ASAHI FASTENER CO., LTD. comments; ‘Awareness of our < WALDES > brand is increasing in the Chinese market; we have been receiving inquiries asking where it can be purchased etc., which is why we decided to participate in this fair for the first time to cultivate the Chinese market.’ Furthermore, ‘Instead of mass-produced, low-price zippers, we will showcase products that centre on the < WALDES > brand this time,’ expressing their motivation enthusiastically.

The < WALDES > product range includes elaborately reproduced vintage zippers emulating those from the 1930-1950 period, by meticulously using non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, gun metal and nickel silver for the element (teeth) leveraging the oldest manufacturing method in zip production. The press-moulded elements (teeth) include the presence of a massive feel and allow age softening to be enjoyed over time due to the non-plated feature. Another stand-out feature is the tape part of the zip; produced via traditional means with a power loom and using a traditional method. They target the acquisition of Chinese vintage fans by promoting those features alongside unique insights, such as the way to compound copper.

NITTO BUTTON CO. LTD. used to showcase in an area where Chinese local companies gathered by their local branch to date and comment as follows:

‘We cannot expect our share of the Japanese market to grow, which makes it even more crucial to develop overseas markets. We regard China as the world’s garment production centre and count on them.’ They opted to participate in the Japan Pavilion rather than the local pavilion area because: ‘We consider it more appealing to Chinese companies to exhibit in the Japan Pavilion and we can expect more efficient negotiations given the difference in customer ranges between the two zones.’

They will be showcasing the < BG SCOTCH 30 > plastic buttons, 30% of which are blended with sugarcane bagasse alongside the < SCOTCH BIO 30 > buttons; using plastic resin made of 30% pulp.

‘Eco-friendly buttons. Eco-consciousness is high in Europe and an ecological mindset has also penetrated in Japan - although not to the extent of Europe - and we see the wave spreading from now on in. Equally, we see strong interest in eco-buttons in China.’ The price range should be on a par with their standard items.

‘We are pleased to announce that we have signed an agency contract with a local company in Guangzhou, China last November,’ explains MASUI CO., LTD. The partner is a manufacturer of yarn/fabric for down clothing and since they deal with high-end customers, they became the agency for MASUI in China. Although the local agency exhibited in the Intertextile Shanghai Spring Edition event held this March, however: ‘Since many customers demanded China-made fabrics, the price range did not work well. Accordingly, our company decided to participate in the Japan Pavilion event for the first time on this occasion,’ they explained as background.

MASUI CO., LTD. excels at fabrics centring on filament items such as rayon above all. On this occasion, they will showcase mainly synthetic fibres, alongside cut-and- sewn products made of cotton from Wakayama and polyester/rayon from Hokuriku; within a price range of 800 to 1,500 yen per metre.

‘We consider it is important to have a collaborative partner in the China market. In that sense, it helps us proceed with our business as we have our local partner there,’ they eagerly comment – full of anticipation for their future business.

‘We want to show everything with our products, including garments,’ promotes KONDO COTTON SPINNING CO., LTD., with in-house factories in Qingdao, China; Qingdao Tenghua Textiles Co., Ltd., Qingdao Kondobo Fashion Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Beautiful Print Co., Ltd. What they master above all is providing an integrated system: knitting, dyeing, printing and sewing all in – which paves the way to propose their production including garments.

‘We have experience of joining exhibitions in Qingdao, but this is our first time to participate in the Intertextile Shanghai event individually. We would like to see how overseas buyers from China and Europe respond,’ summing up their objective. ‘Although we manufacture quality products, achieving business success in Japan is a struggle, since the domestic apparel market is slow now.’ – reflecting the wish to capitalize on business opportunities with overseas buyers.

On this occasion, they will produce and showcase items including plain yet high-quality fabrics that mainly use medium-count cotton yarn. They will introduce local branch offices located in Qingdao as well as proposing enhanced products planned in Japan and produced in China and handling garment delivery alongside.

The TAKASHIMA TEXTILE INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION is a group organization that brings together textile-related companies in the Takashima region, Shiga Prefecture. The history of their special product - < TAKASHIMA CHIJIMI >　(Takashima crepe fabric) - dates back to the TENMEI period of the EDO era (1781-89), when it was first produced by farmers as a winter sideline. The fabric is made with twisted tightly weft to form wrinkles on the surface. This reduces the surface area touching the skin for an appealing and dryer texture, well adapted for summer, perfect for items like pyjamas and underwear and even in demand in the fashion world. All these reasons explain why this fabric is now certified as a < Regional Collective Trademark >.

‘We would like to cultivate sales channels; overseas as well as domestically. Although we have never previously had the chance to exhibit in a large-scale exhibition, we will participate as a group exhibitor this time, combining mainly five textile companies; most of which from the Takashima Crepe Finishing Corporation.’ They will showcase fabrics including: crepe and crepe de chine, as well as prints and dyed items, totalling around 200 pcs. Meanwhile, they are considering the need for ‘cooperation from Japanese trading firms’ for local sales in China. They also plan to set up a venue monitor to show a film presenting production processes of their region, to further enhance promotion.