Dress projects the image of anindividual. It is important in creating a 'first and good' impression about aperson and portrays his credibility and potentiality. The essential requisiteof any good looking dress is the base material, that is; a good quality fabric.Textile fabrics enjoy a special status in the Japanese society because of theirtradition, prosperity, and population. Revaluation of the Japanese yen and thecountry's penetration into global markets through exports have been motivating Japan's textile industry during the past decades.
Japanese Fabric Industry:
Until the last century, everyhousehold in Japan had an operative loom for itself and was generally used bythe young women of the family. They learn it from their mother, grand mother ormother-in-law. Hand woven textile fabrics were a part of everyday life in Japan, and the country can also be termed as a textile country. Four main fibres; hemp,ramie, silk and cotton were largely used in Japan for making fabrics until the18th century. Thereafter, cotton cultivation became more widespreaddominating the fabric market. In the remote areas of Northern Japan, bastfibres like paper mulberry fibre, wisteria, and some other tree bark fibres areused to weave clothes, but these fabrics prove to be scratchy, cold anduncomfortable for garments. Banana fibres of Okinawa applied for fabric makingis getting much attention.
In the textile market, fibremanufacturing is generally considered as an upstream industry, andmanufacturing of woven, knit, and dyed fabrics are considered as mid-streamindustries. Manufacturers of upstream industries are presently entering intothe midstream industries as a means of survival. Currently textile industry of Japan generates an average annual income of 7.6 trillion yen. Fabric manufacturers of Japan are driven by their intense attention towards product quality. They adapt newbusiness strategies thereby resulting in an increased quality on technology,marketing, and management expertise. Increase in the domestic automobileproduction in Japan, has substantially increased the production of automobilefabrics and interior furnishings. This growth will benefit the upstreammanufacturers who supply fibres to the automobile industry.
The Aristocratic Fabric - Silk:
Silk, the most aristocraticfabric has been dominating Japanese textile industry, and was a main pillar forits export trade for many centuries. Sericulture is ubiquitously practicedthroughout the country; with houses having more than one story using the topstory of the building for sericulture. Silk was a fabric of peers in Japan and common people were prohibited from wearing them. Fabrics worn by people ofaristocratic families were not made from spun yarns. Threads for these fabricswere pulled and reeled from a silkworm cocoon. This fabric is called 'tsumugi'and is the most sought after and treasured fabric of Japan. Kyoto is the heartof Japan's silk weaving. Provincial towns of Kiryu, Tokamachi, and Ashikaga arerenowned silk weaving centres.
Decrease in Domestic Productiondue to Increased Imports:
Currently, Japanese textileindustry is at a main turning point. Much of the textiles and textile relatedproducts imported into Japan are from China. In the early 80s, textile industrywas at its peak, but later with the increase in imports during the 90s, thedomestic production fell, with an increase in imports; accounting to 60% of thedomestic textile market. During 2006, more than three quarters of the fabricsimported into Japan was from China comprising an 80% share of the totalimports.
Increased inflow of low-cost products from China, and shifting done by many Japanese manufacturers to relocate their production base overseas, to China has resulted in the falling graphs of the domestic textile production in Japan. Both countries being neighbors and less or no import quota restrictions in the fabric market have facilitated these imports. Inexpensive labor force enhanced local skills, high productivity level of spinning mills, and facility for the procurement of majority of raw materials from within China itself are some of the main reasons why China is being chosen by the Japanese apparel manufacturers. Wages for textile labors are just one tenth comparatively with Japan.
Japanese fabric industry is facing a tough competition with China and other Asian countries. Development of garments that take care of both comfort and health is expected to resurrect the fabric industry and also to satisfy the high consumer demands for health benefits. Fabric manufacturers are now focusing on innovative, marketable materials and developing synthetic fabrics with the help of natural fibres that leads in the making of healthy apparels.
Despite its competition with the neighboring countries like China, Japanese fabric industry is growing steadily against its European and US counterparts. Its growth is propelled through its exports, constant attention to end-product quality, and performance. All segments of the industry like fibers, yarns, fabrics, apparel and processing equipments together cast Japan as an emerging country with world class textile technology. Japan is putting its hard efforts to sustain its technical leadership by enhancing the pace of innovation and expanding long-range research activities both in material and manufacturing processes.
References:
1) http://www.ide.go.jp/English/
4) http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/
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