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Cooler & More Natural: The Evolution of the New MOONRAKERS T-Shirt "MOON-TECH® nature" with Space Technology

2025.05.22

MOONRAKERS, a spin-off venture from Toray Industries, Inc., aims to directly connect state-of-the-art technology with everyday life by creating the "fabrics of the future" that blend comfort, convenience, and beauty.

Last year, we covered MOONRAKERS' innovative "MOON-TECH® T-shirt," a product defined by its "exceptional functionality." It features 12 advanced functions, spearheaded by space technology jointly developed by Toray and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

This time, MOONRAKERS has introduced an even more advanced model: "MOON-TECH® nature." We spoke with Makoto Nishida, President and CEO of MOONRAKERS TECHNOLOGIES, about the updates made to the latest product.

PROFILE

Makoto Nishida

President & CEO of Toray spin-off venture, MOONRAKERS TECHNOLOGIES

After joining Toray, Nishida engaged in material development and, in his 20s, took on a new business challenge with the then-cutting-edge fleece material. He achieved a major milestone by clinching a huge contract with UNIQLO through a bold sales approach. For his second new business, he planned an ODM apparel project using advanced materials, growing it into a 5-billion yen business within seven years. For his third new venture, he pioneered an unprecedented D2C model at Toray, launching the "MOONRAKERS" project based on advanced materials and successfully establishing the business. In 2023, he spun off the venture to pursue further growth by starting an independent company.

A Completely New T-shirt Inspired by Customer Voices

What led to the launch of the new "MOON-TECH® nature"?

Thanks to everyone, the "MOON-TECH®" series became an unexpected hit for us. However, user feedback revealed comments such as, "The fabric sometimes feels too thick during midsummer, so I wish it were thinner and cooler," and "I’d like a T-shirt with a more natural, cotton-like texture that fits seamlessly into everyday life." These requests prompted us to start developing a new fabric.

Can you tell us about the features of the material?

The previous "MOON-TECH®" used yarns with sweat-stain resistance, opacity, and UV protection for the outer surface, while highly stretchable yarns were used for the inside, layering both types to create a single piece of fabric.

The conventional "MOON-TECH®" T-shirt utilized fabric combining yarns with different functions for the outer and inner sides, enabling a multitude of features to perform simultaneously.

By contrast, "MOON-TECH®nature" employs a technique called "draw-composite spinning," blending those two types of yarns into a single strand. Since the fabric is made from just one type of yarn and doesn’t require separate inner and outer layers, it’s possible to achieve an even lighter, thinner material.

However, simply combining two types of yarn with different functions into a single strand can diminish the effectiveness of each function. For instance, the inner yarn lacks sweat-stain resistance, and straightforwardly combining them would cause certain functions to be lost in some parts.

To address this, when blending the yarns, we ensure the yarn originally used for the inner side is positioned inside, while the yarn with sweat-resistance and other features remains outside. Through this approach, we achieve the intended thinness while preserving the functional advantages of "MOON-TECH®."

By ingeniously merging the yarns used for both the outer and inner sides of "MOON-TECH®" into a single strand using a unique method.

"MOON-TECH®" comes equipped with 12 functions, and "MOON-TECH® nature" features the same capabilities. Although the fabrics have different compositions, which creates subtle data differences, the fundamental functionality remains intact. The distinctively natural and delicate texture combined with tough durability is nothing short of an "evolution."

Updated with a Cotton-Like Texture for Seamless Everyday Wear

The more natural, cotton-like look is a notable change, isn’t it? How is this effect achieved?

The front and back threads used in "MOON-TECH®" have completely different levels of stretch. While the front yarn is relatively straight, the back yarn is coiled, much like a spring, to provide elasticity. So, what happens when you combine these two types of yarn into a single thread? The resulting randomness imparts a distinctly natural feel to the fabric.

