Top 7 Sustainable Fashion Brands in Japan
In recent years, the concept of "sustainability" has become a key focus in the fashion industry. As the world shifts away from the traditional model of mass production and mass consumption, there is growing global attention on brands that strike a balance between environmental responsibility and high-quality design and craftsmanship. Japan is no exception to this trend. Several sustainable fashion brands are emerging across the country, offering products that utilize local materials, traditional techniques, and recycled or upcycled elements—each with its own unique values and philosophy. These brands go beyond simply being eco-conscious; they offer thoughtful proposals that align with the lifestyles and values of the people who wear them. In this article, we’ve selected several standout sustainable fashion brands in Japan that are gaining attention. Explore a new wave of Japanese fashion that combines design excellence with environmental awareness.
Ranking: Top 7 Sustainable Fashion Brands in Japan
1. CFCL
2. Ashuhari
3. Oblekt
4. Tennen
5. MALION VINTAGE
6. CASA FLINE
7. Takarajima Senkou
1. CFCL
Source: CFCL Homepage
CFCL (Clothing For Contemporary Life) is a Japan-based knitwear brand founded in 2020 with the mission of creating “clothing for contemporary life.” Led by Yusuke Takahashi, who previously spearheaded engineering knitwear at Issey Miyake Men, the brand focuses on 3D computer knitting as its core technology. CFCL offers garments that strike a balance between functionality, aesthetic appeal, and ease of care, while maintaining transparency in its supply chain and a commitment to domestic production.
In July 2022, CFCL became the first Japanese apparel brand to receive the international B Corporation (B Corp) certification. This recognition reflects the brand’s compliance with rigorous standards in areas such as environmental impact, human rights, and governance—earning a score of 128 out of 200 points, with particularly high marks in the “environment” and “customers” categories. CFCL primarily uses recycled polyester, accounting for approximately 78.9% of its materials, along with ongoing use of cupro and organic cotton.
In 2024, CFCL joined the official Paris Fashion Week runway schedule and, through a partnership with textile trading company MCF, is accelerating its global expansion by entering the European market and scaling up domestic manufacturing. With its sophisticated creativity and unwavering commitment to sustainability, CFCL continues to gain attention both in Japan and internationally.
2. Ashuhari
Source: Ashuhari Homepage
Ashuhari is a Japan-based women’s fashion brand built around the concept of creating “clothing you’ll never want to throw away.” With simple, understated designs and earthy tones, the brand offers timeless pieces that blend naturally into everyday life.
The brand emphasizes natural materials, using mainly organic cotton and linen. It also incorporates eco-friendly elements such as fibers dyed with natural dyes and biodegradable buttons. As part of its commitment to reducing food waste, Ashuhari participates in the Food Textile project, which repurposes discarded food items—like cherry blossoms and green tea—to create dye.
Ashuhari also draws attention for its fusion of technology and craftsmanship. Each piece features thoughtful details, including unique touches like black-lip pearl shell buttons, which highlight the value of handcrafted craftsmanship. The brand openly shares information about its materials, sewing processes, and product stories to build transparency and trust with customers.
All production is done domestically to minimize environmental impact, reduce transportation emissions, and limit manufacturing waste. The brand also explores circular models by repurposing excess inventory into new designs.
With its understated yet deeply considered aesthetics and its thoughtful use of materials and techniques, ashuhari offers more than just sustainable fashion—it provides “clothing that wraps around your heart,” supporting the everyday lives of modern women with purpose and elegance.
3. Oblekt
Source: Oblekt Homepage
Oblekt is a sustainable and basic wear brand from Japan, launched in 2014 by the in-house design team of textile trading company Toyoshima & Co., Ltd. The brand name “oblekt” means “unbleached” in Swedish, reflecting its inspiration from Scandinavian minimalism and its commitment to offering pure, natural everyday wear.
oblekt uses eco-conscious materials, including organic cotton, Tencel (a sustainable cellulose fiber), and recycled polyester. In its Fall/Winter 2019 collection, approximately 90% of the items featured these environmentally friendly fabrics, showcasing the brand’s dedication to balancing sustainability with fashion-forward design.
