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About 80 Years of Cotton Research: Stay Comfortable Through the Scorching Summer With GUNZE’s 100% Cotton Innerwear
The oppressive heat of summer in Japan—on crowded commuter trains, at the office, and even at home, many people feel overwhelmed by constant sweat and humidity.
At times like these, the underwear that touches your skin directly can make all the difference in your comfort. In recent years, items that balance "gentleness on the skin" with "functionality" have garnered attention and become true summer essentials.
GUNZE LIMITED, a long-established underwear manufacturer, offers a line of 100% cotton innerwear that is practically the savior of the season. Why does GUNZE’s underwear continue to be chosen by so many? We spoke with Kazunori Mikamo, Takashi Hiwa, and Naoko Ota from the company to find out.
The Appeal of Cotton: Gentle Texture, Moisture Absorption, Breathability
When you hear the words "gentle on the skin", one of the first materials that comes to mind is probably cotton. Its soft, gentle touch is something many are familiar with. But the attraction of cotton doesn’t end there.Mikamo"Cotton is known for its insulation and breathability, making it comfortable to wear all year round.
Plus, since it doesn’t easily get statically charged, you’ll rarely have to deal with static electricity, and its ability to quickly absorb sweat and humidity helps keep your skin fresh. When combined with antibacterial and deodorizing treatments, it can also suppress bacteria that cause unwanted odors."
Especially for those with sensitive skin, it’s a reassuring fabric—which makes perfect sense. But GUNZE doesn’t stop at simply utilizing the natural qualities of cotton.
Mikamo"At our company, we’re committed to comfort, so we pursue even greater gentleness on the skin.
While the raw material itself is important, the design elements—like the way it’s woven and processed—are also crucial when developing a product. We believe that the right combination of design and materials results in truly comfortable wear."
GUNZE’s expertise and unique design technologies amplify the innate advantages of cotton, raising comfort to new levels and making the company’s cotton innerwear a benchmark for the best possible feel against your skin.
The "the GUNZE" Line: Packed with All of GUNZE’s Know-how
GUNZE’s 100% cotton innerwear range caters to a wide variety of needs, but one product line in particular stands out: the "the GUNZE" series. Ota introduces this flagship range.
Ota"'the GUNZE' is positioned as our core brand. For our 100% cotton series, we use GUNZE’s original 'Eco-Magic Processing,' which binds functional molecules to cotton and makes it more hydrophilic, enhancing a range of features. The result is cotton products that are improved at the molecular level.
This 'upgrading the natural functions of cotton' results in fabrics with better moisture absorption and deodorizing capabilities than regular cotton, as well as making it hard for sebum stains to stick and easier for dirt to come off with just water. Plus, the fabric holds its shape and resists shrinking—even in the dryer!"
Design-wise, there’s plenty of attention paid to minimizing irritation as well.
Ota"We use transfer prints for laundry instructions instead of tags and eliminate side seams, so there’s no itchiness from tags or seams on your skin.
And for our 'SEAMLESS' series, we were the first in the industry[1] to use folded and bonded finishes around the neck and armholes, reducing seams even further."
Creating a shape that contours to the body without sewing, especially using 100% cotton yarn (with no elastic fibers), requires advanced expertise. GUNZE’s meticulous dedication to reducing skin irritation continues to challenge conventional wisdom about underwear.
And within the "the GUNZE" series, there’s even an offering—"Saratto Cotton 100%"—specifically designed for Japan’s humid summers. For this range (ladies’ only), GUNZE uses high-twist cotton yarn, which is more tightly twisted than regular cotton, to help prevent the discomfort of undershirts sticking and clinging to your skin due to sweat.
Ota"By knitting with tightly twisted cotton yarn, the fabric has a crisp feel and stays off the skin, but the challenge was to maintain the fabric’s softness.
So, we applied mercerization, which gives the fabric a silky gloss and smoothness, resulting in a silky touch. Additionally, we applied moisturizing and antibacterial treatments with naturally derived ingredients."
The underarm sweat pads are positioned at the optimal spot and angle, determined by GUNZE through years of anatomical and perspiration research. Combining beauty and practicality, it's truly "the piece you can rely on in summer".
Realizing “High Quality × Low Price” Through Expertise
GUNZE's 100% cotton innerwear series offers impressive functionality at an accessible price—under 2,000 yen per item. The secret lies in GUNZE’s commitment to quality since its founding, advanced technical expertise built up over the years, and relentless quality control.Hiwa"At our company, we don't believe in 'cheap but poor quality.' Instead, we focus on offering high-quality products at a fair price that can be used for a long time. GUNZE began making underwear in 1946, and quality has always been our priority from the start.
We define a 'good product' as one that stays great even after washing. We've continued to innovate to ensure our products keep their shape and do not shrink, wash after wash."
One of the key drivers behind GUNZE's evolution is the physiology research institute for innerwear, "Kaiteki Kobo" (now: Kaiteki Science Lab), established in 1994. This research center goes beyond simple product development, pursuing wear comfort from both ergonomic and physiological-anthropology perspectives.
For example, GUNZE defines “wear comfort” by three factors: "softness," "breathability," and "non-constriction." By quantifying the sensation of comfort and reflecting it in manufacturing, GUNZE achieves comfort levels that satisfy a wide range of people.
When asked about the future, Hiwa had this to say.
Hiwa"Underwear made from skin-friendly, 100% cotton has universal value. Especially for children whose skin barrier is still developing, gentle materials have always been recommended—and that hasn't changed even today.
With 129 years of history and nearly 80 years of innerwear research, as a company dedicated to cotton innerwear, we will continue to pursue material innovation and advance our technology by listening to customer feedback."
The true charm of GUNZE products lies in quality built on years of history and technical expertise. This summer, why not experience a new level of comfort with GUNZE's 100% cotton innerwear?
PROFILE
(From left) Kazunori Mikamo / Takashi Hiwa / Naoko Ota
Kazunori Mikamo
GUNZE LIMITED
Apparel Company, Retail General Department, Digital Marketing Division
Joined GUNZE as a new graduate in 2007. After five years in sales to mass retailers, handled men's innerwear promotions. Since October 2018, in current role, responsible for planning and executing merchandising strategies for men's innerwear on GUNZE's official direct online store.
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Takashi Hiwa
GUNZE LIMITED
Apparel Company, Sales MD Headquarters, Product Planning Department, Marketing Group Manager
After joining GUNZE in 2008, spent seven years mainly developing new clients and handling ODM sales. Later, promoted legwear and worked in product planning MD. Since April 2023, has been responsible for marketing strategy for the major new brand "Acedron" launched in spring 2024.
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Naoko Ota
GUNZE LIMITED
Apparel Company, Retail General Department, Digital Marketing Division
Joined GUNZE as a new graduate in 2018. After working in plastic film sales, moved to the Digital Marketing Division in 2020, handling CRM. Through social media management and customer analysis, works on awareness building and fan engagement. Since September 2022, responsible for planning and executing merchandising strategies for ladies’ innerwear at direct-operated stores.
[1] In women's innerwear made in Japan with 100% cotton body using folded adhesive method / Gunze research, August 2024
Text by Rika Okuyama
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