Here at Yamatomichi, we only manufacture products that we consider to be of the highest quality and value. We do not overproduce to avoid waste, and we have sought ways to ensure that our products reach customers who truly want them by offering them via pre-order. However, we have always been concerned about leftover fabrics, which are an inevitable part of the manufacturing process.

To address this, we have launched a project called “Zero Waste Manufacturing”, where we create products using stock fabrics that were created for all sorts of reasons. This feature introduces these products and summarizes our approach to manufacturing as well as our environmental initiatives.

Did you know that the fashion industry is said to be the second biggest contributor to environmental pollution after the oil industry? Although Yamatomichi is not in the fashion industry, we produce many apparel products. In order to undertake this “Zero Waste Manufacturing” project, we believed that it was necessary to first familiarize ourselves with the prevailing situation. What are the problems, and what can we do to mitigate them? In order to understand the situation relating to fibers used to make clothing, as well as the global clothing production situation, we would like to introduce an infographic summary created by FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN.

What is FASHION REVOLUTION？

FASHION REVOLUTION is a global campaign to increase transparency in the fashion industry by asking the question “who made my clothes? #whomademyclothes”. It was launched in the UK in 2014, and its participants currently include more than 100 countries.

We would like to introduce our initiatives relating to “Zero Waste Manufacturing”, which are aimed at manufacturing products that can be used with care, as well as building good recycling-oriented relationships between manufacturers, factories, and consumers.

We believe that it is important, not only for society and the environment, but also with respect to our own work, not to overproduce our products. We do not want to see the products that we made with love go unsold and unloved, with nowhere to go. Here at Yamatomichi, one of our solutions to the problem of overproduction is to sell some of our popular products via pre-order. By doing so, we can ensure that our products are delivered to customers who definitely want to have them. We have received inquiries asking us if we are intentionally reducing our production output to make our products rare, but we believe that not overproducing products also helps to lessen the impact on the environment.

Our “Zero Waste Manufacturing” project involves three elements: development of products using surplus fabric scraps, commercialization of small amounts of remaining fabric, and upcycling. We also commercialize surplus fabric that would normally be discarded due to damage and other reasons, and sell them as special offer products that are listed together with descriptions of the damage or issue. We were able to successfully commercialize even small-lot, multi-variety production, such as leftover fabrics several meters in length, thanks to our partner factories. This kind of production is inefficient and cannot be said to be profitable for a company, but we believe it is something that we must do.

Yamatomichi has always valued the concept of “meticulously making products that we consider to be of the highest quality and products that we ourselves would want to use”. We believe it is because we have invested time into developing gear, which we have confidence in, that they are popular, and have sold well over long periods of time. We rarely discontinue our products. We want to make products that our customers will always treasure. That is why we put so much effort into repairs, and we do our best to handle every repair request we receive. Through the repair process, we are able to understand potential flaws of a product, and it is also an important channel of communication with our customers. Not only do we repair our products so that they are as good as new, but we also want to communicate with our customers so that they will even like the marks left behind from the repair.

As we move forward with “zero waste manufacturing”, we thought that it was necessary to learn about the current state of the relationships between manufacturing and environmental issues around the world. We invited Ms. Io Takemura, co-chairperson of unisteps, an organization that serves as the Japan secretariat for FASHION REVOLUTION, a global campaign for improving the soundness of the fashion industry, to speak with us at “Yamatomichi Daibutsu Kenkyujo”. (Currently only available in Japanese)

Although we make and sell items, our goal is to reduce waste to the extent possible. As our answer to the theme of “zero waste manufacturing”, which we have raised in this feature, we are releasing the following products.

“We do not throw things away; instead, we deliver them to our customers”. The upcycled products that were born through our creative efforts to realize this mission include Merino wool items with holes that have been repaired with embroidery, and blankets and scarves made by combining leftover fabrics. We hope you will enjoy this new venture by Yamatomichi.