Left: Enlarged image of the front yarn; Right: Enlarged image of the back yarn

Basically, synthetic fibers are more uniform compared to natural fibers. This gives fabrics a consistently pristine surface, but lacks the organic subtle variations that natural fibers offer. "MOON-TECH® nature" achieves a cotton-like natural texture through this randomness in the yarn structure.

Left: "MOON-TECH®"; Right: "MOON-TECH® nature." By combining multiple yarns, the product successfully approximates the feel of natural fibers

Compared to the comparatively sporty feel of the "MOON-TECH® T-shirt," the new fabric blends more easily with different styles—making it a popular choice among women as well.

Still, being synthetic at its core, it maintains exceptional functionality and durability, while avoiding the wear and yellowing issues that cotton faces. By taking the best of both synthetic and natural fibers, and even exceeding them, we believe we've created what could be called a "fiber of the future."

Have there been any other design changes from the "MOON-TECH® T-shirt"?

MOONRAKERS doesn’t focus on high fashion, but rather aims for easy-to-wear clothing that fits seamlessly into everyday life. The T-shirt remains basic and standard, with no major alterations. However, we did widen the neckline slightly to better showcase the innovative fabric.

Additionally, for a sharper look when worn, we narrowed the neck rib by just 5mm—a tweak unique to MOONRAKERS. Fine-tuning these details is crucial for creating clothing that’s simple, refined, and visually striking.

Left: "MOON-TECH®"; Right: "MOON-TECH® nature." Both the collar width and rib measurements have been precisely adjusted down to the millimeter

The "Future of Fiber" Envisioned by MOONRAKERS

What challenges did you face during development?

Our projects are built around user feedback, so we receive honest and direct opinions from our customers daily. As a project initiated by a materials manufacturer—traditionally distant from end-users—these direct user voices are both valuable and highly motivating.

The challenge lay in how to translate the abundance of feedback into a physical product. Simply turning voices into products isn’t enough; we needed to search for what users truly desire and work toward the right solution.

That meant fostering meaningful, two-way communication instead of just collecting opinions. With "MOON-TECH® nature," we achieved this, resulting in a highly polished end product.

MOONRAKERS is notable for its exceptionally high repeat purchase rate, averaging 55–60%. Even as new customers steadily join in, the rate stays strong because existing supporters remain committed to our project.

It's thanks to these passionate users that we've been able to establish a clear, reliable direction and invaluable navigation—qualities rarely found among conventional apparel brands—through rich, two-way engagement.

Finally, can you share your vision moving forward?

As a brand, we've launched the "M∞N Cluster" initiative as a project to "bring manufacturing back to Japan." This endeavor aims to revitalize Japanese garment production and restore employment to local areas.

Sewing for "MOON-TECH® nature" is handled by Japan’s renowned garment tech company Apparel Ota (Minamishimabara City, Nagasaki Prefecture)

In addition to the "sharing of knowledge" through regional clustering of sewing factories, we are planning to build a new horizontally specialized system by integrating production and sales, collaborating closely with material manufacturers, apparel brands, retailers, and users. This aims for a balanced and fair distribution of profits. Such efforts represent the creation of a new industry, which could be called "Shin-Sen'i Sangyo" (New Textile Industry).

First, the "Imajuku Link Lab" established in Fukuoka serves as our base, and we are strengthening collaboration among sewing factories, mainly in the Kyushu region. At the first gathering, 13 companies participated.

The scene at "Imajuku Link Lab." The beautiful ocean of Fukuoka stretches out right in front of you.

Here at our base, we are working to create a sustainable and enduring fashion business through initiatives like ultra-fast one-day sample production, stronger collaboration between material manufacturers and sewing factories, and user-participation in facility management. Our mission is to reclaim Japan’s fading monozukuri (craftsmanship), and together with all stakeholders who share our ambition, we are determined to carve a path for the future of the industry.

MOONRAKERS continues their challenge to create never-before-seen new materials through a fusion of ideas and technical skills, and to revitalize Japan’s textile industry by thoroughly adhering to domestic manufacturing. The future of textiles they aspire to is now within reach.

Text by Nozomi Miura