The brand’s aesthetic is minimalist, stripping away unnecessary decoration to focus on durable, timeless silhouettes. It also prioritizes comfort and ease of care, developing fabrics with stretch and washability that fit seamlessly into modern lifestyles. These versatile basics emphasize functional beauty while promoting long-term wearability and durability.
Beyond its clothing, Oblekt promotes sustainability as a cool, aspirational lifestyle. Initiatives include pop-up events at Baseyard Tokyo in Harajuku/Omotesando and collaborations with celebrities like model and actress Miyako Takayama. Through these efforts, oblekt encourages consumers to make environmentally conscious choices through fashion.
Positioned as “eco-comfort wear,” oblekt delivers a natural, sustainable style that fits effortlessly into everyday life—offering a new kind of basic brand that gently enriches the lives of modern adults.
4. Tennen
Source: tennen Homepage
Tennen is a Japan-based sustainable fashion brand launched in 2018, guided by the slogan, “Clothing that returns to kind people.” The brand is dedicated to achieving a fully circular model using 100% natural materials—not just for the garments, but also for the buttons, sewing threads, and care labels—all of which are biodegradable. With a zero-waste and full decomposition policy, Tennen envisions clothing that returns to the earth.
Its materials include organic cotton, hemp, silk, and Japanese washi paper. Standout pieces include T-shirts made from 100% hemp, known for their durability and breathability, and socks blended with washi paper for a dry, comfortable texture. Tennen also actively adopts a closed-loop recycling model by collecting cutting scraps and old clothes, breaking them back down into fibers, and spinning them into new yarn.
All products are made in Japan, with a focus on harmony between artisans, factories, and the natural environment. From material selection to sewing, distribution, and disposal, the brand strictly minimizes environmental impact and avoids plastic-based materials. Its core principles are: plastic-free, organic, recycled, and made in Japan.
Wearing tennen means becoming part of a natural cycle—one that nurtures awareness of sustainability and circular living. Each piece is designed to be worn comfortably and last a long time, as if it were simply a part of nature itself.
5. MALION VINTAGE
Source: MALION VINTAGE Homepage
MALION VINTAGE is an upcycled fashion brand founded in Tokyo in 2017, known for transforming vintage materials and secondhand garments into one-of-a-kind pieces. The brand was established by designers Eriko Kasuya and Aki Shimizu, formerly of the select shop “cher.” They carefully select items, such as men’s neckties and vintage fabrics, which are then disassembled, patchworked, and sewn in domestic factories to create unique, handcrafted clothing. For example, over 20 neckties might be deconstructed and reimagined into a camisole or down jacket, breathing new life into previously forgotten materials.
The brand sources vintage items primarily from the U.S. and Europe, focusing on diverse eras and regions. All garments are sewn in Japan, with meticulous attention to detail and durability, reinforced by seam tape and undergoing four stages of quality inspection throughout production. MALION VINTAGE also has a repair system in place, ensuring that pieces can be fixed and worn for years to come.
From a sustainability standpoint, the brand contributes to waste reduction by using discarded fabrics and ties as raw materials. It earned a perfect 5/5 “Planet Score” from Shift C for its use of recycled/upcycled materials and domestic production. MALION VINTAGE also incorporates recycled leather and wool, while actively working to reduce CO₂ emissions from chemical production and transportation.
Rather than simply reusing old clothes, MALION VINTAGE highlights the personality of each material, reconstructing it with care and creativity. The result is an upcycled brand that merges cultural value with durability—garnering growing attention for its sustainable and artistic approach to fashion.
6. CASA FLINE
Source: CASA FLINE Homepage
CASA FLINE is a Tokyo-based lifestyle select shop and original fashion brand founded in 2017, built around the theme of being kind to both the planet and people. Guided by its brand philosophy of “torus” (circular sustainability), CASA FLINE incorporates four key values into all its products: (1) organic/sustainable materials, (2) locally made production, (3) reuse/upcycling, and (4) craftsmanship.
