Maruwa Shogyo was founded in Kyoto in1949 as a store specializing in furoshiki (wrapping cloths), fukusa (handbags), and noren (traditional Japanese curtains). In 2011, when furoshiki was threatened to become obsolete in the daily life, the company launched the KOTONOWA brand in order to propose a new furoshiki culture suited to modern lifestyles. In 2016, KOTONOWA developed a furoshiki bag in collaboration with French designers as part of the "KYOTO Contemporary" project, an overseas expansion project supported by the city of Kyoto.