JAPAN MADE PROJECT is a local community project run by Urban Research Co., Ltd. under the keyword "Japanese regions are interesting." Working together with people in each region, it aims at regional co-creation while facing both the appeal and the challenges of each place.
JAPAN MADE PROJECT resonated with the vision of Hitsuji Summit Bishu (ひつじサミット尾州) and the thoughts of the people involved, and began collaborating with it as a collaboration partner in 2025. The two will keep working together to build the future of Bishu as a production region.
On Friday, November 6, 2026, items that pack in the distinctive features of Bishu, developed together with companies participating in Hitsuji Summit Bishu, go on sale at select Urban Research stores. The lineup is a chance to experience firsthand the technique of Bishu, shaped by the dedication of its people.
Bishu Tweed Collarless Jacket and Easy Pants
- Bishu Tweed Collarless Jacket
- Item No.: JMBS-2751-AA001
- Sizes: M, L
- Price: ¥41,800 (tax included)
- Bishu Tweed Easy Pants
- Item No.: JMBS-2751-BA001
- Sizes: M, L
- Price: ¥36,300 (tax included)
Both items are unisex.
This set-up was tailored with a "Bishu character" in mind. The jacket and trousers use tweed woven on rare Schönherr (ションヘル) looms in Bishu, and the tweed's characteristic dimensional texture and deep coloring stand out. Thanks to the suppleness and lightness that Schönherr looms bring, the fabric has a substantial body yet is light, making for a comfortable fit.
The jacket is a collarless design inspired by the hanten (半纏) that JAPAN MADE PROJECT proposes, and it works for looks ranging from dressy to casual. The attention paid to yarn, weaving, and finishing, which brings out the best in the material, gives the set a distinctive feel and a polished look when tailored.
Besides refined styling as a set, each piece also stands out on its own.
Materials and Craftsmanship (Yarn, Weaving, Finishing)
- Yarn: Thick-count woolen-spun yarn made from wool and nylon. Blending in wool in a deep "top color" (stock-dyed) gives the fabric a depth of expression that a single color cannot achieve. The woolen-spun yarn is characterized by its lightness and loft.
- Weaving: The fabric is woven slowly on traditional Schönherr looms, which have become rare even in Bishu. Because the yarn is woven without unnecessary strain and with air worked into it, the fabric gains a plump, rich texture.
- Finishing: The set uses milling, a finishing technique that Bishu, a woolen-textile production region, is known for. It keeps the natural warmth and loft of wool while bringing out a moderately substantial body and a beautiful tailored shape.
Fancy Tweed Half-Zip Knit Pullover
- Item No.: JMBS-4097-AA001
- Sizes: M, L
- Price: ¥38,500 (tax included)
- Unisex
This richly textured jacquard knit carries the technique and sensibility of Bishu, a renowned production region for fancy tweed. Drawing on the sensibility of Bishu, which has created numerous fancy yarns, the pullover combines two distinctive yarns with different textures from Takizen Co., Ltd. (株式会社滝善).
- Field Village (フィールドヴィレッジ): A chenille-style yarn made from a 100% cupro non-woven fabric, dyed a delicate light gray at 伴染工株式会社 in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture.
- Monsieur (ムッシュ): A ring-shaped bouclé yarn with soft loft and a lightweight feel.
Knitting these two expressive yarns, which also echo fancy tweed, in a delicate balance (two strands of light gray and one strand of dark gray) creates a dimensional look and deep coloring that a single color cannot produce.
The pullover uses jacquard knitting, which creates the pattern as the fabric is knitted, in a middle gauge that is neither too thick nor too thin. Craftspeople then finish it with fulling (縮絨, shukujū), which tightens the fabric and leaves it plump, soft, and pleasant to the touch. The result is a lightweight piece with the distinctive material feel of Bishu.
Sale Information
- Release date: Friday, November 6, 2026
- Stores:
Participating stores may change without notice. URBAN RESEARCH ONLINE STORE begins sales at around 12:00 PM, though the time may vary slightly depending on the system.
About Bishu and Hitsuji Summit Bishu
"Bishu" (尾州) is a woolen-textile production region spreading around the Kiso River, including Ichinomiya and Tsushima in western Aichi Prefecture and Hashima in Gifu Prefecture. It is counted among the world's three major woolen-textile production regions. Many processes, including spinning, weaving and knitting, and dyeing and finishing, are divided among specialists, and manufacturing continues across the whole region.
Hitsuji Summit Bishu is an industrial tourism event held in the Bishu region. Aiming for a sustainable production region, it has been held every year since 2021 and has become a large-scale event that drew a cumulative total of 67,000 visitors over four years. The 2026 edition was scheduled for Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25.
For details, visit the official site: https://hitsuji.fun/
