In spring 2020, with Japan facing a shortage of protective gowns for medical staff battling COVID-19, one 18-employee apparel firm in Nara Prefecture produced 100 thousand gowns in just 3 months thanks to a nationwide network of tailors working from home. Using a unique online platform, founder Tani Hideki recruited some 250 craftspeople left without work by a declining sewing industry. Moving forward, he aims to develop a new generation of craftspeople suited to the demands of the new normal.
