Greetings - Fresh attempts emerged as a great success

Hiroshi Komoda, Executive Director, JFW

“The 24th Premium Textile Japan 2024 Spring/Summer” was held over two days at the Tokyo International Forum/Hall E and ended successfully on May 25. This year’s exhibition featured 74 exhibitors occupying a total of 97.5 booths, surpassing the previous year’s results (71 exhibitors, 92.5 booths) and achieving a 10% increase in attendance compared to the previous year. With COVID-19 preventive measures having ended in late April, with the condition recategorised alongside seasonal influenza (Category 5) on May 8, the situation has gradually stabilised under the “With Corona” approach. This has also seen the presence of international buyers start to recover and raised expectations of a return to normality for the next event.

Two new initiatives were introduced on this occasion. One of them was the establishment of the “What’s Next” corner, to showcase and promote a curated exhibition of materials that are expected to represent up-and-coming trends in the diverse fashion market. Visitors got the chance to see a total of 30 materials, intended for mass production by 28 companies and assessed based on criteria including trendiness, sensibility, technology, design, texture and marketability. As well as providing valuable insights, this interactive initiative was also a springboard for exhibitors’ future development. Although some concerns remain, given that it was a first-time attempt, we hope to continue this project in future.

Another initiative was to open the doors to students on the first day (May 24). Until now, PTJ catered solely to buyers. However, events like Première Vision and Milano Unica have actively embraced the chance to invite students on limited days and thereby involve young people in the fashion industry. Over the past three years in particular, COVID-19 restrictions have limited the opportunities for students to physically experience materials as their classes shifted online. Students who attended the event expressed their excitement, saying: “There were many fabrics I had never seen before” and “I aspired to be a designer or pattern maker, but am now interested in fabric production.”

Most exhibitors also responded positively to allowing student entry, with some even stating, “It should have been allowed earlier.” The perspectives of younger people, who are closer to consumers and have recruitment potential, are valuable. We will continue to embrace new initiatives and strive to hold more enriching exhibitions going forward.

Our upcoming shows; “The 25th Premium Textile Japan 2024 Autumn/Winter” and “The 32nd JFW JAPAN CREATION 2024,” will be held over two days from October 31 at the Tokyo International Forum/Hall E. We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to your visit.

【No. of exhibitors】

PTJ2024SS 74 companies/97.5 booths
(incl. overseas exhibitors: 10 companies/12 booths)

【No. of visitors】

5,220（Up 10% year-on-year）

"PTJ 2024 Spring/Summer" ended safely.

“PTJ2024S/S” ended on May 25. The exhibition featured 35 exhibitors of woven staple fibres, 18 exhibitors of filaments, 19 exhibitors of dyeing and finishing, printing, embroidery and lace and leather. There were also two exhibitors showcasing apparel materials, knits, twisted yarn and pile fabrics, bringing the total number of exhibitors to 74, including six new exhibitors and ten overseas companies. The number of attendees exceeded the previous year by 10%, with a total of 5,220 visitors. There were 10% more apparel buyers and the number of overseas visitors grew sixfold. The event is gradually returning to pre-COVID levels.

Comments from exhibitors, amid a lively venue atmosphere, included “I found many buyers, including from Korea, China and Taiwan” and “We had numerous customers.” New exhibitors were also happy, underlining how “People from machinery manufacturers also visited,” “We collected many business cards,” “We gained new customers and we would like to continue exhibiting,” and “The result met our expectations.”

Visitors also shared positive feedback, with comments like “There were many high-quality fabrics,” “It was better than the previous edition. There were materials with unique characteristics” (apparel), “There were various types of fabrics and I felt that regional production was recovering” (trading company) and “The transportation access was good and inspired me every time” (designer).

On this occasion, we allowed students to participate only on the first day (May 24). Although the event had previously been limited to buyers only to ensure smooth business negotiations, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, stating “There were no problems” and “It would have been better to allow students to take part earlier.” Students are key to the next wave, supporting the future of the industry.

The new “What’s Next” initiative explored upcoming popular textile trends through visitor participation. Approximately 600 visitors voted and the results were as follows: first place was awarded to UNI TEXTILE Co., Ltd. (Stretch Seersucker), second place to MIZOROGI & Co., Ltd. (Feather Print Embroidery) and third place to NIHON SANMO DYEING Co., Ltd. (GumGum Silk). Following were RAINBOWWORLD Co., Ltd. (No product name), AKAHORI SANGYO CORPORATION (Cotton Washi, Lawn Shirring) and ARTEX Co., Ltd. (Uneven Print), among others.

What’s Next - Winner’s comment -

Ms. Mamiko Uni, Representative Director & President, UNI TEXTILE CO., LTD.

Thank you very much for this prestigious award, which we sincerely appreciate.

Since 2001, we have been participating in the JFW Textile Exhibition without fail and always giving it our all. It is no exaggeration to say that this exhibition has been instrumental in expanding our sales channels and company.

We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award at PTJ and want to express our deep appreciation. Our newly developed woven fabric, with its unique three-dimensional structure and elasticity, seamlessly combines comfort with enduring originality. Going forward, we’re excited and eager to introduce this innovative fabric to markets across the globe.

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