This blanket was made to use up leftover Merino wool milled fabric used for the cuffs and ribs of the Yamatomichi 100% Merino series. Mr. Hideyuki Yamano, of the graphic design firm TAKAIYAMA inc., was asked to express the image of mountains and roads in the design of this blanket. The comfortable texture unique to 100% Merino wool makes it ideal for slightly chilly seasons.

These are special blankets (approximately 20 pieces per pattern) made to use up leftover fabrics.

This limited production run special muffler(scarf) is made from leftover fabric from the Yamatomichi Blanket. The comfortable texture unique to 100% Merino wool makes it ideal for slightly chilly seasons.

These are upcycled Merino wool products, which were either damaged during production or damaged by insects when kept in storage at stores, that have been repaired by Yamatomichi staff using embroidery machines, piece by piece, in accordance with their own sensitivities. Because of this, the products vary in appearance, from those with many holes/embroidery to those with less holes/embroidery, as well as in size and color, but they have been reborn as products that allow the wearer to experience the warmth and fun of handwork. Only 45 pieces are available in total at Yamatomichi Zaimokuza and Yamatomichi Kyoto, so please visit us to see and feel these products for yourself.

Sales channels：
山と道 材木座
山と道 京都

These six items are made from prototype fabrics that were regretfully not selected for mass production and leftover fabrics that could not be used up due to limited factory production capacity. The number of items produced may vary depending on color, but we believe that these items will provide special encounters that can only be achieved through limited production runs.

This is a coach jacket made from prototype sample taslan nylon fabrics that were not selected for mass production, as well as leftover taslan nylon fabrics used to make the 5-Pocket Shorts and 5-Pocket Pants.

Only a small amount of fabric is needed to make our popular 5-Pocket Shorts and 5-Pocket Pants, so we have rereleased a small quantity of each color variation of these coach jackets that were only sold once before this, as a project for using up leftover fabric.

This is a hoody made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production in 2022-2023, and leftover fabrics that could not be used up for production due to limited factory production capacity. The number of pieces produced varies from 3 pieces to 192 pieces, depending on the color.

A limited run product made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production in 2023. Only available on our online store.

A limited run product made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production in 2023. Only available on our online store.

The Merino Cap, which has not been produced for many years, is back — made using leftover fabric from 2020. As both the amount of fabric and the production run are limited, these caps will only be sold on our online store and our directly-operated stores in conjunction with this project.

We reused prototype test fabrics in the development of BLACK UHPE Fine Grid, a proprietary fabric newly adopted for the 2022 MINI and ONE models.

These are special offer products made using fabrics left over from the production of products whose specifications have been changed, or prototype fabrics that have not been made into products due to concerns about color transfers and discoloration.

Made using fabrics with poor “color fastness”, a measure of color fading and color transfers, that were not selected for regular products, this item was produced as a special offer product with a 40% discount.

This is a special offer product made in limited quantities using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production in 2022 before specification changes.

This is a special offer product made in limited quantities using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production in 2022 before specification changes.

This is a special offer product made using leftover fabrics from 2019 before specification changes.

This is a re-released product made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production from 2021-2022, and leftover fabrics that could not be used up for production due to limited factory production capacity. Offered as a special offer product due to specification changes.

This is a re-released product made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production from 2021-2022, and leftover fabrics that could not be used up for production due to limited factory production capacity. Offered as a special offer product due to specification changes.

This is a re-released product made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production from 2019-2022, and leftover fabrics that could not be used up for production due to limited factory production capacity. Offered as a special offer product due to specification changes.

This is a re-released product made using prototype fabrics that were not selected for mass production from 2019-2022, and leftover fabrics that could not be used up for production due to limited factory production capacity. Offered as a special offer product due to specification changes.

Here is a playlist of what our staff listen to in our stores and offices. The songs were selected by Ms. Kiyora Toyoshima, who also works as a model for Yamatomichi.

The theme of this month’s song selection is “ZERO WASTE YOUR SOUL”. Just like soul music, which has been covered over and over again and continues to evolve in every single era. We have chosen soulful and powerful songs that will rock your soul. Soul music gives us the feeling that even though their form may change ever so slightly, good things are passed down through the ages. We invite you to discover your favorite song from this playlist.

CREDIT