*Originally published in Japanese in AdverTimes on April 28th, 2025.
English translation by the author.
Telling the Story of "Invisible Skills" and Trust — How Sunray Chose to Create with Japan
Sunray, a brand originating from Cornwall, England, encountered a Japanese factory in their pursuit of the perfect T-shirt — and carefully wove the factory’s craftsmanship and philosophy into the core of their brand narrative.
By placing "fully made in Japan" and "artisans whose stories are told" at the heart of their identity, Sunray presents a new model for connecting traditional Japanese techniques with global branding.
Photo: Niena Etsuko Hino
Scenes from Sunray’s trade show.
Photo: Niena Etsuko Hino
For a long time, "Made in Japan" symbolized superior quality and precision.
Today, however, its meaning is quietly but steadily shifting. The true value now lies in "who made it, with what beliefs, where, and with whom" — in the story behind the creation. Sunray SPORTSWEAR and Sunray SPIRIT embody this shift. The brand focuses on extremely simple items — T-shirts and sweatshirts — all manufactured in a small factory in Japan. Yet, instead of merely highlighting "made in Japan," Sunray brings the techniques, labor, and even the names of the craftsmen to the forefront of its brand story.
The Journey to Japan in Search of the Perfect T-shirt
Sunray was founded by Colin, who, after a 30-year search for the perfect T-shirt, decided, "If it doesn’t exist, we'll have to make it ourselves," launching the brand with his wife Emma. An initial attempt to produce in Portugal ended in failure, leading him to realize, "There’s a reason why perfect T-shirts don’t exist." The words of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard — "Don't expect a bad factory to be good for you" — gave Colin the courage to try again.
Believing that in Japan, perfection is standard, they spent months searching for the ideal factory and finally found it: a small, family-run sewing factory with a history of over 100 years, known for having produced uniforms for the Imperial Household. The factory's commitment to traditional, time-consuming methods and the use of vintage circular knitting machines made it the "Holy Grail" for Sunray’s vision of the perfect plain white T-shirt.
However, simply finding the factory did not mean immediate collaboration.
For the Japanese factory, entrusting a crucial production line to a small foreign brand run by a husband and wife team from England required profound trust and time. Moreover, Sunray’s desired fit deviated from Japanese "perfection," necessitating nearly two years of negotiation and dialogue to bridge differences in fit and aesthetic sensibilities between East and West.
When the first shipment finally arrived in England, Colin reportedly let out a loud cry as he opened the box — so loud that Emma rushed in from the next room, fearing something had gone wrong. Instead, it was a cry of pure joy: every detail was executed perfectly, with flawless precision, surpassing even their highest expectations. Today, Sunray continues to work closely with this factory, and their products are now featured in top select shops around the world, attracting a passionate global following.
Sunray was founded by Colin and his wife Emma, as a two-person team.
Photo credit: Sunray
At first glance, Sunray’s products are simple, plain T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Yet, each piece offers a distinct feeling of comfort and presence that is hard to find elsewhere. The material used is a special recycled Japanese cotton called "Ochiwata" — short, fluffy fibers left over from the cotton combing process, skillfully spun into yarn by Japanese artisans. This yarn forms the fabric of Sunray’s T-shirts and the surface of their sweatshirts, combining luxurious softness with the beauty of natural aging.
The fabric is knitted using vintage circular knitting machines, creating a tube body construction (no side seams), resulting in an exceptionally gentle fit that naturally conforms to the body.
Every item is garment-dyed, allowing each piece to develop a unique character over time, reflecting the wearer’s journey with it. Attention to detail extends to every part of the product:
- Neck labels are made from 100% recycled polyester.
- Hang tags are printed on 100% recycled paper with vegetable-based inks.
- The wool thread used for the tags comes from rare organic sheep grazing on Dartmoor.
- Packaging tape is made from 100% recycled paper with plant-based glue, and document envelopes are compostable.
- Importantly, all shipments are handled climate-neutrally.
Sunray’s ultimate philosophy is clear:
"Everyday wear for everyone — but an everyday wear that exists nowhere else." Their “silent clothing,” without loud logos or branding, embodies their entire philosophy.
A factory that preserves traditional techniques. From the Sunray brand book.
Photo credit: Sunray
A Brand That Brings Artisans to the Forefront
Sunray does not treat the artisans and techniques behind their production as mere background. Instead, they proudly position them as the very centerpiece of their brand narrative.
For example:
- Mr. Miura, with 40 years of experience, manages the fabric processing, ensuring water purity and preventing fabric shrinkage (even installing a koi pond to monitor water quality).
- Mr. Kitada, with over 50 years of dyeing expertise, painstakingly manages the garment-dyeing process through multiple careful steps to achieve flawless color consistency.
Photo credit: Sunray
The brand book features Japanese artisans, highlighting their indispensable role in Sunray’s identity.
Photo credit: Sunray
Brands that clearly highlight the names and skills of their craftspeople are still rare even globally. Sunray’s storytelling honors the unparalleled precision and meticulousness often taken for granted in Japan, giving it visible form in the global marketplace. This approach also delivers a quiet but firm counterpoint to the traditional Japanese ethos of “craftsmen work silently and need no acknowledgment.” Instead, Sunray recognizes that true trust and social credibility grow stronger when others — not oneself — tell the story of excellence. They understand the importance of being a brand that brings artisans into the spotlight, and their profound, ongoing respect for the craftspeople who produce more than they could ever have asked for is at the heart of their philosophy.
When I spoke with Colin and Emma, they told me:
"Without the craftspeople — without the factory staff — there would be no way we could create the T-shirts and sweatshirts we dreamed of."