Indian textiles have been exported to Japan since the Portuguese established trade connections in 1542-43, with fabrics from the subcontinent being highly sought after in the 17th and 18th centuries amongst the Japanese merchant class and the samurais of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate. This reputation as "famed fabrics" or meibutsu-gire is one that can be repurposed by 21st-century Indian exporters at a time when Japan has become the 3rd largest importer of textiles and apparel in the world. In 2021, with the textile sector in general and the manmade fibre sector in particular, being a thrust area for India, this paper explores how Indian exporters should capitalise on the shared heritage of the two countries in order to define a future strategy that can harness the potential that Japan's US$ 37.14 billion textile import offers.
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