[Arisa Kamada × Hitoshi Iwasaki] “circular” is a keyword. You can be kind to the environment while enjoying fashion.

What is the Circular Festival?

An event that is creating a new “circular” movement with the young generation and players involved in reuse, centered on Kyoto City.

There are many elements to the festival, including a “¥0 market” for the provision and collection of used clothes that you can participate in for free, workshops where you can get involved in reuse and recycling while enjoying yourself, events such as exhibitions and stage events, and Food Marché where you can enjoy delicious food made from safe ingredients.

There are also social experiments, such as measuring the CO2 reduction from reusing used clothes.

Official website: https://junkan-fes.com/

Considering environmental problems in work related to clothes

Akane Naniwa (below, Naniwa): First of all, please could you introduce yourselves.

Arisa Kamada (below, Kamada): My name is Kamada. I am the co-representative of an organization called General Incorporated Association unisteps. The theme this time is “Fashion and the Environment”. Today’s fashion industry is linked to many environmental problems.

For example, I am wearing cotton today, but the production of cotton requires the use of various resources such as water and pesticides, and this puts a burden on the environment.

Kamada: Then there is the question of what happens after you finish using your clothes. Even though it took a great deal of energy to make the clothing item, when you have finished using it, it generally becomes garbage, and it is very wasteful. We need to make the use of clothes circular, and I am working to improve these problems related to clothes, even if only by a little.

Hitoshi Iwasaki (below, Iwasaki): My name is Iwasaki. I have been working in clothes stores in Kyoto for almost 30 years. I run two clothes stores for young people, SPINNS and mumokuteki. Thank you for inviting me today.

I am originally from Kagawa Prefecture and started working in a clothes store when I was 20. I am now 47 and have been involved with clothes for my whole career. I started with used clothes, and my first job was to buy used clothes from places such as America and Europe. Well, I say “buy”, but I actually used to go through the trash at waste disposal sites overseas and buy any clothes that could be used, so I think I have a long experience of seeing waste clothing.

Iwasaki: Only Mexicans, Black people, and Asians worked in those places, no White people. At that time, I used to think of various ideas.

Gradually, I realized that I could sell a lot of cheap clothes. I could sell as much as I could buy, I worked hard for ten years, becoming ever more numb, and although my performance grew amazingly, I came to ask myself, “was this what I really wanted to do?”

I learned about used clothes, the SDGs, and the environmental impact of clothing once again, and gradually, while returning to my main focus of used clothes, I currently collect used clothes that have been discarded in Japan and am challenging myself to promote the circular use of clothing here in Japan.

Kamada: I also started working as a sales clerk in an apparel store in my teens, so I have been working in the clothing industry for about 15 years. As Iwasaki-san says, there was a time around 2000 to 2010 when you could sell a huge amount of clothes very cheaply.

The process for clothes is that you think about the design, choose the fabric, the factory and craftsmen make the item, then you purchase it, but the price dropped so there was a time when, rather than making clothes from scratch, it became very common for people to go and purchase clothes sold in China or Korea, put their own label on them, and sell them.

I handle clothes as products, but I started to wonder whether I was running a clothes store or what kind of work I was doing, and that led me to my current work.

A circular mechanism that links to the next owner

Naniwa: Iwasaki-san, you are the representative of “Human Forum Co., Ltd.” and you organize the Circular Festival. Why did you launch this festival and what has changed up to this 3rd event?

Iwasaki: In 2021, The Kyoto Shinkin Bank ran an event called “How to be ethical - Know, Communicate, Us and Ethical”, and I helped out. As part of this event, I collected unwanted clothes and they were very grateful. I was just happy to get free clothes, but they thanked me for collecting them. I couldn’t understand what had happened, it was such a strange thing to me.

Used Clothing Collection & Circular Project “RELEASE⇔CATCH”. One program at the Circular Festival

Iwasaki: For me too, I own clothes that I bought hoping I would wear them but my interest changed and I haven’t worn them in three years, or I am not so enthusiastic about them but I decide to keep them. But in the end I throw them out and it is a waste. I thought that if they could be collected and someone else could wear them, some people would willingly donate their clothes, so I initially started collecting clothing.

As I did it, I realized that it was really important that, rather than doing something ethical, I was enjoying myself. I really like the phrase “the power of perseverance” (laughs) and I started the Circular Festival because I wanted to create a kind of culture by persevering and create something that was deeply rooted in the region.

Iwasaki: I have always been involved with clothes in my career, so although I know about the practice of collecting clothes and simply shipping them overseas, I wanted to challenge myself to create a circular mechanism where clothes collected in Japan are used again in Japan.

When I told people in the used clothing industry about this idea, they told me I should quit. They said I wouldn’t make money, or it wouldn’t last. It take operational costs and labor costs are 1/20th overseas. People told me, there is no need to spend 20 times the cost to run the operations in Japan, and even if you do, it will be very difficult to sell the clothes. Probably nobody has succeeded in this before.

Naniwa: I think you have reached your current level of success by moving forward through trial and error in an unprecedented business, and I feel like the festival is bigger than last year.

