Luxury Market and Survival: Japan fs Traditional Kimono Weaving Industry after the 1950s

This study investigates the market for traditional dress in Japan in the second half of the 20th century. The textile industry has been regarded as a gdeclining h or mature industry in Japan since around the 1970s, and imports from developing countries with lower wages have increased rapidly. Although domestic production of textiles has decreased, increasing imports have not destroyed all subsectors. Instead, the market for Japanese kimono (traditional dress) and obi (belts) has expanded with the increase in disposable income accompanying Japan fs economic growth. While the scale of the kimono market has shrunk in favor of Western clothes for everyday wear, the market for high-quality kimono as formal dress or luxury goods for special or formal occasions has survived. Production changes in Nishijin, the most advanced weaving district in Japan, provide a good example of this transition from low- to high-quality kimono.