WOOL SOURCING GUIDE

JAPAN EDITION
 Sanko Textile

The Japan Wool Textile Company

Toa Wool Spinning & Weaving

Kanemasa Knitting
Maruwa Knit Sato Seni
Morishita Knitting Factory Yonetomi Seni
Taenaka Pile Fabrics
Nihon High Pile

Showa
A-Girls

Canale
Chugai Kunishima
Ichiteki
Kuzuri Keori
Miyata WF
Miyuki Keori
Nakaden Keori
Nishikawa Keori
Yamaei Keori
WEAVERS
CHUGAI
KUNISHIMA
“ I visited ateliers in Bishu, Japan and it was so
inspiring! I met artisans in the wool factories there
NAKADEN
KEORI
CORPORATION and we worked on custom fabrics. They also allowed Nakaden has fully integrated production mills to
me to have access to fabrics I would not have otherwise create a wide range of wool fabrics including Super
100s-180s wool in worsted and woollen yarn, and
Established in 1850, Chugai Kunishima
Corporation is considered to be the oldest
been able to use, meaning I’ve been able to mix wool circular and flat knits. The company also has large
weaver in the iconic region of Bishu, near Kyoto. with both sportier and more artisanal designs. yarn-dyeing capacities and a finishing mill. This
Not only has the company produced high-quality extensive set up allows the company to take on
small and large orders, with their machines running
suiting textiles for the likes of 170 years, Chugai Christelle Kocher of Koché

”
Kunishima also specialises in garment making 24 hours per day. Founded in 1960, Nakaden also
for local and international markets. As well as partners with almost 100 other manufacturers in the
fine micron suiting, high-density textiles and Bishu region.
blends are where this company’s strengths lie.

MACHINERY
MACHINERY 74 Looms (selvage, double-warp, leno system)
12 Rapier looms 39 Single & Double machines (5G to 40G)
28 Projectile looms 4 flat-bet machines (SRY 12G)
1 whole-garment mini (7G)
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
700,000 metres/year PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Weaving 2.5 million metres/year
www.ckktex.co.jp Knitting 140,000 kg/year
Yarn: 250,000 kg/year
WOOLMARK CERTIFIED SUPPLIER
www.nakadenkeori.co.jp

WOOLMARK CERTIFIED SUPPLIER

 TOA WOOL
SPINNING &
WEAVING
Coming up to its 100th anniversary in 2022,
Toabo, as it’s commonly known, has extensive
spinning, Miyazaki prefecture. Specialising in
worsted spinning – with both pure and blended
compositions – Toabo also has circular knitting
facilities. In terms of weaving, Toabo’s capacity
covers fine micron suiting, functional textiles

THE JAPAN
and uniforms.

WOOL TEXTILE MACHINERY

COMPANY 13,500 spindles

Commonly known as NIKKE, The Japan Wool PRODUCTION CAPACITY

Textile Company was founded in 1896 right when Yarn: 1 million kg/year
western style clothing started becoming popular Fabric: 1 million metres/year
in Japan. Across its 120-year history, NIKKE has
evolved into a specialist for womens and mens
wovens, as well as military and school uniforms, www.toabo.co.jp
establishing NIKKE with an outstanding
reputation for quality and as a true wool
specialist. NIKKE often recreates fabrics from its WOOLMARK CERTIFIED SUPPLIER
extensive archive as part of the Heritage Series,
and just as often, innovated with the newest
machinery and finishing technologies with Wool
Denim and the Functional Wool Series.

MACHINERY
32,000 Spindles
7 Dryer lines
154 Looms

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Yarn: 3 million kg/year
Fabric: 10 million metres/year

www.nikke.co.jp

WOOLMARK CERTIFIED SUPPLIER

 ICHITEKI
Specialising in woven textiles with woollen
yarns, Ichiteki focuses on textiles for casual
outerwear, jackets, coats and pants, including
tweed, dobby, melton and flannel. Founded in
1993, Ichiteki has also branched out into worsted
fabrics and blends in recent years. Operating
under the Nishikawa group in the Bishu
region, which is known as the Biella of Japan
for its concentration of high-quality woollen
manufacturers, Ichiteki has the resources to
create custom textiles at varying scales, with
consistently tight quality control.