Iwasaki: We started collecting clothes because we thought we could create an exit, or sales channel, as a clothes store. So the 1st and 2nd times we only handled clothes, but later we decided we wanted to collect children’s books and toys too.

In the beginning, we didn’t have very broad sales channels, but this time we have been able to start collecting down futons, bicycles, and accessories. We collect down futons together with IWATA Co.,. Ltd., bicycles with Eirin Co., Ltd., accessories with potential and ask them to use the collected items.

I wanted people to use the Circular Festival, and for various people involved in reuse to get involved and widen the circle, so I am very happy that this trend has actually started to happen.

Naniwa: You cooperate actively with the young generation, but what impressed me this time is that there are university students who proactively say they want to do workshops with your company. What do you think when you see this Kamada-san?

Kamada: I think Iwasaki-san has already expressed everything, but there are many variations within “circular”. Even for one item of clothing, there are people who collect clothes here and make them circulate again, there are used clothing stores, there are people selling clothes with messages on them from the previous owner describing how they wore the item.

After all, I think there is a big psychological burden when you throw away a clothing item that you once used carefully. So when you no longer need an item, when there is a place where the next owner can enjoy finding clothes, I think both the giver and the receiver are very happy and I think it is a wonderful thing.

Kamada: These days it is very easy to buy products, there are many shops, and you can buy online with just a couple of clicks, so I think there is a very high hurdle to giving away something you have bought. Compared to buying, it is also a higher hurdle to find somewhere that will collect your used clothes and take them there.

In fact, everyone has this problem, but it hasn’t yet been verbalized and the problem is not visible. I think the Circular Festival makes people realize that they needed a place where they could donate their items while having fun.

Iwasaki: We tend to have a lot of items that we don’t need. Not only clothes, but also household products and bicycles. You can sell them and make money, but there is a different good feeling from donating them so that the next person can use them.

All kinds of items from Kyoto end up being collected here, and I hope that we can continue to be a place where these items can be passed on to the next person who needs them.

The joy of making someone happy, the coolness of “wearing something because you like it”.

Naniwa: Fashion has trends and clothes become throwaway products, so I think it’s the case that the cycle of discarding these items is short. I think there are various ways to avoid this such as choosing designs you can wear for a long time, but what to both of you do to enjoy fashion in a more fun and environmentally friendly way?

Kamada: It’s unavoidable that you get bored of clothes. Your feelings change before the product wears out. So what I place importance on is making sure that when you part with your clothes it makes somebody else happy. I consider that clothes are in my closet only temporarily, and I try to look after them.

So I don’t cram my clothes into the closet, and try to store them as if they are sitting casually on the sofa. Even if your closet is not so big, it will be better if you only store a comfortable amount of clothes. If you look after your clothes, you can give them to friends or sell them and make others happy when you are tired of the items.

I think this way because I used to buy a lot of clothes. If you cram your closet full of clothes and have to pull them out every morning, they will become creased and lose their attraction. Then you have to buy new clothes. I think it’s a great shame to not look after even one item of your clothing that you spent your precious money on.

Iwasaki: I feel there is quite a difference between the young generation with no money and the generation that has somewhat more money. I think the sudden increase in fast fashion has also had good impacts, such as being able to enjoy fashion cheaply. As a way for young people to enjoy fashion with limited money, I really recommend used clothes. Among used clothes there are cheap items as well as good quality items that collectors are interested in, so there are many ways to enjoy them.

Iwasaki: Kamada-san, do you know the brand ALL YOURS?

Kamada: Yes of course.

Iwasaki: The ALL YOURS brand concept is “Make clothes that people want to wear every day and that help the people who wear them” and they ask the questions, “Is it necessary to change your fashion every day? Is it necessary to buy new clothes every time to match annual trends?”

They say, if someone says, “Hey, you’re wearing the same thing again today,” or “Didn’t you wear that 3 days ago?” you shouldn’t take it negatively or be embarrassed, but proudly say, “Yes, I like these clothes.” People assume that you have to change your clothes every day, but I think it’s cool to be able to say that you wear the clothes you like every day just because you like them.

Kamada: I think this point is very important. For example, it is recommended to wear a different outfit every day in fashion magazines and on social media. I was a model in magazines once too. I had a cycle of outfits for one week and thought I had to wear different clothes every day. When I met someone I had met previously I thought I couldn’t wear the same clothes again.

Kamada: That makes you buy clothes even though you don’t really want to. Of course, it’s fun to wear different outfits every day, while some people find it comfortable to wear their favorite clothes all the time, so I want to promote the idea that both approaches are okay.

When I have an opportunity to talk in front of people or be interviewed, I used to think I always had to wear different clothes, but recently I just wear the clothes I like. That means I wear the same clothes in multiple articles, but it doesn’t bother me. It’s good if everyone can enjoy the approach to fashion that suits them.

Naniwa: There are many merits to this, for example someone might express their individuality clearly by wearing the same clothes. As an extreme example, Steve Jobs always wore a black turtleneck and jeans...

Kamada: I think you can choose an approach between that extreme and wearing different clothes every day. But there are surprisingly not many role models in this respect. I want to promote a middle way of wearing the same clothes.

