PTJ2020SS - FINAL REPORT JFW Textile Div.

Premium Textile Japan 2020 Spring/SummerFinal Report□ Name of exhibition: Premium Textile Japan 2020 Spring/Summer□ Dates: May 21 – 22, 2019 (Tue. – Wed.)□ Venue: Tokyo International Forum / Hall E1（3,000 sqm.）□ Organiser: Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFW)□ Support: - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry- Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises andRegional Innovation, Japan- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)- Japan Apparel-Fashion Council- The Japan Textiles Importers’ Association, Japan Textile Exporters’ Association□ Visitors:Buyers and invited visitors only [Admission : free]Despite the violent rainstorm when the show opened on the first day, which sparked concern
over a huge drop in visitor numbers, the venue was packed with numerous visitors immediately
after opening, confirming the great appeal of the affair, with numbers only 10% down on theprevious year. As the weather improved for the second day, even more people came through thedoors, almost to the point of standing room only while enthusiastic negotiations ensued
throughout. According to visitor analysis by category, ‘apparel/retailers’ topped the list (as forthe past few editions), occupying the largest share with over 600 ‘wholesalers/trading firms’,
despite these entities previously competing with each other. This reflects a notable tendency tosource differentiated fabrics in particular that would stand out during the apparel productplanning stage, as feedback along the lines of: ‘We want new and unique fabrics, even if they
cost more’, or ‘we seek fabrics that can boost retail prices’ affirmed. Ensuring that fabrics
continue to stand out appears key amid the ever-growing challenges within the domestic apparelmarket. Reflecting such demands, the PTJ fair has established itself as the most serious andimportant business negotiation event for visitors, in accordance with an ever-higher standard ofexhibitors.

□ 2020SS / No. of exhibitors: (* 8 ㎡/booth) * 7 new exhibitors / 6 returning exhibitors◇ Domestic exhibitors: 84 companies / 111.1 booths◇ Overseas exhibitors: 10 companies / 12 booths
Total: 94 companies / 123.1 booths(* 2019SS：94 companies/125.1 booths)

PTJ2020SS - FINAL REPORT JFW Textile Div.

≪ No. of exhibitors by zone ≫< ZONE A > Staples (cotton/linen/wool/blends)： 41 companies / 52.6 booths< ZONE B > Filaments (synthetics/silk/functional/blends)：23 companies /36 booths< ZONE C > Dyeing, finishing/prints/embroidery, lace/leather, fur: 21 companies/25 booths< ZONE D>Supporting materials/knit/twisted yarns/piles：9 companies/9.5 booths//
94 companies / 123.1 booths□ No. of visitors【PTJ2020SS No. of visitors】
Category

No. of visitors

Apparel/Wholesalers/Trading / Planningretailerscompanies2,772

2,170

Press

Organiser
relatedvisitors/groups

Visitors

6474831

Total no. ofvisitors

5,911* 98.7% compared with the previous yr.

□ TREND & INDEX CORNER
The concept of creating ‘an illusion like a temporal travel from past to future as if the scene
cut out and overlapped and folded, giving us a glance at the new universe that lies ahead,’ wastactfully brought into play at the TREND & INDEX CORNER – thanks to a neo-spatial design
featuring a succession of long and narrow transparent panels – navigating us to a new future forJapan textiles, where numerous visitors gathered and eagerly checked displayed fabrics.
＊No. of displayed fabrics: Trend/570 pcs. Index/269 pcs. (Incl. eco. fabrics/129 pcs.) Total: 839 pcs.

□ Related programme - Let’s learn Japan fabrics ! -“Textile Workshop”◇ Dates: May 21 – 22, 2019 (Tue. & Wed.) / at 10:30 – (60 min.) for both dates◇ Venue: Specially located lecture room within the PTJ venue◇ Participants: Young employees working at apparel/textile-related makers, retailers designer
maisons; involved in product planning or fabric procurement (with less than
five years of working experience).
◇ No. of applicants: 15-20 persons per lecture * No students allowed

PTJ2020SS - FINAL REPORT JFW Textile Div.

Considering the current status quo, with many participants failed to acquire basic
professional knowledge during their school days as well as many others from other industrial
fields attending the lectures, we have partially reviewed the content of ‘the first introductory
part’ and reprogrammed it as ‘basic knowledge of textiles’ in sequence.

