Press & Recognition

As a Japanese modest & ethical fashion label working with vintage kimono, WATASI JAPAN has been covered continuously since 2015 by NHK, Nikkei, the Asahi Shimbun and many other outlets in Japan and abroad, and has been selected as an overseas-expansion support case by public institutions including JETRO, SMRJ and the Japan Finance Corporation.

Television: 10+ programmes (NHK channels, Fukushima Chuo TV, Fukushima FM, overseas broadcasters)
Newspapers, magazines and web media: 10+ outlets (NHK NEWS WEB, Nikkei, Asahi Shimbun, Kyodo News, Jakarta Shimbun and others)
Introduced to 150 countries via NHK WORLD
Exhibited and shown in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia and elsewhere

Timeline

2015 — Founded. First coverage in the Jakarta Shimbun.

2016 — Kyodo News wire coverage (“Islamic fashion, made in Japan”); NHK “Ohayo Nippon” feature on Japanese Muslim fashion; further coverage in the Fukushima Minyu and the Jakarta Shimbun.

Jun 21 — Fukushima Minyu

Nov 25 — NHK “Ohayo Nippon”

2017 — Asahi Shimbun (Michinoku Economy, “Challengers”); appearances on Fukushima Chuo TV and Fukushima FM; talk on international understanding at Asaka Kaisei High School; feature by HALAL MEDIA JAPAN.

Feb 9 — Asahi Shimbun

Feb 28 — Meeting with the Mayor of Shirakawa

Apr 25 / May 6 — Fukushima Chuo TV

May 23–24 — FM Fukushima

Jun 2 — Talk at Asaka Kaisei High School

2018

Featured in METI’s internationalisation internship case studies
Sold at ISETAN KLCC, Kuala Lumpur (26 Mar – 21 Jun) and ISETAN Singapore
TRANS 7, Indonesia — “Jazirah Islam” (first coverage by an overseas broadcaster; aired in Indonesia during Ramadan)
Joined the Japan–UAE Economic Exchange Caravan (JETRO); the kimono abaya drew a strong response locally

Oct 24 — Onahama Tokiwa-en

2019 — a year of concentrated coverage

Founder Junko Nawa received the Fukushima Venture Award (JBIA Award), organised by Fukushima Prefecture
Reported the award to Governor Masao Uchibori and other local leaders. Governor Uchibori: “When you say you are from Fukushima, most people’s faces cloud over. Let’s make it a Fukushima where people say instead, ‘Oh — from that Fukushima that’s working so hard!’ — a Fukushima where children can say with pride that they are from here.”
NHK WORLD “GREAT GEAR” — watch here
Introduced to 150 countries via NHK WORLD (June 2019)
NHK General “Hama Naka Aizu” (Tohoku-wide); NHK BS1 “International News Report 2019 — World Watching” (broadcast in Japan and overseas)
NHK General “Kore de Wakatta! Sekai no Ima” (nationwide); NHK WORLD (Chinese edition)
Nikkei (Tohoku edition); NHK NEWS WEB “Cameraman’s Eye” — link; NHK “Ohayo Nippon”
Fukushima Industry Prize, Special Award; selected by the Japan Patent Office for Fukushima’s IP-utilisation project

Fukushima Venture Award JBIA Prize booklet

Jan 22 — Fukushima Venture Award, JBIA Prize

Feb — Award report booklet

Feb 14 — Report to Fukushima Governor Uchibori

Mar 18 — Fukushima Minpo

Jun 6 — NHK WORLD “GREAT GEAR”

Jul 17 — NHK “Hamanaka Aizu”

Oct 2 — NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Oct 6 — NHK “Kore de Wakatta! Sekai no Ima”

Oct 8 — Nikkei

Nov 28 — NHK WORLD (Chinese)

Dec 9 — NHK NEWS WEB “Cameraman’s Eye”

2021 — Featured on the official social media of the Cabinet Office / Prime Minister’s Office of Japan (JAPAN GOV).

2022

Interview with Kiratto Fukushima (Fukushima women’s-empowerment portal) — link
Salam Groovy Japan (JP / EN) — English feature

2023

JETRO case study — “Sharpening negotiation skills with buyers accelerates overseas expansion” — link
Japan Finance Corporation — “Overseas Expansion Zero-to-One+” case study — link

2025 — Selected for SMRJ’s “Aim for a Hit! Recommended Selection for Overseas Expansion 2025” — link.

Ongoing support — New Export Nation Consortium; expert mentoring from the Japan Finance Corporation (pricing, negotiation, branding, contract management).

International

Mar–Jun 2018 — Limited-time sales at ISETAN KLCC, Kuala Lumpur and ISETAN Singapore
From 2022 — Sold at a concept store in the Principality of Monaco (the FUKUSHIMA ALOHA men’s kimono-shirt line)
From 2023 — Sold at Goshopia, an ethical-fashion concept store in Dubai
Nov 2023 — Showed at the “Future Fashion & Technology — Sustainable Fashion Show” in Doha, Qatar (presented by Goshopia) — “Catwalk in Qatar” video
Appeared at a Forbes Middle East event
Exhibited at the Sustainable Fashion Expo (SFEXPO)
Took part in the Japan Festival in Saudi Arabia
Exhibited at a trade show in Indonesia
H.E. Fumio Iwai, Ambassador of Japan to Saudi Arabia, and Mrs. Reiko Iwai visited WATASI JAPAN (also shared by Ambassador Iwai on his own social media)

Talks & community

2017 — Talk on international understanding, Asaka Kaisei High School, Fukushima
2018 — Indonesian cultural-understanding class, Onahama Tokiwa-en care facility
2024 — JICA (programme for entrepreneurs in Malaysia)
2025 — Fukushima University; Koriyama Women’s University