Knowing the pleasure of discovering the clothes that suit you

Kamada: The ways in which we encounter clothing are becoming more and more diverse. You can buy new clothes in a store, and expensive and low cost items are available both for new items and used items. Recently, people are trading clothes directly on C-to-C (consumer to consumer) platforms such as mercari.

At the Circular Festival, you can take home three items if you answer a questionnaire. There are many ways of discovering clothes, so it is important to consider how to increase opportunities for people to get information about how to access clothes.

Naniwa: There is so much information. Don’t you think that it’s difficult for people to find what is suited to them?

Kamada: I want more people to know about the existence of repair shops. It’s far easier for people to get information about new clothes. But I would like people to discover stores for new clothes, stores for used clothes, and repair shops in the same proportion.

I have a small body so I often adjust the waist, but just a small adjustment can really make an item of clothing fit you perfectly.

Kamada: Not many people make order-made clothes these days. So we basically search for clothes that fit us from among existing clothes. But if you just adjust the length slightly, the item will become your own personalized clothing and you will feel a more intimate relationship with the item.

But there is a high hurdle to having your clothes repaired, and people worry that their clothes might lose their shape if they order a repair, so there are various concerns, but I hope people can find a repair shop that matches their sense of style.

Iwasaki: I am a little strange - I often buy damaged clothes. I find something about them interesting. Rather than wearing perfect clothes, I find it interesting to buy damaged items and I become more attached to them. So when I sell clothes too, I put a price on them and sell them even if they are dirty or baggy.

Children soon make their clothes dirty, and the seat of their pants quickly gets worn out when they use the slide in the playground, so some people don’t mind if the clothes are damaged. So I think it is the buyer not the seller who should decide whether something can be sold.

Naniwa: This makes me feel once again the many ways in which people can enjoy used clothes. By the way, do you wear used clothes yourself Kamada-san?

Kamada: Yes, these pants are used. People often think of casual clothes such as T-shirts and denim when they think of used clothes, but there are actually many types of clothes.

For some of the items that I often wear, people sometimes don’t think that they are used. That might be mainly due to the good sense of style of the person in the shop who selected the item. If the person had a bad sense about used clothes, I might not have found things I really like.

What can be achieved by combining fashion and the environment in the future

Kamada: Iwasaki-san, you do farming don’t you? How many years have you been doing it?

Iwasaki: I’ve been farming for 15 years using no pesticides. We grow rice in a paddy field. Planting rice takes a lot of time with only two men - it took us seven days this time.

Kamada: Amazing, that’s the honor of 15 years! I guess you don’t need to buy rice?

Iwasaki: That’s right. I started helped with the rice from spring last year. Another person is in charge of the rice, so I take time off from work for one week in spring and stay at the farm to help out. The deal is that my family gives me a year’s worth of rice in return.

They have been giving me pesticide-free rice since December last year and I haven’t bought rice once since then. It’s a wonderful thing to change from a person who buys rice to a person who makes it.

Kamada: I also think the experience of being a producer is very precious. I have been running the project “Clothes Seeds” for the last six years.

We send cotton seeds to the participants and they grow it on their balconies. They sow it in May, the flowers bloom in summer, the fruits appear, the fruit dries out and bursts in fall to winter when the temperature drops, and the cotton can finally be harvested. We take the cotton to a spinning factory to be turned into thread, then make fabric at a fabric factory, create the design, and produce an item of clothing.

Cotton produced in the “Clothes Seeds” project (provided photo)

Kamada: About 100 to 200 people take part every year, and they all come to realize how much effort it takes to make clothes. It takes about a year and a half from sowing the seeds to completing the product. When you experience this you look at clothes on sale completely differently, and come to see them as being very precious.

I have been working in fashion for a long time, so I have a very detailed understanding of clothes, but I don’t know about anything else. I tried to grow cucumbers and they tasted terrible, so I know that feeling, and I would like to experience growing various things and raising my ability to receive.

Tour of spinning factory (provided photo)

Iwasaki: Going forward, I basically think continuing reuse through activities like the Circular Festival is the most important thing.

For example, I think we don’t need to enter areas where the business is already established and situations where secondary logistics are in place, such as used brand clothing. But there are many used clothes that are not commercially viable and are not circulated, so I would like to circulate these clothes too. I think it is an interesting idea to combine the economic motivation of making money where everyone gets involved in the reuse business, with a circular approach.

Iwasaki: Used clothes don’t need much seed money, and young people can do it too, in fact young people might make more profits, and even children could sell children’s clothes.

I hope that the Circular Festival will help to create a cool world where reuse culture accelerates as the young and old, men and women get involved in economic activities based on reuse items.

Interview/text: Akane Naniwa

Photography: Asuka Sasaki

Inspired by Kyoto

The "Circular Festival" symbolizes a sustainable approach to fashion, promoting environmental consciousness while enjoying fashion. It addresses environmental issues associated with clothing production and disposal. By engaging youth and expanding its influence, this festival embodies Kyoto's spirit of naturally coexisting and shaping a creative cultural city while envisioning a future of sustainable fashion.