“
MACHINERY
Kuzuri blew me away. Their looms were purchased from Victorian
4 Looms at own factory Britain and I’ve honestly never seen anything like it in the world, ever. It
30 Looms at partner factory was like something from a steam punk manga comic, whizzing whirring
and clattering all in a Victorian x Japanese collab with post-punk sound.
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
300,000 metres/year
And then at the end: the most beautiful wool I have ever seen.
Matthew Miller, 2018 International
Woolmark Prize Menswear Winner
”
www.nishikawa-keori.co.jp/
company/ichiteki.html

CANALE KUZURI KEORI

Canale operates differently to a typical
Founded in 1912, Kuzuri Keori Kogyo is a historical
manufacturer, as it produces textiles though
and highly respected weaver that creates the kinds
doesn’t own any machinery. Considered the
of textiles that mass production simply cannot. Due
king of fancy tweeds, company specialises in
to its relatively small scale, the company is able to
making things happen, and often takes on highly
adapt to challenging orders and deliver beautiful
complex orders declined by all other weavers.
results with their shuttle loom, some of which have
During the past 25 years, this approach has
been in operation since 1932. Kuzuri is a preferred
allowed Canale and its five main manufacturing
manufacturer among many Japanese designers
partners in Bishu to enhance its expertise
and some of Europe’s top couture houses who value
through increasingly more challenging projects,
craftsmanship over all else.
especially with fancy yarn and tweed, dobby
cloth and shuttle loom production. Still with no
website or active promotion, Canale’s reputation
MACHINERY
is from word of mouth, which has spread to
major luxury houses both locally and abroad. 11 Shuttle looms

PRODUCTION CAPACITY PRODUCTION CAPACITY

18,000 metres/year 60,000 metres/year

www.woolmark.com/about-wool/ www.woolmark.com/about-wool/
wool-processing/jp-canale/ wool-processing/kuzuri/
MIYUKI KEORI
Miyuki Keori is a Nagoya-based weaver founded
in 1905 as a highly specialised manufacturer
for woven wool fabrics for Kimonos, the ‘Miyuki
Serge’ in fact putting the company on the map as
a champion twill in 1913. Miyuki Keori has evolved
with the times, and now specialises in men’s
luxury textiles, with weaving, spinning, finishing
and top-dyeing facilities, and is able to create fine
micron suiting, uniforms, functional textiles and
high-density wovens.

MACHINERY
Finishing facilities
Top dyeing facilities

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Wool Fabric Finishing: 600,000 metres/year
Wool Top Dyeing: 120,000 kg/year

www.miyukikeori.co.jp

NISHIKAWA
KEORI
Nishikawa Keori mainly produces worsted
textiles for formalwear including dresses and
fine micron suiting, though are perhaps best
known for its ‘ultra-black’ dyed wool and wool
blend fabrics. Also creating functional fabrics,
Nishikawa is able to meet high standards of
performance and quality control for uniforms.
Founded in 1953, the company is still a family-
run business, and is based in Nagoya.

MACHINERY
12 Looms (Picanol rapier)
4 Air jet looms (Toyota)

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
6.5 million metres/year

www.nishikawa-keori.co.jp
EDWARD CRUTCHLEY
MEETS HIS MAKERS
Edward Crutchley was the first designer to ever receive two
International Woolmark Prizes when he was announced
the winner of the Menswear and Innovation awards at the
2019 final in London. As Tim Blanks said: “I don’t think
there has ever been a designer like Edward Crutchley in the
competition.”

For the Woolmark Prize, Crutchley used his innate

understanding and appreciation of artisanal textiles, which
he’s honed through years of experience working with Kim
Jones, Claire Waight Keller and Kanye West. By pushing
the boundaries of what is possible with 100% Merino wool,
the designer developed every fabric exclusively for this
collection with his suppliers, many of whom are based in
Japan. One such innovation was a tie-dyed knit created with
the head of the Kyoto Guild of Shibori Masters, another an
incredibly intricate screen-printed lace.

