YAMAYA

Yamaya co., ltd

Yamaya co., Ltd is a socks factory in Nara prefecture and was established in 1921. Koryo town where their factory is located is one of the top socks manufacturing towns in Japan. The town is surrounded by rolling mountains on all sides and this area has been known for its high quality textile, including Yamato Momen (“momen” means “cotton” in Japanese) since around the 17th century. In fact, local people still use the word “weaving” instead of “knitting” for socks making.

In the 1970s, the Japanese socks market started being dominated by low price imported products and many companies relocated their factories from Japan to overseas. However Yamaya believed in their fair ethical philosophy based on their tradition and they still do. They work with other factories who get involved with socks manufacturing from dyeing studios to package materials producers. Socks making for them is their community itself.

100% Natural, 0% chemical dye

Organic cotton has a thicker air layer and better moisture retention.

Yamaya uses 100% organic cotton which has the third-party certification. The producer countries are the United States, India, Turkey, Africa, Peru etc., where they can source the best quality of organic cotton each year. The brown and green colours are naturally coloured cotton invented by Dr. Sally Fox and Yamaya uses these materials sustainably produced at Alvarez Farm in New Mexico, the US.

Yak

Soft yak hair from Tibet.

Yamaya uses naturally shed yak hair. Yak hair has excellent heat retention as well as moisture absorption and desorption. Also it is not itchy like wool! TAKEFUJI assure that they are comfortable to wear all year around, even spring and summer.

GARABOU

“Garabou” is a Japan origin unique spinning method invented in 1877 as a way to mechanically spin Wawata（和綿, Japanese cotton）which has short fibres. The yarn Yamaya uses i made by the one and only spinning company and is made of recycled organic cotton. Unevenness and irregularity of the yarn make it very comfortable to wear and breathable.

Due to the uneven thickness of Garabou material, it is impossible to knit with a regular knitting machine. Yamaya uses a 40-year-old sock knitting machine which was converted into a special knitting machine. Yamama is creating a unique look that cannot be duplicated by modern machines.