The domestic production rate of apparel products is low. China accounts for half of clothing imports, followed by Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

• Domestic production is dominated by midstream products and synthetic fibers. As for exports, fabrics account for the largest proportion and are highly valued.
• While some companies cover all stages from upstream to downstream, midstream production, particularly textile production, forms “production area” in which local companies divide the work and specialize in yarn manufacturing, fabric manufacturing, dyeing and finishing, and sewing.

Sources: FY2024 Comprehensive Critical Technology Management Project (Survey on Industrial Data Collaboration) – Report, Measures to Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience in Textile Production Areas, Current State and Policy of the Textile Industry

• Competitive and advanced recycling technology
• Strong technological capabilities and development capabilities regarding high-performance, high-value-added fibers and high-function fibers
• Polyester, which accounts for more than half of fiber production, Japan has several companies with competitive technology that can recycle it to a quality equivalent to virgin fiber, and has been developing this technology for many years.

Sources: Textile Technology Roadmap, Technology Development for Establishing a Resource Circulation System for Textile Products

• As of 2025, approximately 630,000 tonnes of clothing are discarded by households in Japan each year. Of this amount, 440,000 tonnes are disposed of as general waste, while 190,000 tonnes are collected through municipal and private collection schemes. Of the 190,000 tonnes collected through these schemes, 100,000 tonnes are exported overseas as used clothing, 10,000 tonnes are reused domestically, and 60,000 tonnes are mechanically recycled.
• The Ministry of the Environment plans to expand both municipal and private-sector collection (such as the installation of collection boxes at retail stores), to promote the reuse and recycling of discarded clothing.
• By 2030, it aims to increase municipal collection by approximately 41,000 tonnes and in-store collection by approximately 26,000 tonnes, which represents an approximately 30% increase compared with 2020 levels. To support the expansion of clothing collection by municipalities, the Ministry published the “Good Practices for Used Clothing Collection: For Municipalities and Businesses” in March 2026 and plans to develop guidelines for municipalities on clothing collection by March 2027.

Sources: MOE Material Flow of Clothing, Action Plan for Promoting Sustainable Fashion, Good Practices for Used Clothing Collection: For Municipalities and Businesses, Guidelines for Used Clothing Collection for Municipalities

The Japanese government formulated a roadmap for resource circularity in the textile sector in 2024. It aims to establish a resource circularity system and achieve appropriate production and consumption by 2040, setting KPIs to achieve this. Specific targets set for 2030 include a 25% reduction in the amount of clothing discarded from households compared to 2020, and processing 50,000 tons of discarded clothing through fiber-to-textile recycling.

The above-mentioned “Resource Circularity Roadmap for Textile Products” and the 5th Basic Plan for Promoting the Formation of a Circular Economy (Cabinet Decision, August 2024) set government targets for the reduction of clothing discarded from households by 25% compared to 2020. In March 2026, a concrete plan for achieving the target was compiled, including the expansion of clothing collection systems, the expansion of reuse, as well as extending the lifespan of clothes and improving the utilization rate of clothing.