So upon the launch of his collection, it made sense then for

Crutchley to join The Woolmark Company on a journey to
Kyoto where he was able to meet with some of his suppliers
for the first time, adding an emotional, human element to
the fashion production process, and providing an important
opportunity for cultural exchange.

“The trip was really exciting because we got to see the can think about the hand from the shearer to the washer
whole process of how this lace discharge fabric was made to the carder to the spinner, and then on to the weaver and
and see the actual screens they had used to do the printing,” the checker to the finisher and on to the printer, all the
explains the designer. “Then we went on to see all of the way to the factory to the cutter. If I want to, I can get all of
washing, the dyeing, and all of the different hand processes the names of the people along that process, and I think
that I think are a really good reflection of the nature of that’s about relationships with suppliers, being open and
traditional Japanese textiles and how involved artisans are transparent with people, and letting them know that you
in this process. It really was such a joy.” value their part in the process.”

Reflecting on his process, Crutchley mentioned, “I think that

if you’re going to be producing clothing today there has to
be a reason for it. One of the things that struck me in Kyoto
was that most of the artisans we met were older, and there’s
no new generation coming up behind them, so if I can do
anything to promote and preserve the skills that exist then
that’s a real honour for me.”

The designer’s appreciation for the human skill is integral

to his approach to sustainability and ingrained within his
business practice. “The way I use wool [commands] a quite
large supply chain, which I think is really exciting in that you
SHOWA
Founded in 1941 and based in the iconic denim
region of Okayama, Showa specialises in
premium denim textiles using cotton, as well as
cashmere, silk, linen and of course wool yarns.
Showa’s wool denim was in fact awarded the
Handle Prize at Première Vision in 2009. The
company is the only manufacturer in the region
with a full production line of dyeing (mostly
indigo), weaving and finishing (washing), and
therefore creates denims, dungarees, double
gauze and dobby cloth.

“
MACHINERY
Showa rolled out the Japanese ‘omotenashi’ and walked me through
2 Rope dyeing machines
all their special techniques at the mill - even their secret techniques -
2 Sectional warper sets
and also discussed in detail their willingness to push the envelope to
1 Sizing machine
create something totally new. I was blown away by their Tasmanian

”
49 Looms
1 Washing machine
wool denim.

T-Michael, director and designer of T-MICHAEL and Norwegian

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
1.2 million metres/year
Rain, and design consultant to Y. & Sons (Yamato Ltd) SANKO
TEXTILE
www.showatex.co.jp
Sanko’s vertical supply chain is admirable
processing everything from raw material to the
final textile managed in-house, allowing for
Sanko’s wide range of product and production
developments to thrive. As well as spinning,
weaving and finishing, Sanko’s dyeing facilities
cover top, yarn and anti-dyeing, and capacities
range from 1kg to 660kg, so orders can vary
greatly. Founded in 1914 and based in Gifu, the
company’s extensive archive is also accessible and
covers their specialty areas of suiting, functional
textiles, high-density fabrics, uniforms and
flannels.

MACHINERY
7,200 Spindles
69 Looms
3 Finishing lines

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
2 million metres/year

www.sanko-textile.co.jp
TAENAKA
PILE FABRICS
Taenaka is one of the oldest suppliers in the
Koyaguchi (Wakayama) production area, known
as the pile fabric specialist region in Japan.
Founded in 1950, Taenaka has consistently
innovated and remodelled their own weaving
machines to achieve uniquely high performance
not only for apparel textiles like woven pile, woven
wool fur and velvet, but also for upholstery for the
automobile and interiors industries. Taenaka’s
woven pile textile is in fact used in trains in the
Kyoto, Oaska and Kobe areas for its high quality
and abrasion resistance.

MACHINERY
7 Machines (24 gauge)

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
200,000 metres/year

www.maruwa-knit.co.jp

YAMAEI KEORI
A true weaving specialist, Yamaei Keori is located
in the iconic Bishu region of Japan. Founded
in 1915, Yamaei Keori was one of the first
manufacturers in Japan to create woven fabric for
dark formal suits, and while its textile offering has
since expanded into name selvage, melton and
flannel, many of their same looms continue to be
used today. With their team of highly-specialised
technicians, Yamaei Keori creates wovens for some
of the top luxury houses in the world.

