimum order?
No. Existing-product order units, packaging print runs and custom production have different conditions. Share your estimated quantity and we will check a suitable route.
What we develop with you
From a first market test to a full private label range.
01
Private label body towels
Your material, size and firmness, produced under your brand and your quality standard.
02
Retail-ready packaging
Header card, belly band or box, printed in your language with your barcode and label text.
03
Matching bath range
Face sponges, kitchen sponges and bath goods can be developed in the same range and shipped together.
What end users say
Rated 4.3 out of 5
by shoppers in the US.
A retail towel developed with one of our partner makers is sold in the United States. These are the points buyers mention most in their reviews.
Gentle, not scratchy
Buyers describe a soft towel that still exfoliates, without feeling harsh on the skin.
Reaches the whole back
The long length helps, including for people who find it hard to reach behind them.
Rich lather, dries fast
It holds body wash for a thick lather, rinses clean and dries quickly after use.
Firmness is personal
A few buyers wanted a different feel, such as a firmer, loofah-like texture. For your brand, we set the weave and firmness to suit your customers.
Summary of customer reviews for a retail towel from one of our partner makers (United States, September 2026). Your OEM product is made to your own specification.
Choose the material
Material decides how the towel feels on the skin and how much lather it makes.
| Material | Wash feel | Lather | Drying | Often chosen for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nylon | Firm, good grip on the skin | Rich and quick | Fast | Everyday adult use, men’s lines |
| Fine-fibre polyester | Soft to medium | Very fine, creamy foam | Fast | Lines sold on lather quality |
| Cotton | Soft and gentle | Moderate | Slower | Sensitive skin, children, older users |
| Cotton and hemp blend | Firm and textured | Moderate | Medium | Exfoliating lines |
| Hemp (linen) | Firm, traditional scrubbing feel | Light | Fast | Traditional Japanese bathing |
| Silk | Very gentle | Light | Medium | Premium and facial-grade items |
Blends are common, and some makers also offer silk-protein (sericin) finishes, bamboo rayon, PVA or cellulose types. If you send a reference towel, we can ask the maker to match the feel rather than only the fibre name.
Specification
Weave, size,
firmness, finish.
Two towels in the same fibre can feel very different. The weave, the yarn and the finish do most of the work.
| Item | Common options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weave | Flat, mesh, crepe, ribbed, double layer | Mesh and crepe hold air and lather faster. Double layer feels thicker in the hand. |
| Width | About 25–30 cm (10–12 in) | A wider towel covers the back more easily. |
| Length | About 90 cm (35 in), 100 cm (39 in), 120 cm (47 in) | 120 cm “long” types are popular for washing the back. |
| Firmness | Soft, regular, hard | Japanese ranges usually label three levels. Hard types are often sold as men’s items. |
| Colour | Yarn-dyed solid, two-tone, striped | Colours are set at the weaving stage, so colour changes need planning. |
| Finish | Overlocked edges, hanging loop, woven label | Small details that make the item look finished on the shelf. |
Packaging and labelling
| Item | Options we can quote |
|---|---|
| Pack style | Header card with OPP bag, belly band, printed sleeve, gift box, plastic-free paper pack |
| Printing | One to four colours, or full-colour printing on the card |
| Codes | JAN, EAN or UPC barcode printed on the pack |
| Label text | Fibre content, size, country of origin, care and warning text, in your market’s language |
| Artwork | You send print-ready data; the maker returns a proof for approval before production |
Tell us the destination market at the brief stage. Labelling rules differ by country, and changing packaging after production is expensive.
How a project runs
The times below are a guide. We confirm the real schedule for your specification.
- Send your briefMaterial or reference sample, size, firmness, quantity, market and target cost.Day 1
- Feasibility checkWe review the brief with the makers we work with and come back with questions.About 1 week
- First quotationIndicative price by specification and quantity, with sample cost and lead time.
- SamplingSamples are made, or selected from existing ranges when that is faster.2–4 weeks
- Sample reviewYou test the feel and the lather. One adjustment round is normal.
- Order and artworkSpecification, packaging artwork and quantity are fixed, and the order is placed.
- ProductionDepends on material, colours and printed packaging.4–8 weeks
- Export and deliveryWe prepare the export documents and arrange shipping to your port or warehouse.
