Enshu Textile Brand HUIS to Release New Book on Apparel Born from Production Regions

Enshu textile brand HUIS (House), operated by HUIS Co., Ltd. and led by CEO Masaki Matsushita in Hamamatsu, will release a new book nationwide on May 15 titled Choosing Apparel Born from Production Regions: The Challenge and Journey of HUIS, an Enshu Apparel Brand Challenging Industry Conventions, published by Nikkan Gendai and sold by Kodansha. Founder Masaki Matsushita, a former Hamamatsu city government employee, has drawn attention for developing the brand from an administrative perspective and with a broad view of the textile industry. HUIS has become known as a distinctive example of apparel originating from a production region and as an initiative that challenges the conventional wisdom of the apparel industry. Similar region-origin apparel brands are now beginning to emerge across Japan’s textile-producing areas. In the book, Matsushita recounts his unusual path from public servant to entrepreneur, his encounter with local Enshu textiles, and his analysis of the structural challenges facing Japan’s textile regions. Across six chapters, he details the strategies and philosophy behind launching and growing a small-scale brand. The apparel industry has faced difficult conditions in recent years, including sales declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs due to the weak yen, and the closure of long-established companies in textile-producing regions. Despite this environment, HUIS continued to grow sales significantly each year during the pandemic and expanded its presence in Japan and overseas. Marking the brand’s 10th anniversary, the book brings together HUIS’s activities and aims to further promote the history and quality of Enshu textiles across Japan. The book is priced at 1,650 yen including tax, authored by Masaki Matsushita, representative of HUIS Co., Ltd., issued by Nikkan Gendai, and released by Kodansha. The content presents the reality of regional revitalization from the perspective of a “public servant turned entrepreneur,” covering Matsushita’s story of discovering and falling in love with Enshu textiles while working on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries promotion at city hall, as well as the know-how behind the brand’s growth. HUIS, launched from a local textile region, has grown steadily by embracing values different from mass production and mass consumption. Its strength lies in high-quality fabrics produced on old-style looms. The book depicts the brand’s journey, its challenges, and the new possibilities opened by apparel born from production regions. This is not merely a brand story. The book calmly analyzes the structural issues Japan’s textile regions have faced, comparing them with primary industries, and then introduces the concrete strategies and practices HUIS has adopted. Topics include redefining the potential of Enshu textiles, brand strategy for small businesses, turning regional resources and stories into value, HUIS’s sales strategy, and the future role of apparel brands rooted in production regions. In an era when simply making good fabric is no longer enough, the book asks how makers and users can stay connected. Matsushita’s practical brand theory, grounded in his own experience, offers insights not only for the apparel industry but also for anyone seeking to create something from a local region. The cover illustration is by Ichiro Yamaguchi, an illustrator and painter from Hamamatsu. Related events include publication commemorative talks at Hankyu Department Store Umeda Main Store on May 28 and at D&DEPARTMENT in Shibuya Hikarie on July 3. A commemorative exhibition titled “HUIS and Fabrics: From Production Region to Everyday Life” will be held at Kamoe Art Center in Hamamatsu from July 4 to 12.