JAPAN DENIM and the commitment to Japan sustainable fashion

Have you ever tried Japanese denim? Denim came to Japan from the U.S. in the 1900s, and domestic denim production started in Okayama prefecture in the 1960s. Today, Okayama and Hiroshima are known as the largest producers of Japanese denim, with over 80% of Japanese denim produced in these prefectures. Denim producers in these areas are highly skilled in sewing and processing, and their workmanship is well-regarded by international luxury brands. ACCÈS.CO.,Ltd. is a Japanese apparel company based in Hiroshima, which has a sustainable denim collection named “JAPAN DENIM.” They collaborate with various designers, and the creations are molded into products by the craftsmen.

What is JAPAN DENIM?

With JAPAN DENIM, ACCÈS aims to expand the high quality of Japanese denim and technological strength of the producers domestically and internationally, stimulate the industry, and brand Okayama and Hiroshima as world-renowned denim producing districts. Specifically, they are working towards three visions.

1. 1. Listing company names of all stakeholders involved in production on the tags of each product to create business opportunities for all stakeholders.
   2. Collaborate with international fashion brands to increase awareness of Japanese denim.
   3. Expand employment in the industry by branding this area as a mecca of denim production.

They are producing environmentally friendly products to accomplish the SDGs.

Denim production can affect the environment

Denim manufacturing has traditionally had a largely negative impact on the environment. Denim comes from cotton, which uses a large amount of water. According to the United Nations, 10,000 liters of water is required to grow the one kilo of cotton needed for the pair of jeans. Also, in the process of stone washing, which involves washing jeans with rocks and chemicals to soften and make nice faded patterns, stones are shattered in the process. This requires a surprisingly large amount of water. According to Levi Strauss & Co, 33.4kg of CO2 is produced throughout the lifecycle of a single pair of jeans.

JAPAN DENIM committing to the SDGs

JAPAN DENIM has three main components.

1. Eco-friendly indigo dyeing system
   An eco-friendly indigo dyeing system, which uses a boiler system, reduces oil use by approximately 40%. Using electrolyzed water at a natural temperature helps reduce detergent use during the washing yarn process and CO2 emissions by approximately 65%. Furthermore, they use solar power in the factories, and sludge coming out after effluent treatment is composted by bioprocessing.
2. Supporting cotton farmers in Burkina Faso
   One of the poorest countries in Africa, Burkina Faso, is thriving with cotton production. ACCÈS helps cotton farmers through NPO Japan Burkina Faso Friendship Association by using their cotton.
3. Sustainable business
   ACCÈS sticks to the details to keep the business environment-friendly. For materials, they use organic cotton and COTTON USA-certified fiber. Organic cotton production uses 91% less agricultural water than normal cotton production. For product processing, they adopt “Nano-mist processing” and “laser treatment.” Nano-mist processing is a substitute for the traditional washing process, which approximately reduces water use by 70%, chemical use by 70%, electricity use by 50%, and no stones are used. Laser treatment is a way to decorate denim without using water or chemicals. They also use recycled polyester for the care tags, FSC paper for the hang tags and shopping bags, and environment-friendly materials for buttons.

Production of JAPAN DENIM

For their 2021 collection, they have collaborated with 15 fashion brands, and created 24 items. They include both simple designs as well as pieces with unique design features. There is also a virtual showroom on their website. By adopting more sustainable practices, companies like ACCÈS can strike a balance between care for the environment and modern fashion. Expanding these movements helps the fashion industry become more sustainable. As consumers, understanding how our products are made can help us make better choices for the environment.