〇 May 21, 2019 (Tue.) Textile/region: Silk / Kawamata Region
Lecturer: Mr. Eita Saito, Managing Director, SAIEI ORIMONO CO., LTD.
< Lecture content >・ Kawamata silk dates back 1400 years and evolved in leaps and bounds, most notably when‘karume-habutae silk’ (lightweight fine silk weave) was developed during the Meiji Period(1868-1912). The number of local manufacturers peaked in 1989 with 240, of which only 21
companies now remain.
・ SAIEI ORIMONO CO., LTD. is well known as a producer of the world’s thinnest silk fabric; ‘FairyFeather’, adopted by globally reputed maisons/brands. Apart from fashion, the company isalso eagerly involved in projects such as: developing dyeing machines for future
generation and producing textiles to help IPS cells proliferate.
・ ‘One single fabric can be applied to industrial/medical uses by leveraging a different
perspective. Key here is to nurture a range of multilateral views,’ commented the lecturer.

〇 May 22, 2019 (Wed.) Textile/region: Cotton / Enshu Region
Lecturer: Ms. Kaori Nishii, Sales Div., FURUHASHI WEAVING CO., LTD.
< Lecture content >・ The Enshu region emerged alongside the other textile-producing regions of note, Senshu andMikawa, to form a trio of major cotton producers during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Althoughbusiness expanded still further in the late modern period, with over ten spinning mills, it later
declined due to import pressure after peaking in 1972.
・ Although the trade previously comprised 70% of industrial products shipped via Hamamatsu
City, the figure is now below 3%. More and more of the younger generation are wholly unawareof the Hamamatsu textile story.
・ What we currently face is the succession of technology, in response to which there were moves
last year to open a school in the ‘Enshu textile-region’ last year. The Enshu textile promotion
council was also established and even leaflets were distributed to promote and spread thecharm of Enshu textiles.

PTJ2020SS - FINAL REPORT JFW Textile Div.

【Trends among exhibits】
In response to the recent increasing and strong interest in sustainability, fabric samples applied
as eco-fabrics are labelled with an ‘eco-mark’ sticker for acknowledgement in the TREND &INDEX Corner, since the previous edition as part of a trend that has been reinforced and thatreflects the spring/summer season of the fair. The approach to sustainability; previously
spearheaded by synthetic-fibre manufacturers or trading companies above all, has now
penetrated even small- and medium-scale textile makers. Although the prevailing view is thatdomestic apparel makers are less interested in sustainability compared with those in Europe/theUS, inquiries regarding sustainability-related materials have slowly grown among emerging
brands and apparel in department stores; ‘We use only sustainable fabrics,’ declared one of theapparel companies. Equally, those exhibiting overseas in particular are striving to expand theirproduct variations, with comments such as: ‘We will be left behind unless we launch sustainable
items now.’
While sustainable fabrics can be diversified, what we mainly came across were ‘recycled fabrics’
or those made of ‘organic raw materials’ alongside ‘plant-derived regenerated fibres’ such as
cupro or triacetate; reflecting a focus on global environmental protection. ‘Biodegradable washi’
was another of the items attracting most visitor attention.
In processing terms, most cases involved ‘water consumption and energy reduction’ throughdyeing methods and numerous exhibitors have recently launched brands comprising
all-sustainable fabrics. Nonetheless, the high cost of sustainability, due to the rarity of raw
materials, as well as multiple processes involved, coupled with the lack of specific yarn-counts orspecial-ordering batch problems – hamper efforts to leverage sustainable fabrics and adapt
them to fashion items, despite the fact that ‘it is eco-friendly, thus costly’, which makes littlesense.
Functionality was another focal point among many exhibitors on this occasion. MARUIORIMONO CO., LTD., launched their collections solely centring on <Long-life functional fabric>
byrenewing

their‘ NOTO

Quality ’brand,which

comprisedfabrics

retaining‘stretch/light/dry/windbreaking’ properties offering comfort alongside the function to minimize
deterioration by consumption to the limit – as part of efforts to find clothes that would wear
and last a long time. This functional fabric category also included exhibitors showcasing othersustainable items, including materials using ‘non-fluorinated water repellent’, reflecting theneed to eliminate toxic substances.