The 100 Next Leader Textile Industry Companies Have Been Selected

1. The 100 Next Leader Textile Industry Companies

The textile industry in Japan is at a turning point due to a shortage of workers, increase in overseas production bases, decrease in opportunities to go outside due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and need to address sustainability including responsible supply chain management or promotion of a circular economy.

Despite that, more companies are adapting to these changes in the environment while engaging in new initiatives, such as using their excellent technological and design capabilities to create added value, practicing D-to-C (Direct to Consumer), in which OEM makers sell directly to consumers, starting their own brands by companies in production areas, or expanding into overseas markets.
In light of these changes in the textile industry, the Textile Industry’s Vision for 2030 was compiled last May containing the course of action and future measures the industry should take. Companies with outstanding initiatives in the five areas listed in this report - (1) Sustainability, (2) Digitalization, (3) Creation of added value through technological and design capabilities including manufacturing high value-added products on old looms, (4) Development of novel businesses and services including DtoC, original brands by local companies, cross-industrial cooperation, etc, and (5) Overseas business expansion- were selected as the 100 Next Leader Textile Industry Companies. The selection of the 100 companies for the next generation was made to enable companies with excellent technical and design skills and companies taking excellent initiatives to be widely recognized and to promote further new partnerships and product development.

METI called for applicants on its website from October 17 to November 30 of last year. Today, it has selected 109 companies out of 166 applicants to be the 100 Textile Industry Companies That Will Lead the Next Generation, based on examinations by a selection committee of experts. Please refer to the attachment for the list of selected companies.

Case studies on initiatives by the 109 selected companies will be prepared and posted on the website below before the end of this fiscal year.

2. Related materials

• List of 100 Selected Next Leader Textile Industry Companies (with map of Japan) (in Japanese)(PDF:394KB)
• List of 100 Selected Next Leader Textile Industry Companies (with selected fields)(Excel:19KB)

3. Related link

• Call for Applicants for the 100 Next Leader Textile Industry Companies (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

Lifestyle Industries Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau