Heart Introduces a Summer Downket Made with Additive-Free Linen/Ramie Fabric and Marseille Soap-Washed Down

Heart Co., Ltd. of Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, led by Representative Director Hiroaki Yamaoka, plans, manufactures, and sells organic textile products with a strong commitment to safety and peace of mind. The company introduces its “Hon-asa Downket,” a high-quality lightweight down blanket that combines premium down carefully washed only with Marseille soap, without synthetic detergent, and 100% hon-asa fabric made from linen and ramie with no additives, dyes, or fluorescent agents. The product is a thin downket designed for use from spring through autumn. It naturally harmonizes the cool touch of hemp fabric when it first meets the skin with the gentle warmth of down that follows afterward. Since its launch, the item has been produced carefully on a small scale and has therefore not been widely known. As summers become longer year by year, Heart is once again communicating the appeal of this bedding as a way to sleep comfortably through extended hot seasons. As prolonged heat waves change summer sleeping environments, more people now sleep with air conditioning running through the night. At the same time, many face problems such as excessive cooling, stuffiness, and discomfort while sleeping, making bedding selection more difficult. Against this backdrop, using down even in summer is beginning to spread as a new option. Heart developed this summer downket made only from natural materials in response to that shift. The combination of additive-free, undyed, non-fluorescent hon-asa fabric and soap-washed down is rare in the market, offering a natural-material answer to changing summer bedroom conditions. Key product features include a 100% hon-asa outer fabric made from linen and ramie, which provides a cool feel and high breathability to reduce summer sleep discomfort; high-quality down washed with Marseille soap without synthetic detergent, bringing out the natural loft of the feathers while considering user health, safety, and the environment; and natural temperature regulation that helps avoid both overcooling and stuffiness. The moisture-releasing quality of hemp and the humidity-regulating quality of down help naturally adjust body temperature even under air conditioning. Heart presents the product as a new lightweight summer comforter for people who care about natural materials. It is thin and light, designed for a long season from spring through autumn, and comfortable during seasonal transitions. The company chose soap washing because it is gentler for both people and the planet. While most down is commonly washed quickly with synthetic detergents, Heart deliberately chose the more time-consuming soap-washing method. The product uses high-quality down sourced as a byproduct from waterfowl raised for food, with consideration for animal welfare, and repeatedly washed with soap. For bedding that touches delicate skin, the safety of cleansing ingredients is an invisible luxury. Soap also decomposes quickly and naturally after flowing into water, reducing burden on river fish and the environment. The downket reflects Heart’s belief that a washing method that does not pollute rivers is also the gentlest for the skin. For the fabric, Heart uses 100% hon-asa with no additives, dyes, or fluorescent agents. Common hemp fabrics, especially mass-produced ones, often use bleach or fluorescent agents to even out color variation. Heart avoids these entirely because the fabric touches the skin directly and the company wants to deliver the natural texture of the material as it is. Because the fabric is not excessively processed, the original hemp fibers remain undamaged, preserving a durable yet soft texture. It is comfortable for people with sensitive skin and safe for children to rub their cheeks against. Since it is not forcibly standardized with chemicals, the fabric’s natural character deepens with each wash. It starts with a crisp feel and gradually softens with use, allowing owners to enjoy the process of raising it into a personal piece. The “Hon-asa Downket” is priced at 46,200 yen including tax and is available at general goods stores, mass retailers, and online shops as of May 2026. Heart’s origin lies in the wish to make bedding that allows a young child to sleep peacefully until morning. The company’s roots trace back to an illness experienced by Hiroaki Yamaoka in childhood. After being transported by ambulance due to a serious condition, he fortunately survived. This event led his parents to feel strongly that their mission was to make bedding for people who were suffering in the same way or physically vulnerable, so they could sleep soundly through the night. That conviction became the start of Heart’s dedicated bedding manufacturing. For 38 years in Kochi Prefecture, Heart has remained committed to organic products. The company continues to challenge itself to help solve social issues through new value, aiming for a brighter and more enjoyable everyday life for all and a world where no one is left behind.