Union overview
| Name | Tokyo Western Clothing Cooperative Association |
|---|---|
| Establishment | February 26, 1952 |
| Representative Director | Sugatani Satoshi |
| Business Activities |
○ Joint purchasing of consumables for women's and children's clothing sewing and processing handled by members |
Greetings from the Chairman
Tokyo Western Fashion Cooperative Association Representative Director Satoshi Sugaya
Tokyo Western Clothing Cooperative was established in 1953, a year when the textile rationing system was lifted as the post-war period of chaos came to an end and the country was on the path to recovery. The special procurement demand stemming from the Korean War led to a boom known as the "Gachaman Boom." Around that time, as demand for ready-to-wear women's clothing grew, a labor shortage became apparent. The association aggressively promoted group recruitment activities, primarily in the Tohoku region, and over the 25 years leading up to 1984, employed approximately 4,000 young people at its establishments. In 1959, an accredited vocational training school was opened, with members serving as instructors and producing 950 students who passed the National Examination Levels 1 and 2, laying the foundation for passing on skills to the next generation.
Then, the Heisei recession, which began with the collapse of the bubble economy, began. Factories faced pressure due to changes in consumer sentiment and rising production costs. The number of union members dropped significantly due to bankruptcies and business closures. Some union members left their headquarters in Tokyo and established factories in the Tohoku region in search of labor, and this may have also been a sign of the times, leading to a fading awareness of union management.
At the start of the Heisei era, the union hall was completely burned down by a fire that broke out nearby. However, all union members united in response to the crisis and completed a new hall the following year.
In 2004, we began accepting foreign trainees, which later led to the acceptance of technical intern trainees. This helped to stabilize and expand the management of our members, leading to organizational expansion and financial stability for the union.
Japan is entering an era of population decline due to a declining birthrate and aging population. This is accompanied by a decline in the working population. If things continue as they are, it is predicted that the working population will decrease by 40% in 40 years. Labor shortages are particularly serious in small and medium-sized enterprises, posing the risk of impeding the sustainability of our economic and social infrastructure. The Specified Skilled Worker residence status, established in April 2019, was conditionally approved in 2025 for the sewing industry, where securing human resources remains challenging despite efforts to improve productivity and secure human resources.
The industry environment demands more complex designs, material use, and complex manufacturing processes. While it is particularly difficult to raise processing fees, the minimum wage is rising significantly every year. The management of sewing factories is becoming increasingly difficult, with increasing employer burdens for social insurance and labor insurance.
As a union, we have no choice but to face difficult times, and we have no choice but to run the union while grappling daily with how to face these difficult times, what business our members want, and what the future holds for the sewing industry. We believe that passing on the union that our predecessors built to the next generation will lead to the development of our members and ultimately the industry. Our members will work together in unity, based on the cooperative spirit of three pillars: public assistance, self-help, and mutual aid.
The Future of Tokyo's Sewing Factories
Tokyo's sewing industry is thriving as a subcontractor for apparel companies, primarily in Sumida, Katsushika, Koto, and Edogawa wards.
While this is a common problem in the manufacturing industry, the sewing industry faces many difficult challenges due to the limited options available. This is because, while they may be able to process the "products" requested by apparel companies, they are not entrusted with the systems required to inspect and evaluate the quality of the pattern designs and processing specifications required for "production," and then manufacture them at manufacturing costs based on appropriate adjustments, length research, and process analysis to accommodate the characteristics of the materials. Without building a manufacturing base that could develop autonomous management, they have pursued profits through on-site improvements and hard work. The business environment, with its labor shortage, is facing structural change. To fulfill the role expected of the sewing industry, it must demonstrate its unique characteristics and individuality and aim to become a going concern (a system for sustaining business), pioneering a new era. This is a way for companies to move into a new era in which consideration for the environment, society, and regulations will generate profits. Companies are said to aim for mid- to long-term value improvement by focusing on three aspects: SDGs and ESG (environmental initiatives, E; human rights considerations, S; and sound corporate governance) and taking these non-financial factors into account in addition to financial information. Some managers have realized this and that their companies will not survive unless they actively incorporate them.
Company T in Tokyo and Company N in Chiba Prefecture embody sustainable environmental goals (SDGs). To increase sales, they recycle 100% cotton products into new cotton fabric and brand it as their own. They have successfully developed new customer base by promoting their efforts to reduce their environmental impact, targeting companies that have established procurement standards in line with the SDGs. The benefit of working on SDGs and ESG is that it can garner support from business partners and consumers.