Unparalleled Commitment to Ultra-fine Threads

Could you tell us about the beginnings of your business and its evolution over the years?

Hideyuki "After my father returned from Manchuria after the war, he started a business in 1947, which originally produced fabric for kimono haori. We then began to make fabric for umbrellas, and yaguzabu, a type of fabric used for bedding included in dowry sets. In the case of futon fabric, we used to deliver products to local wholesalers, who would then distribute them to retailers nationally, and then to consumers. We made yaguzabu with Kai silk for a long time, but when down comforters started appearing, we thought things might change. We tried to get into the down comforter business, but it failed. I saw scarves displayed in department stores and thought I wanted to make them, which led us to start manufacturing scarves and stoles.

Then, our business started recovering, and due to the bubble economy, we received orders to manufacture scarves and stoles from high-fashion brands such as Dior, Saint Laurent, and Kenzo. However, after the bubble economy collapsed, Japanese companies relinquished all their high-brand license contracts, which drastically worsened our business conditions.
That's when we decided to start an intensive research on stoles with the aim of making the world's thinnest thread from natural fibers to compete globally. As the best raw materials were monopolized by Loro Piana, we decided to compete with the finest thread in the world."

Keisuke "The reason we focused on thin threads was because around the time of the burst of the bubble economy, fast fashion began to rise, and production bases were migrated from Japan to China en masse, which led to an improvement in China's production technologies. In order to survive, we had to create something that couldn't be replicated even in China, which led to the development of this thread.
The thinner the thread, the better the raw material needs to be in order to create it. As a result, we are able to manufacture high-quality products with an incredible touch. Another characteristic is its beautiful, silken luster. At exhibitions, high fashion and maison representatives took notice and started using our thread."

Aiming for a One-of-a-kind Brand with Attention to Detail

What prompted you to start your own brand?

Hideyuki: "I had the idea of starting my own brand from that time. After the bubble economy collapsed, our OEM (original equipment manufacturing: making products for other brands) work decreased dramatically. I should have started my own brand right away, but I didn't have that idea at all at the time. For the record, we did produce items from the remaining yarns of our OEM work and marketed them as our own. It wasn't a brand per se but was different from our OEM products. After that, I began considering how to become a unique company, and recently, I've been finding various ways to do so, including experimenting with patents."

Keisuke, you started your career in architectural design. What prompted you to move from a different industry to your current position?

Keisuke: "I used to do designs for a house maker, but I wasn't in a department where I could brainstorm floor plans with clients. Instead, my job was to make more specific designs from predetermined floor plans, and I didn't get any chance to interact with clients. I found it uninteresting to do design work in an environment where I couldn't see the clients being pleased. The idea of being able to propose fabric creations that actually please clients came to me when I returned to my home, and that's what sparked my interest in this work.
At first, I spent about three years learning about machines in the factory, how to repair them, how to weave, and other fundamental aspects of fabric creation. Recently, I've been doing direct sales to apparel companies, and I'm having fun feeling like I'm proposing good fabrics."

Your products show a strong commitment to the materials used. Can you tell us about your unique approach to craftsmanship that sets you apart from other companies?

Keisuke: "Weaving a stole with ultra-fine natural fibers is very difficult. Since the thread itself is delicate and weak, we can't weave the fabric without reinforcing it with water-soluble fiber Solvron. This reinforcement process is also done in-house. You might think that the Solvron remains in the fabric after it's woven, but it doesn't because it dissolves in water. We have a machine in-house that wraps the Solvron, and that enables us to weave stoles with this thread.
We believe that the fact we can carry out these processes internally is what allows us to create fabrics that only we can make and that others would find hard to replicate."

Hideyuki: "Normally, it takes 2-3 days to process one kilogram of thread, but it takes us over two weeks, which is quite a task. From the perspective of other companies, this kind of thread is too challenging to handle, which is exactly our opportunity. It's not a thread that professionals would want to work with. It's not just about having the right machine; you also need to adapt the machine."

Keisuke: "Originally, it was a machine for making different threads (a machine for processing strong threads), and it took about a year and a half of trial and error to adapt the machine, including changing the structure by removing parts, so we could process the threads. I think that's how important it is to face the challenge head-on.
I became familiar with machines and looms in my first three years after joining the company, and since we started processing threads in-house, I've also become quite familiar with the spinning machines. Not many weaving mills are so particular about making thin threads from raw materials and doing the warp processing themselves. Most of them outsource thread processing."

What were the challenges you faced when launching muto (Muto Stoles)?

Keisuke: "Since we had only done OEM work before, we struggled with how to present our brand and where and how to sell our own brand to the public. In this region (Nishi Katsura-cho, Yamanashi Prefecture), we were just doing OEM work, but we started reaching out to weaving mills in the area to sell products under our own name."