Quantities and cost
What sets the
minimum and the price.
Minimum order quantity is set by the maker for each specification. For a woven body towel it usually starts in the low thousands of pieces per design; a plain item in an existing colour can start lower.
01
Yarn and weave density
The main cost of the towel itself. A denser weave uses more yarn and more machine time.
02
Number of colours
Colours are set before weaving, so each extra colour carries its own minimum quantity.
03
Printed packaging
Printing often has a separate minimum, commonly several thousand pieces per design. Simple packaging keeps a first order small.
04
Quantity per design
Splitting one run into many designs raises the unit price. Fewer designs, deeper quantities.
05
Country of manufacture
Japanese production costs more than overseas production of the same specification.
Export, shipping and compliance
Sourcing is only half the job. These are the points we settle before the first shipment.
| Point | How we handle it |
|---|---|
| Trade terms | We can quote FOB Japan or CIF to your port. Tell us which you work with. |
| Documents | Invoice, packing list and the certificates your customs office asks for. Where the product qualifies, a preferential certificate of origin under Japan’s EPA or FTA agreements can be arranged, which may reduce the duty you pay. |
| Carton and loading | Carton size, pieces per carton and pallet or container loading are confirmed with the maker, so you can plan freight before you order. |
| Tariff classification | The HS code depends on the fibre and the construction of the towel. We confirm the code that applies to your specification. |
| Consolidation | Body towels can ship with other Japanese items — sponges, bath goods, kitchenware — in one container. |
| Tests and certificates | Tell us if you need OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, a fibre content test or a skin-contact report. Availability depends on the maker and the material. |
Why H&K
A trading company,
not a single factory.
01
More than one maker
We compare materials and prices across Japanese makers for the same brief, instead of fitting your idea to one factory’s machines.
02
Body towels are core business
We handle body towels, sponges and bath goods every week, so we know which specifications are realistic before we ask.
03
One contact, two languages
You write in English. We settle the details with the maker in Japanese.
04
Export handled for you
Documents, consolidation and shipping to your port or warehouse.
05
Matching items
Kitchen sponges, bath goods and konjac face sponges can be developed in the same range.
FAQ
Useful details
before you write.
What is the minimum order quantity?
It depends on the material, the number of colours and the packaging. For a woven body towel it usually starts in the low thousands of pieces per design. Send your specification and target quantity, and we will confirm the maker’s minimum for your case.
Can I put my own packaging on an existing towel?
Often yes, and it is the fastest route to market. Send the reference item and your packaging plan, and we will check the maker’s conditions.
Are the towels made in Japan?
Some are made in Japan and some at partner factories overseas. Tell us if Japanese manufacture is a requirement, and we will only propose specifications that meet it.
Can you send samples of current ranges?
Yes. Tell us the feel you are looking for and the delivery address. Testing an existing item is the quickest way to judge texture before a custom run.
Can we print our own design on the towel itself?
Body towels are usually coloured at the yarn stage rather than printed, so brand design normally goes on the packaging or a woven label. Send your design and we will advise what is possible.
How long does a project take?
As a guide: two to four weeks for samples, four to eight weeks for production after approval, plus shipping. We confirm the schedule with the maker for each order.
Do you support a small first order for a market test?
Yes, where the maker allows it. A common route is a test order from an existing range with your packaging, then a custom specification once the item sells.
Who owns the design of a private label product?
Your brand and artwork stay yours. The maker keeps its own existing designs and methods. We put this in writing before production.
Can you handle export documents and shipping?
Yes. We prepare the export documents and arrange sea or air shipping to your port or warehouse, and we can consolidate other Japanese products in the same shipment.
What should the first email include?
Product type, material or reference sample, size, firmness, quantity, destination market, packaging requirements, target cost and your planned launch date.
Looking for ready-made products?
For an existing product range to sell in your shop, explore our body towels, silk bath accessories and household brushes.
Tell us what your
customers want to feel.
Send your brief, expected quantity and target launch date. Reference photos or a sample towel help us move faster.
This page explains how we work; it does not fix manufacturing or commercial terms. Specifications, minimum quantities and prices are confirmed per enquiry.