Japan's apparel industry will place a special tag on genuine Japanese clothing. Companies will be allowed to put the ‘J Quality’ tag on suits, shirts and sweaters if three processes -- weaving fabric, dyeing and sewing -- are carried out in Japan. Raw materials such as threads may include those imported from abroad.

The project has come into force for Autumn/Winter this year. So far, clothing with the ‘Made in Japan’ label included products that use foreign-made fabric and sewn in Japan. Imported items account for about 97 per cent of clothing sales in Japan. The purpose of the tag is to acknowledge the skills of Japan's apparel industry workers and counter the competition from cheaper Chinese-made products.

The companies will be able to apply to a fashion industry group in February to be allowed to put the tag on their products. Shoes and bags will not be included. After two decades of decline, Japan’s apparel market looks set for an era of growth and relatively stability. The categories trending in the Japanese apparel markets are women’s outerwear, sportswear, and children’s wear.

The country is an excellent balance of traditional textiles and modern fashion entwined together.