At that time, stores such as shawl shops, tie shops, and stores specializing in organic cotton goods were set up, and little by little, they expanded with requests from buyers, and a pop-up store was set up for a limited time at Isetan Shinjuku.
Although I can actually produce goods, I still find it difficult to figure out how to sell them. Products sell when I do a pop-up store, but it's hard to show and convey the products online, isn't it? Since it's a different field, I feel that it's better to gradually shift the way I do things. I focus on pop-up stores, including advertising, to increase awareness that you can buy as a repeat customer on EC after remembering "muto" by purchasing or touching at department stores once.

The World Connection Spun Through the Commitment to Manufacturing

Could you tell us about the process that led you to exhibit at "Premiere Vision," a biannual world-leading textile international sample fair held in Paris?

Hideyuki: "At that time, I thought we had to exhibit at a fair to go overseas. Back then, rather than having our own brand, we were mainly focused on OEM. Initially, we went to the United States through JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization). After that, I consulted with JETRO about wanting to participate in 'Premiere Vision,' but JETRO was not involved and introduced me from a different direction. I contacted them and had them actually visit our company, and sent samples to the headquarters of 'Premiere Vision.' Then the Chairman of 'Premiere Vision' took interest in our company and came to research. At the time, we were asked questions like 'Can this fabric only be made by Muto?' But I answered, 'if it's this production area, anyone can do it.' 'So your company isn't that great?' 'Whether it's great or not, you decide, not me.' 'You don't boast about yourself at all, do you?' When I answered, 'That's what being Japanese is,' he seemed to like that attitude. That led to the exhibit. At the first exhibition, the Chairman himself searched for and visited our booth."

You promoted the entire production area rather than your own products. Why is that?

Hideyuki: "You can't manufacture without borrowing the power of various people in the production area. The power of tradition is also necessary. Technology is tradition. There's the technology and tradition of the production area, and that's why it has continued. When I explained this to the Chairman, he was very impressed, and we've been having a good relationship, eating tempura together, receiving handwritten letters, etc."

Keisuke: "Our sales are steadily increasing. As our own brand, we're considering using pop-up stores as a base, expanding sales based on the activity range of our customers, such as ecommerce and select shops, and slowly increasing our recognition. I hope that more people get to know about us.

Elevating Not Just Fashion, But Lifestyle Itself to a Higher Quality

What would you like to challenge technologically in the future, and how do you envision the future?

Hideyuki: "Personally, I feel like I've exhausted everything there is to do with extremely thin threads, so now I'm thinking it might be interesting to target a slightly niche market with extremely thick threads. We have the technical know-how and expertise in selecting materials for creating good-feeling threads, so I would like to master the weaving of thick threads. We've been slowly proposing fabrics to the interior market."

Keisuke: "As a textile maker, we feel the need to use this technology to not only serve the fashion industry but also to expand into other markets. We've been challenging ourselves with things like interior curtains and sofas. Whether as an OEM or our own brand, we want to use good materials and want people to think that Muto is creating wonderful things in their lifestyles. I want to make it a company that can propose a sophisticated lifestyle itself."

Hideyuki: "I believe that if we base on technology, the market will develop faster. If we are targeting the interior industry, I believe that creating a fabric that doesn't exist in that market would be the way to go. Our concept is "You'll know once you touch it." When we introduce our stole by actually wrapping it around like this and ask customers to touch it, we have many customers who say "I've never touched anything like this" and decide to purchase it. The fact that people will understand once they touch it is our strength, but it doesn't translate well online."

Are there any challenges in the industry?

Keisuke: "We do have the necessary equipment for each process, but if we dig deeper, there are some aspects that are specialized. For instance, before dyeing, there's a process of bundling up the yarn. The person in charge of that is already 84 years old. To install the machine in-house, we'd need at least one employee. There's also the possibility that people involved in each process could retire one after the other. If we could grow even bigger, we'd be able to hire people and invest in equipment. It's do or die from here on out. In our case, we've been collecting various looms, so I think there won't be any problems with regards to looms for about 50 - 100 years. We've also been collecting parts and such for the past 20 years, so we can also repair and reuse them."

Hideyuki: "It's really a matter of people. Since this is a technology, it's not something that can be learned immediately upon hiring someone. It takes about 10 - 20 years. There's a lot of interesting technology out there in the world, but it seems like a lot of people are getting caught up in the superficial information that's being spread on social media."

Lastly, if you have any messages you'd like to convey to our readers, please let us know.

Keisuke: "Our company's stoles and fabrics truly live up to the motto 'You'll know when you touch it,' so we'd like for you to actually experience it. I believe that making a purchase also contributes to and supports the region and the technology.
Additionally, our neighboring city, Fujiyoshida, has started an event called 'Hatafes (Hataori Machi Festival)' that showcases the greatness of the textiles in this region. It started out small, but now it's growing into a large event with a turnout of around 200,000 people. It has become one of the three major events in Fujiyoshida. We also set up a booth at Hatafes and provide opportunities for people to encounter the products of 'muto,' such as stoles, one-pieces, and bags. Please drop by if you have the chance."