Five Japanese fashion and textile organisations to know

The Japanese fashion industry is built on a multilayered connection of diverse areas, including material development, apparel production, cultural dissemination and environmental response. In this “material exporting country”, where textile export values exceed those of apparel products, the importance of overseas communication is increasing amidst the weak yen. Consequently, how to raise international awareness of these strengths is directly linked to the competitiveness of the entire industry. This article introduces five organisations leading the Japanese fashion and textile sector.

1. JFW Organization: Organisation promoting Japanese fashion to the world

The Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFW Organization) was established in 2005 to promote the overseas expansion of the Japanese textile and fashion industry and improve international competitiveness. To overcome the low global recognition of domestic fashion associations at the time, the organisation planned fashion events to broadcast the Tokyo fashion scene to the world. As a result, Tokyo succeeded in establishing its current status and identity as a “fashion capital”.

Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo is a representative event planned by the JFW Organization. Aiming to introduce new Japanese designers to the world, collection shows, installations and joint exhibitions are held twice a year. Furthermore, beyond fashion, the organisation hosts “Tokyo Textile Scope”, a trade fair introducing trending materials and unique Japanese textiles as a textile business. Various demographics, from buyers to students, can attend. For the inaugural 2025 event, unique programmes were prepared, such as a project to tour Japanese denim production factories using VR goggles.

2. Japan Fashion Association (JFA): Organisation cultivating fashion as culture

Established in 1990, the Japan Fashion Association (JFA) views fashion as a “lifestyle accepted with empathy by many people for a certain period”. Through the dissemination and transmission of fashion, it aims to develop the country's lifestyle and culture beyond clothing. Consequently, it consists of stakeholders from various social areas beyond the textile industry, such as manufacturing, construction, energy, distribution, information, services and finance.

Based on this philosophy, the association's activities are characterised by projects that redefine the framework of fashion. For example, it holds a contest called the “Japan Creation Awards”. This contest honours creative projects that bring value creation and transformation to society as a whole, transcending genres beyond clothing. It also manages projects such as “Style-Arena”, a web magazine introducing Tokyo street snaps and shops, and the “Asian Fashion Federation”, which includes six Asian countries and aims to understand markets and discover talent in each nation.

3. Japan Textile Federation: Industry body centring on textile materials

The Japan Textile Federation (JTF), formed in 1970, is an organisation aiming to enhance the competitiveness of the textile industry. It focuses primarily on material manufacturing, which is the upstream of clothing production.

In recent years, based on the “Recommendations for the Textile Industry in 2030” published in 2020, it has focused on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and addressing sustainability.

As specific examples of activities, in 2024, it provided information on the Specified Skilled Worker system (a system making it easier for foreign talent to work) for the industry. It also created guidelines for eco-friendly material production and supported the overseas expansion and digitalisation of SMEs. Additionally, in 2022, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), it published the “Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct in the Textile Industry”. In addition to the importance of human rights and the current status of the Japanese textile industry regarding human rights, it specifies guidelines for companies to advance initiatives for respect for human rights, decent work and environmental consideration in line with international standards.

4. Japan Chemical Fibers Association: Organisation facing chemical fibres and environmental issues

Established in 1948, the Japan Chemical Fibers Association (JCFA) consists of major domestic chemical fibre companies and conducts environmental initiatives through chemical fibres.

Main activities include the expansion of bio-synthetic fibres using plant-based resources and technology in materials and manufacturing processes to achieve carbon neutrality, balancing greenhouse gas emissions and absorption. It also undertakes initiatives to recycle used textiles to create new textile materials.

Following these initiatives, member companies of the association are developing environmentally friendly polyester and artificial leather made from plant origins or recycling. The website introduces materials developed by each company and links to their product information.

Furthermore, it is working towards improving the microplastic problem, advancing research to prevent marine pollution and developing textile products that are less likely to shed fibre debris.

5. Japan Apparel and Fashion Industry Association: Organisation supporting apparel companies

The Japan Apparel and Fashion Industry Association (JAFIC) is an organisation supporting companies involved in the entire process from the planning and production of clothing as products until they reach consumers.

The association operates through multiple specialised committees. These include the Sustainability Committee, which addresses environmental, human rights and supply chain issues, and the Quality Committee, which maintains clothing quality standards and labelling rules. The Fair Trade Committee promotes improvements in the Subcontract Act and trading practices, while the Distribution Committee promotes logistics efficiency and inventory management optimisation. The Human Resources Development Committee handles training and educational programmes, and the Public Relations and Information Committee conducts industry trend analysis and PR activities.

These committees are specifically advancing diverse initiatives directly linked to practice. For instance, the Sustainability Committee is formulating guidelines based on international standard trends, while the Distribution Committee is considering the possibility of joint delivery. Furthermore, the Human Resources Committee is promoting educational programmes such as merchandising (MD) training, addressing practical issues broadly as an association.