Rising

Weaving a Textile Network for the New Normal: Textile Industry Innovator - Tani Hideki (2020x11)

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In spring 2020, with Japan facing a shortage of protective gowns for medical staff battling COVID-19, one 18-employee apparel firm in Nara Prefecture produced 100 thousand gowns in just 3 months thanks to a nationwide network of tailors working from home. Using a unique online platform, founder Tani Hideki recruited some 250 craftspeople left without work by a declining sewing industry. Moving forward, he aims to develop a new generation of craftspeople suited to the demands of the new normal.