Comfort, always at hand. Gift to you. You give. "TOHOKU Everyone's Goods" is an original product produced by T-POINT and Yahoo! JAPAN.

2013.09.05 Press Releases
T Point Japan Co., Ltd. / Yahoo Japan Corporation

- Delivering comfortable accessories made from Fukushima's "Sashiko" fabric -

T Point Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "T-POINT") and Yahoo! Japan Corporation (hereinafter "Yahoo! JAPAN") have jointly produced the original product "TOHOKU Everyone's Goods," which will go on sale from September 6, 2013, at 33 TSUTAYA stores, one FamilyMart store, and on the website "Fukko Department" (Yahoo! JAPAN).

"TOHOKU Minna no GOODS" was developed with the brand concept of "supporting Tohoku, where producers, consumers, retailers, and others are working together to make strong progress toward recovery, and delivering truly good things made in Tohoku to all over the country."

The first "TOHOKU Everyone's Goods" we will be bringing you are small items "made in Fukushima" that are carefully crafted one by one using sashiko fabric woven in Fukushima, a technique that is one of the many "handicrafts" that have been carefully passed down in daily life in Tohoku. We offer five types of items - a pouch, book cover, handkerchief, coaster, and tissue cover case - in three colors: sky blue, chestnut blue, and sea blue.
The bags will also be sold exclusively at the Reconstruction Department (Yahoo! JAPAN) during September.

"TOHOKU Minna no GOODS" is the official matching donation product for the "Minna no Playground Project," which is building an indoor playground for children in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. When customers purchase this product, T Point Japan will donate the same amount of T Points earned at the time of purchase, with 1 point = 1 yen, to the "Minna no Playground Project."

"TOHOKU Minna no GOODS" will continue to plan and stock a diverse lineup together with artists and creators who support the brand concept, as well as T-Point Alliance companies.

■ "Sashiko weaving"
Sashiko is a traditional craft that has been passed down in the Tohoku region for a long time. In the bitterly cold Tohoku region, sashiko, a technique of stitching linen cloth with thread, was popular to keep clothes warm and reinforce them. The beautiful and unique patterns spun from the threads are still cherished and passed down in various regions of Tohoku. "TOHOKU Minna no GOODS" came across the "Sashiko weaving" of Sanwa Orimono, the only machine-woven sashiko weaving company in Japan. This is a precious fabric that can only be woven at a rate of 1 meter per hour on an old-fashioned loom. This fabric is carefully woven bit by bit and has a pleasant and soft feel.

■ "Sky Blue," "Cherry Blossom," and "Sea Leopard"
All of the accessories woven using the sashiko weaving technique use the traditional Japanese colors of sky blue, chestnut blue, and sea buckthorn blue. A clear blue sky, soil where life sprouts, and vibrant Hamanasu flowers blooming on the Fukushima coast. We created this product with these three colors in mind.

■Sanwa Textiles Co., Ltd. - Mr. Kenichi Ohazama
The creator of the sashiko weaving is Kenichi Okyo, who lives in Tsukidate-cho, Date City, Fukushima Prefecture. A textile craftsman who has been involved in weaving for four generations. He studied for many years under Etsuko Yanagi, a weaver and dyer and nephew of Muneyoshi Yanagi, the founder of the Mingei movement. In 1979, he received the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Award. Sashiko weaving is one of the fabrics that the Okyo family has continued to make. Thanks to many years of experience, the weaving process requires time and effort, with machines being adjusted to suit the temperature and humidity.

■Each piece is carefully sewn
The sashiko fabric woven by Okyo features a monogram design with a vertical and horizontal "T" motif. This extremely delicate fabric is carefully cut by hand and sewn lovingly one by one on a sewing machine by the factory staff run by Salonje Co., Ltd. in Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, who are committed to quality, design, and sensibility.

■ The power of "made in Fukushima"
This product is made using sashiko-ori fabric woven on a traditional wooden loom and carefully handcrafted one by one. We created it together with the people of Fukushima, aiming to create a truly high-quality product that would be loved and enjoyed by many people. This product was truly made possible thanks to the power of "mede in Fukushima."

[Product Overview of "TOHOKU Everyone's Goods"]
■Brand name: TOHOKU Everyone's Goods
■ Release date: Friday, September 6, 2013
■Product lineup:
(1) "Pouch" ... 1,890 yen (tax included)
(2) "Book cover" ... 1,680 yen (tax included)
(3) "Handkerchief" ... 1,150 yen (tax included)
(4) Coaster: 550 yen (tax included)
(5) "Pocket Tissue Cover" ... 680 yen (tax included)

■List of stores

TSUTAYA BOOKS Sendai Izumi, TSUTAYA Kuwano, TSUTAYA AEON Town Koriyama, TSUTAYA Shirakawa, TSUTAYA Nihonmatsu, TSUTAYA Fukushima Minami
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TSUTAYA Miwa store, TSUTAYA BOOKS Hitachinaka store, TSUTAYA BOOKS Maebashi Minami Mall store, TSUTAYA BOOKS Foreo Shobu store, TSUTAYA Yokohama Minatomirai store, TSUTAYA TOKYO ROPPONGI, TSUTAYA Tokyo Midtown, TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Yurakucho Marui, SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, Daikanyama TSUTAYA BOOKS, FamilyMart Daikanyama store

TSUTAYA BOOKS Niigata Bandai, TSUTAYA Kitamatsumoto store, TSUTAYA Matsumoto Shonai store

TSUTAYA EBISUBASHI, TSUTAYA Abenobashi store, TSUTAYA Hirakata Station main store, TSUTAYA Viva Mall Neyagawa store, TSUTAYA Higashikori store, TSUTAYA Makino High School Station store, TSUTAYA Sannomiya store

TSUTAYA Tenjin Station Fukuoka Building Branch, TSUTAYA BOOKS AEON Mall Chikushino, TSUTAYA BOOKS Takeo City Library, TSUTAYA BOOKS Kumamoto Sannenzaka, TSUTAYA BOOKS Kashima, TSUTAYA BOOKS Ogawamachi, TSUTAYA BOOKS Miyazaki Takachiho Street

Materials related to this matter

Comfort, always at hand. Gift to you. You give. "TOHOKU Everyone's Goods" is an original product produced by T-POINT and Yahoo! JAPAN.

Inquiries regarding this matter
T Point Japan Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Officer: Ando
TEL: 03-6800-4464