Pendleton's Japan arm launches a domestically made, Bishu-wool-only label

Minoya Corporation, which operates Pendleton's business in Japan, is launching a Japan-only label called BLUE LABEL, made from Bishu wool and sewn domestically, for the brand's 2026 autumn/winter season, the company said. Advance pre-orders open on 18 September, with general sale following on 25 September.

The debut line runs to eight pieces, priced from ¥33,000 to ¥110,000 including tax. The entry point is an open-collar shirt at ¥33,000; the top of the range is a collarless jacket in Pendleton's Native American-inspired jacquard at ¥110,000. Minoya said the range pairs that US-made jacquard fabric with wool check material from Bishu, the textile district spanning Aichi and Gifu prefectures, describing the Bishu wool's texture and sheen as improving with wear.

The line will be sold through Pendleton's own Japan online store and its dealer network nationwide.

Pendleton's wool goods have always been made in the US; putting a Japan-sewn, Bishu-wool line on the same shelf as the imported blankets and shirts is something a licensee can do that the parent brand's own supply chain cannot. Sourcing from Bishu — the district that already supplies much of Japan's domestic wool industry — buys directly into "made in Japan" credibility with a price-conscious customer, at a moment when a weak yen has kept the imported version expensive. Whether Minoya expands the eight-piece range depends on how this first run sells through before the year is out.