MACHINERY
19 Looms (shuttle, rapier, name selvage)

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
100,000 metres/year

www.yamaeikeori.jp
KNITTERS
NIHON HIGH PILE
Nihon High Pile is the only company in Japan
that produces high-pile knitted fabrics, and has
been supplying local and international markets
with high-pile fur alternatives from Wakayama
since 1970. Thanks to the company’s original
technology, designers and developers are able to
create original fabrics with complex colour and
material variations.

MACHINERY
10 Carding Machines
14 High-pile machines
2 Pile jacquard machines (10 gauge)
6 Pile jacquard machines (14 gauge)
3 Double-shearing machines
1 Single-shearing machine
1 Digital design-shearing machine
5 Polisher
5 Raising machines KANEMASA
2 Tenter dryer machines
KNITTING
7 Tumble dryers
Specialising in high-gauge jacquard knits,
Kanemasa Knitting focuses on woven-like
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
knitted fabrics including low-stretch and
120,000 kg/year stripe patterns, hard and solid finishes, and
mercerised wool, often focusing on outerwear

www.nihon-highpile.jp
A-GIRLS due to the comfort and wrinkle resistance of
its output. Based in Wakayama Prefecture,
Kanemasa has gained strong support from
As the winner of the Première Vision Grand domestic and overseas fashion houses, with its
Jury Prize in 2017, A-Girls is a large-scale customised knitting machines and meticulous
WOOLMARK CERTIFIED SUPPLIER
world-renown knitter with a showroom in New support for the development of original yarns.
York and presence at annual international
tradeshows. A-Girls specialises in base-layers in
100% and blends, though a special wool yarn it MACHINERY
created named ‘Cloud’ significantly accelerated
the company’s overseas business, resulting in Single machines:
special collaborations with designers and sports 14 – 46 gauge (jacquard: 28 – 46 gauge)
brands across the world. Double machines:
10 – 22 gauge (jacquard: 18 – 22 gauge)

MACHINERY French terry machines: 8 – 28 gauge

70 high gauge machines (32 – 46 gauge)

200 low – middle gauge machines PRODUCTION CAPACITY
700,000 kg/year

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
5 million kg/year www.kanemasa-inc.jp

www.agirls.co.jp
MARUWA KNIT MIYATA WF MORISHITA
Since its establishment in 1934 in Wakayama, Maruwa Knit Miyata was founded in 1954 and is well-known in
KNITTING FACTORY
has focused on the development of new yarns and knits, while Japan as one of the best manufacturers of jersey
making use of its traditional machines. Maruwa has become cloth, with 140 circular knitting machines. Due to Morishita Knitting Factory is a knit textile
known in particular for their Balancircular® textile, which is a this high-volume capacity and expertise, Miyata manufacturer founded more than 110 years ago
‘woven knit’ combining both woven and knitted techniques in has produced fabrics for countless underwear, in Wakayama. Specializing in circular knitting,
the one textile. The result is a lightweight, shape-retaining and outerwear and sportswear brands in Japan and the company creates a wide range of high-
highly wearable textile of superior quality. abroad, and in fact provided the fabric for the quality knit fabrics with more than 200 single
official jacket of the Japan Olympic Team in 2012. and double machines. Supplying to the likes
Miyata also derives strength from its connections of Issey Miyake, and with offices also in Tokyo,
MACHINERY with dyeing and finishing companies in the Bishu Morishita also regularly participates d in the
region, and is seen as one of the most innovative Première Vision trade fair.
7 Machines (24 gauge)
makers of knitted wool textiles in Japan.

