As clothing sales decline, Japanese apparel companies are diversifying into new fields such as martial arts fitness, boutique hotels and fresh food. Tokyo-based Jun Co, which owns brand Rope, has partnered with American sportswear company Nike Inc in 2015 to create the Nergy brand, which offers sportswear with trendy patterns, as well as martial arts uniforms made from thinner fabric that are easy to wear.
Similarly, TSI Holdings, a Tokyo-based golf clothing brand, in November 2017 opened Groove Zone to offer cycling fitness classes. Okayama-based Stripe International Inc, which owns the casual Koe brand, opened a combination apparel-accessory shop, hotel and restaurant called Hotel Koe Tokyo in Tokyo. Tokyo-based Ryohin Keikaku Co, which owns the Muji brand, has opened a store to sell fresh food in Sakai. The company plans to open a combination hotel-flagship store in Tokyo’s Ginza district next year.
According to a household survey by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, Japan’s average spending on clothing was ¥46,291 in 2017, down 20 per cent from 10 years ago. The apparel market in the country is shrinking, due in part to the declining population and the rise of apps that let people sell their own items.
