Japan's apparel industry in high-tech bid to secure future

Models display creations by Japanese designer Motohiro Tanji at his 2016 autumn/winter collection show during the Tokyo Fashion Week in Tokyo on March 17, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

TOKYO: From ready-to-wear knits manufactured instantly to customised dresses produced on inkjet printers, Japan’s apparel industry is turning to state-of-the-art technology in a bold bid to cut labour costs and secure its future. 

At manufacturing giant Shima Seiki’s factory in western Japan, garments materialise in minutes, thanks to digitally-programmed automated machines that can turn out a sample seam-free pullover in half an hour with a push of a button.