| 1956 |
Founded as a kimono shop in Hiroshima Prefecture. Matsouka established the company as a kimono shop in Kounu-gun (now Fuchu City) of Hiroshima Prefecture. Fuchu City lies in the "Bigo region" spanning Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures, and before the war it was famous as a production area for "Bigo kasuri" indigo-dyed kasuri fabric. In 1957, shortly after its establishment, Noriyuki Matsuoka (now the current CEO) was born. |
| 1956 |
1956 |
| 1956 |
Established year 1956 |
| 1963 |
From seller to maker. In the 1970s, orders increased due to expanding demand for ready-made clothing. By 1980, the company grew to employ about 100 workers. |
| 1982 |
Aiming for a new realm of manufacturing. While the apparel industry prospered during Japan's high economic growth in the 1970s, the 1980s saw a drain of talent to service sectors, and the number of workers in sewing factories gradually declined. Aging staff further compounded the issue, and from the perspective of securing labor, we realized that continuing the sewing business required going overseas. Thus, we began contract production at Korean factories, which had abundant labor resources. In those factories, thousands of employees sat orderly and worked busily on sewing machines. In contrast, my Bigo factory employed only about 100 people. The stark difference in scale was a profound shock. |
| 1990 |
The next stage: China. Even Korea, which was energized by the 1988 Seoul Olympics, saw young labor shift from manufacturing to services, similar to Japan. We felt that we could not meet customer needs if we stayed, so we aimed for manufacturing in China. In 1989, amid the Tiananmen incident and unstable conditions, we decided to invest in a 650-employee factory in Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, and launched our own factory as a joint venture. It was a challenge blessed with encounters with people. |
| 1991 |
Achieving the first 1 million units of production. Overseas manufacturing, which began from a strong sense of crisis that continuing sewing in Japan would have no future, was born from a desire to meet customers' expectations. With that conviction, we aimed for uncharted territory, attracting talent willing to work together on a new venture. Finally, we realized 1 million units and recouped the initial investment in just one year. |
| 1998 |
Closing all domestic factories. The Chinese factory, which started with 650 employees, expanded rapidly to 3,000 by 1993. However, "manufacturing" cannot exist solely within a factory. Without delivering all materials—fabric, buttons, etc.—to the sewing factory, operations cannot function, necessitating a cross‑ocean supply chain for the sewing industry. Therefore, we made China the primary production base and closed all factories in Japan. |
| 1998 |
All domestic factories in Japan were closed. The factory in China, which started with 650 employees, expanded rapidly to 3,000 employees by 1993. However, "manufacturing" cannot be sustained solely within a factory. It requires delivering all materials such as fabrics and buttons to sewing factories; a supply chain across the sea had to be built. Therefore, China became the main production base, and all factories in Japan were closed. |
| 1999 |
Listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange B‑Share market. Production in China progressed smoothly, and in 1999 we listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange B‑Share market. At that time, Zhejiang Province had many sewing factories producing working and casual wear, so we used the funds raised from the listing to establish a new factory in Jinshan District, Shanghai. Many workers and numerous orders fueled rapid growth of regional enterprises. Both industry and city achieved remarkable development, accelerating the era of China's progress. |
| 1999 |
Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange B‑Share market. Production in China progressed smoothly, and in 1999 we listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange B‑Share market. In Zhejiang Province, many sewing factories dealing with workwear and casual wear had been developing at that time, so we established a new factory in Jinshan District, Shanghai, using the funds raised from the listing. There were many workers and a flood of orders, and regional companies continued to grow. Both industry and city achieved remarkable development, and it was an era when China's development accelerated. |
| 2003 |
Creating production bases across the Indochinese Peninsula. Aiming to diversify production site risks, we acquired a Japanese‑owned factory in Myanmar in 2004 and began operations. In 2007, we established a factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, becoming the first Japanese sewing manufacturer there. While exploring new business opportunities beyond sewing, we acquired Jiaxing Deyong Textile Co., Ltd. (JDT China) as a subsidiary in 2003 and launched high‑performance film production and lamination processing in China. Later, in 2009, we established a dedicated functional underwear factory in Baluja, Bangladesh, in a joint venture with Toray Industries. Further, believing that having production sites across the east and west of the Indochinese Peninsula would provide additional risk hedging, we set up factories in Hanoi, northern Vietnam, in 2015, and in Indonesia in 2018 as a joint venture with four companies: Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., Chori Co., Ltd., and Toray Industries. |
| 2017 |
First listing on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange as a sewing company. In December 2017, we achieved our long‑standing goal of listing on the First Section. As there were no precedents among apparel sewing firms, this milestone reinforced our resolve. Conversely, it also revealed that the true nature of the sewing business had remained unclear until now. Moving forward, we intend to disclose management information broadly and appropriately, and to establish a robust governance system based on compliance, not only to sustain "Matsouka Sewing" but also to ensure the longevity of the sewing industry itself. |
| 2017-12 |
First listing on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange as a sewing company. In December 2017, we achieved our long‑term goal of listing on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. As there were no other examples of apparel sewing companies, our company became the first case, which made us feel even more determined. Conversely, it also means that the reality of the sewing business had not been clarified until now. In the future, by broadly and appropriately disclosing management information and firmly establishing a governance system based on compliance, we aim not only to sustain "Matsuo Ka" of the sewing industry but also to ensure that the sewing business itself remains "perpetual". |
| 2021 |
Towards realizing new growth. With the expectation of post‑COVID demand recovery, it is anticipated that in the near future the number of sewing factories, or "manufacturing sites", will be overwhelmingly insufficient. To adequately respond to the recovery of apparel demand, we are advancing a shift of production to cost‑competitive ASEAN countries and others, based on our mid‑term management plan "Vision 2025" announced in May 2021. In particular, we have made large‑scale investments in Vietnam and Bangladesh, where high growth potential is expected, to expand production bases. This will promote the expansion of production capacity and further diversification of the supply chain, aiming to achieve new growth after the pandemic. |
| 2021 |
Weaving the future of the sewing industry. Global supply‑chain risks have increased due to unstable world conditions and pandemics, and it is expected that sewing factories in China, ASEAN countries, and others will decline in the future. We must consider how the apparel industry as a whole can coexist with this risk while absorbing rising labor and fixed costs through productivity improvements. Amid the call for "sustainability", companies are also being asked to bear additional costs for environmental and human‑rights compliance. We are expanding overseas factories with high expertise and versatility, mainly in ASEAN countries, in a balanced manner, diversifying the production supply network so that customers can receive the items they want, when they want them, in the quantities they need. |
| 2021-05 |
Towards realizing new growth. With the expectation of post‑COVID demand recovery, it is anticipated that in the near future the number of sewing factories, or "manufacturing sites", will be overwhelmingly insufficient. To adequately respond to the recovery of apparel demand, we are advancing a shift of production to cost‑competitive ASEAN countries and others, based on our mid‑term management plan "Vision 2025" announced in May 2021. In particular, we have made large‑scale investments in Vietnam and Bangladesh, where high growth potential is expected, to expand production bases. This will promote the expansion of production capacity and further diversification of the supply chain, aiming to achieve new growth after the pandemic. |