MACHINERY
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
MACHINERY 200 circular knitting machines (6 – 40 gauge)
85,000 kg/year
35 Single machines (8 - 32 gauge)
105 Double machines (8 - 40 gauge) PRODUCTION CAPACITY
www.maruwa-knit.co.jp
264,000 kg/year
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
2.7 million kg/year www.morishitaknit.jp

www.miyatakeori.com

“ I loved our day-trip lead by Woolmark, introducing us to the

complete process from fibre to yarn through to some of the biggest
knitters in Japan. Especially intriguing was the recycling steps taken
for the yarns showcased at one of the suppliers. We would love to find
a way to work with the suppliers we were introduced to.

”
Borre Akkersdijk, co-founder
and designer of BYBORRE
KOCHÉ’S JOURNEY TO JAPAN
Beginning with Pre-Fall 2018, Christelle Kocher created
three collections for her brand Koché in partnership with
The Woolmark Company, exploring new developments
in wool for all seasons. “Woolmark has acted like a real
partner with me, and as such it’s been a really strong In Koché’s Spring Summer 2019 collection, “We worked
collaboration,” says Kocher. together on a special check jacquard in Bishu,” explained
the designer, of a multi-chequered wool development striped
By introducing the French designer to a handful of through with red, yellow, orange and green bands, and then
manufacturers in Japan, Kocher was able rework her flocked with a sportswear treatment. “We made a trench coat,
approach to handmade hybridity with new suppliers. “I visited different trouser styles and a jacket where the Japanese wool
ateliers in Bishu and it was so inspiring. I met artisans in is spliced with nylon: it’s somewhere between a windbreaker
the wool factories there and we worked on custom fabrics. and a deconstructed jean jacket.
They also allowed me to have access to fabrics I would not
have otherwise been able to use, meaning I’ve been able to “It was an homage to countries I have visited, but also to
mix wool with both sportier and more artisanal designs: to imaginary places,” said Kocher. “It’s never really literal,
embroider it, and to print over it too.” everything is a hybrid. Even my tattoo prints started with
Japanese references then became mixed with contemporary
Some pieces even combined Woolmark-certified fabrics with art, so in the end it becomes a cultural appropriation with
Lemarié techniques, Kocher’s former workplace and highly authentic origins that takes on its own identity.”
specialised atelier supplying Parisian couture houses. “For
me it’s very beautiful to mix those two worlds. And I love that Indeed, Koché’s universality is in many ways a new
wool allows you to create very bright colours, as it holds the proposition, in the which east and west, high and low, and the
dye so well.” hand and the machine all meet with playful synchronicity.
 YONETOMI SENI
Based in Yamagata, Yonetomi Seni has the largest
knitting production system in Japan with 43 fully
automatic flatbed knitting machines. Uniquely
specialising in low-gauge knitting, the company’s
in-house programmers and machinists are able
to create new fabrics and complex samples,
and then scale up for production. Obsessed with
innovation and with an outward approach to the
market, Yonetomi was the first company to obtain
computerised knitting machines in Japan in
1952, paving the way for the knitter’s extensive
development since.

MACHINERY
9 Shimaseiki flatbed (3 gauge)
11 Shimaseiki flatbed (5 gauge)
11 Shimaseiki flatbed (7 gauge)
7 Shimaseiki flatbed (10 gauge)
5 Shimaseiki flatbed (12 gauge)

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
58,000 pcs/year

www.yonetomi.co.jp

SATO SENI
Sato Seni, a long-established spinner and
knitter based in Yamagata since 1932 and now
run by the fourth generation of the Sato family,
operates about 130 flatbed knitting machines.
As an ODM and OEM, Sato Seni is constantly
improving its machine’s capacities and has
created a range of its own textiles including
complex three-dimensional knits that previous
to their endeavours were impossible to create.

MACHINERY
10,000 Spindles
130 Shimaseiki flatbed machines (3 – 18 gauge)

PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Spinning: 500,000 kg/year
Knitwear: 200,000 pcs/year

www.satoseni.com
 woolmark.com

If you’re interested in sourcing from any of the suppliers featured in this guide, or wish
to receive more information, please contact The Woolmark Company’s Japan office.
Woolmark.Japan@wool.com

This publication should only be used as a general aid and is not a substitute for specific advice. To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability for loss
or damage arising from the use of the information in this publication.
© 2020 The Woolmark Company Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. GD3809