Japan news and archive

LVMH-backed L Catterton snaps up majority stake in Japan’s Kapital

Investment firm L Catterton has reportedly snapped up a majority stake in Japanese denim specialist Kapital following the death of its founder, Toshikiyo Hirata, in early 2024. The deal was made quietly, with neither firm formerly announcing the acquisition. Kapital does now, however, appear on L Catterton’s official website, underneath a list...

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True blue tradition: how Japan's coveted jeans are made

Kojima-ajino, Japan - Call it an antidote to fast fashion: Japanese jeans hand-dyed with natural indigo and weaved on a clackety vintage loom, then sold at a premium to global denim connoisseurs. Unlike their mass-produced cousins, the tough garments crafted at the small Momotaro Jeans factory in southwest Japan are designed to be worn for...

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Founders of Japanese brand Bibiy talk UK debut

Japanese brands have been gaining increased popularity among Western consumers over recent years for their often unique design values that particularly resonate with younger shoppers on the lookout for a fresh take on wardrobe staples. It is exactly this that Bibiy is hoping to lean on. The label has taken its first major step into the European...

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European subsidiary of Teijin Frontier opens Paris showroom amid expansion plans

High performance fibre producer Teijin Frontier has announced that its European subsidiary, Teijin Frontier Europe GmbH, has opened a new showroom in Paris as part of the firm’s plans to expand its fashion business in the region. The showroom houses and displays Teijin Frontier’s fabric collection and products, including its Ecopet polyester...

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Ryo Matsumura of Japan's Rakuten: 'We would like to represent French designers who are not yet known'

In past seasons of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, the event’s headline sponsor, tech firm and e-commerce retailer Rakuten, has made it known of its intentions to secure stronger ties with the influential fashion weeks of the West. During Tokyo’s FW24 fashion week, for example, Paris Fashion Week’s official tradeshow partner, Tranoï, announced it...

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New joint venture Save the Duck Japan to strengthen brand's presence in Japan

Italian vegan outerwear and lifestyle brand Save the Duck has formed a joint venture with Japanese fibre and yarn manufacturer Teijin Frontier K.K., Save the Duck Japan Inc., to expand its presence in Japan and improve its services in this important market. Over the past three autumn and winter seasons, Save the Duck has successfully operated...

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EssilorLuxottica acquires Washin to expand its presence in Japan

Eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica has completed its acquisition of Washin Optical Co., a Japanese optical retailer with around 70 direct stores in the country. The acquisition is part of the eyewear group’s investment in ‘Made in Japan’ manufacturing and will allow it to strengthen its optical retail presence in Japan. Francesco Milleri, chairman...

Fashion

900 luxury watches 'go missing' in Japan

Tokyo - Around 900 luxury watches worth almost $13 million are missing in Japan after a site renting them out folded and its owner fled to Dubai, local media reported. The owners of the Rolexes and other pricey timepieces earned monthly deposit fees by loaning them to Osaka-based Toke Match, which would then rent them to customers. Neo Reverse,...

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Joor: Popularity of Japanese brands spikes as distribution broadens

A new report by wholesale platform Joor has seen a spike in popularity for Japanese brands over 2023, with the country’s fashion sector being particularly led by the strength of its men’s and unisex categories. According to Joor’s data, the number of retailers who placed orders with Japanese brands on its platform had increased 8 percent in 2023...

Retail

Second-hand clothes finally take off in Japan

A second-hand pop-up store in Tokyo by casual clothing giant Uniqlo was a first for the Japanese firm, but also a sign that a local aversion to used garments may finally be fading. Uniqlo is a major player in an industry blamed for immense carbon emissions and other pollutants like microplastics. It has ridden a wave of consumers buying, and...

Retail|In Pictures

Ganni opens first pop-up store in Japan

Danish luxury brand Ganni has opened its first pop-up store in Japan. To be precise, the pop-up store is located in Tokyo and thus expands its global network, Ganni reported in a press release. The temporary store is inspired by the childhood home of Ganni founders Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup and brings the feeling of Copenhagen to Japan, the...

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Japan Airlines launches clothing rental trial for travellers

Japan Airlines (JAL), together with Sumitomo Corporation, has announced the launch of a new clothing share service trial for foreign tourists and business travellers to Japan, through which it is looking to measure environmental value. By introducing the trial, which runs from now up until August 31, 2024, JAL is hoping to address the increase...