The brand actively utilizes environmentally friendly materials, including organic cotton, eco-friendly chemical fibers, natural fabrics, and even upcycled materials made from plastic waste. Their commitment to sustainability extends beyond clothing to details such as wooden hangers, organic cotton name tags, FSC-certified paper tags, and cloth shopping bags—all designed with a plastic-free mindset, including their store interiors and packaging.
Production is entrusted to local artisans and factories in regions like Kyoto and Okayama. Highlights include machine- and hand-knitted items crafted with traditional techniques, long dresses made from premium Okayama denim, and hand-crocheted pieces released each season, demonstrating a deep respect for Japanese craftsmanship.
CASA FLINE also actively repurposes excess inventory into new products, reducing textile waste while maintaining a fashion-forward, ethical aesthetic. Product tags feature “ethical policy icons” printed with vegetable ink, allowing consumers to understand the brand’s sustainability efforts at a glance.
In its innovative use of materials, CASA FLINE has even upcycled leather from deer culled as agricultural pests, turning them into multi-purpose cases that are tanned without chemicals in Japan. The brand continues to evolve as a leader in merging environmental awareness with stylish, enduring design.
7. Takarajima Senkou
Source: Takarajima Senkou Homepage
Takarajima Senkou is a dyeing studio and fashion brand based in Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, founded in 2001 by Chiharu Ogomori. Specializing in natural dyes, the brand uses plant- and earth-based materials such as grass, wood, mud, and charcoal to create garments through traditional Japanese techniques like indigo dyeing, sumi (ink) dyeing, mud dyeing, suō (redwood), itajime (board dyeing), and shibori (tie-dye)—all entirely done by hand. The resulting colors, rich with a sense of “wabi” (subtle beauty), evolve, offering what the brand calls “growing colors.”
While rooted in tradition, the studio has implemented systems that allow for controlled mid-volume production. By managing variables such as vat temperatures and sugar levels in the dyeing process, they can standardize quality despite the unpredictability of natural materials. In addition to OEM production, Takarajima Senkou also runs its own original brand.
The brand primarily uses natural fibers such as cotton and linen, and its dye library includes a wide range—from Indian indigo and suō to myrobalan, mud, and sumi ink. Each garment features its own unique irregularities in tone and texture, celebrated as part of its charm—an invitation to “grow with the garment.”
Takarajima Senkou also actively promotes hands-on sustainability through indigo dyeing workshops and upcycling services that give new life to vintage pieces. These experiences help communicate the beauty and complexity of natural dyeing processes directly to consumers.
Their product range spans genderless and ageless designs, including shirts, scarves, home goods, and accessories. The brand has gained strong recognition and is featured in select shops across Japan, including Jiyugaoka in Tokyo.
Takarajima Senkou represents a harmonious blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern production, delivering “clothing that grows” while promoting environmental consciousness and artisanal sustainability.
Conclusion
Japanese sustainable fashion brands are not only committed to environmental consciousness but also place great value on material selection, craftsmanship, and artisanal techniques, all guided by a unique sense of aesthetics and philosophy. The brands introduced here are pioneering a sustainable future for fashion through diverse approaches—such as utilizing natural materials, promoting upcycling, supporting domestic production, and preserving traditional techniques.
Each brand goes beyond simply claiming to be eco-friendly; they are deeply committed to creating designs and quality that align with the lifestyles and values of the people who wear them. Rooted in the Japanese spirit of delicacy and care, these sustainable brands are gaining international recognition and standing out even more as global awareness of environmental issues continues to grow.
Looking ahead, these brands are expected to continue offering new values that harmonize fashion with environmental and social responsibility. Why not discover the charm of Japanese sustainable fashion and take a step toward creating a better environment by experiencing it firsthand?
