PROFILE
Photographer. He photographs "strange things" from all over the world from a natural history and aesthetic point of view. His photo book series, "The Heritage of the Odd World" (X-Knowledge), has become an exceptional bestseller. He has appeared on TBS's "Crazy Journey" and many other TV programs. His photographs have been exhibited at Leica Gallery Tokyo, Kyoto, and other venues. His exhibition "Kenju Sato: Odd World/World" is currently touring throughout Japan.
Instagram: @x51
High quality down made by a pioneer of domestic down jackets .
GORE-TEX long down coat ¥118,800
This item of clothing is made of high-performance photoelectron® down, which enhances heat retention by reflecting far-infrared rays emitted from the body. . The long length of this item will wrap your body in warmth.
I would like to assure you first that the Photoelectron® down contained in NANAMICA down jackets is of the highest quality in the world. To find out the true reason for this, Mr. Sato and I headed to Kawada Feather's Meiwa factory in Mie Prefecture.
Kawada Feathers was founded in 1891 and is Japan's only manufacturer in the down industry with a history of over 130 years. The company, which mainly manufactured ornaments and accessories using feathers, produced Japan's first town-use down jacket in 1977, and was responsible for the production of the majority of famous domestic brands during the first down jacket boom that followed. Ms. Sato, clad in a GORE-TEX long down coat by Nanamica, traces the down manufacturing process at Kawada Feather, a company that has made such great achievements.
. "I have photographed factories before, but this is my first time in a feather factory. And I only know enough about photoelectric down to know that it is warmer than regular down. I'm looking forward to seeing how it's made."
The first thing we were shown was the stock of down carefully selected from all over the world. The stacked bags, each weighing around 20 kg (depending on the supplier), are opened and sent to the refining line, as they are only washed with simple water locally. The feathers are moved through the pipes by the wind, so no waste is mixed in.
Incidentally, the feathers used in down jackets are by-products of edible waterfowl. In recent years, as breeds have been improved to reduce the cost of meat production and the rearing period has become shorter, the quality of feathers has decreased and the number of poor-quality products has been increasing. However, in countries that are particular about food, the rearing period is longer and the feathers mature larger and denser because they are particular about the taste of the meat. Kawada Feathers" sources such feathers.
The first process is "dust removal," which removes dust, oxidized and solidified oil and grease from waterfowl, and dirt from the down. The down is then agitated by a machine, and impurities are removed by the flow of air. Since down is sold by weight, some inexpensive down is not cleaned of microscopic dirt. Kawada Feathers, of course, is different. We use a uniquely structured dust remover to thoroughly remove dirt, so we can already say that our down is of high quality from this stage.
