HOSOO Earns B Corp Certification with Japan’s Highest Manufacturing Score
On July 13, Kyoto-based textile company HOSOO announced that its group companies had earned B Corporation certification. The group achieved an overall B Impact Score of 109.9—the highest among manufacturing companies in Japan—and ranked sixth among B Corp-certified textile manufacturers worldwide, placing it within the global top 10.
Summary
- HOSOO Group companies have earned B Corporation certification, which assesses a company’s social and environmental impact
- The group achieved an overall B Impact Score of 109.9, the highest among manufacturing companies in Japan
- HOSOO ranked sixth among B Corp-certified textile manufacturers worldwide, placing it within the global top 10
- The group was recognized for its investment in local culture, supply chain transparency, decarbonization efforts and commitment to circular manufacturing
- HOSOO also supports artisans and sericulture farmers, collaborates with research institutions and promotes traditional craftsmanship for future generations
The certification was awarded to four HOSOO Group companies: HOSOO Collective, HOSOO, Hosoo and KYOTO SILK HUB.
B Corporation certification is an international certification administered by B Lab, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization. Rather than assessing a company solely on profitability and financial performance, the certification evaluates the value its business creates for society and the environment across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers.
The assessment comprises more than 300 criteria, and companies must achieve a minimum score of 80 to qualify for certification. HOSOO’s score of 109.9 represents an exceptionally high result, particularly as relatively few certified companies surpass 100 points. According to the company, the ranking is based on a comparison with manufacturers operating on a mass-production model.
Bringing 337 Years of Nishijin Textile Craftsmanship into Contemporary Business
HOSOO was founded in 1688 in Kyoto’s Nishijin district as a textile atelier serving major Buddhist temples. While preserving the traditional Nishijin weaving techniques historically used for obi belts and kimono, the company has incorporated innovative technology and contemporary design to create distinctive textiles for luxury fashion and interior markets in Japan and abroad.
In recent years, HOSOO has expanded beyond textile manufacturing to pursue initiatives spanning materials, technology, culture and local communities. These include researching and reviving ancient dyeing techniques, promoting craft culture through its gallery and working to regenerate Japan’s sericulture industry.
The B Corp assessment recognized HOSOO’s collaborations with artisans and research institutions in Japan and overseas, its continued investment in regional culture, its support for sericulture farmers and craftspeople, and its consideration of human rights and environmental responsibility throughout the supply chain.
Its environmental initiatives include extending the lifespan of looms and production equipment, reusing leftover yarn and textile remnants, renovating historic buildings, and introducing renewable energy and electric vehicles. The company also measures its greenhouse gas emissions and incorporates GOTS-certified silk and RCS-certified materials into its operations.
HOSOO has also worked to create a traditional craft workplace in which younger generations can develop their careers. Its initiatives include employee training and career development, joint research with universities and academic institutions, and opening HOSOO Gallery to the local community—all part of a broader effort to pass craft knowledge and culture on to future generations.
Craftsmanship as a Source of Wisdom for Addressing Social Challenges
Commenting on the certification, HOSOO President and CEO Masataka Hosoo said its significance extends beyond the recognition of HOSOO as a single company. He emphasized that the traditions and practices of craftsmanship passed down over generations have now been acknowledged under international standards as values needed by contemporary society.
Hosoo further described craftsmanship not merely as the preservation of tradition, but as a form of wisdom that creates new value through the relationships between people and nature, communities, society and time. Guided by its philosophy of “Weaving Relations,” the company aims to expand the global potential of Japanese craftsmanship.
As economies move away from models centered on mass production and mass consumption toward systems that place greater value on relationships with communities, culture and nature, HOSOO’s B Corp certification presents traditional craftsmanship not as a legacy confined to the past, but as a contemporary industrial model capable of integrating social and economic value.
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