Three Principles in Manufacturing

The fundamental elements of MUJI’s manufacturing process have not changed since its establishment in 1980, as we continue to focus on the selection of materials, streamlining of processes and simplification of packages to develop no-frills, quality products. We choose materials that take into account the global environment and producers, eliminate waste in all processes and provide customers with what they need, in the form they want.

1 | Selection of Materials

Tasty and healthy foods. Comfortable clothing. Household goods that are, above all, easy to use. For Ryohin Keikaku, the materials we use to make such products are of the utmost importance; consequently, considerable attention is given to their selection. We search worldwide for the most suitable raw materials. We use many industrial materials as well as materials discarded by others because of their appearance—items that can be acquired in bulk at low cost. The overriding selection criteria is always quality. These activities underpin our ability to create low-priced, high-quality products.

Examples
OCHIWATA product series: We recycle the cotton fiber that is dropped during the combing process (ochiwata) into fabrics.
Hard pulp: We use recycled paper in our hard pulp storage goods.
Cut-off pieces of confectionery series: We collect cut-off pieces generated during the manufacturing process. The deliciousness is the same.

2 | Streamlining processes

The manufacturing process for each product is subject to careful scrutiny. Processes that have no bearing on a product’s quality such as sorting, sizing and polishing are eliminated, leaving only the processes that are truly necessary. Even items that have been discarded because they do not meet certain standards of size and appearance are turned into products for sale. Focusing on true quality, our manufacturing processes eliminate waste and reduce costs.

Examples
Unsorted sweets and snacks: We eliminate the process of sorting by shape and size.
White porcelain tableware series: We reviewed standards for aspects such as dark spots and glaze flows, and reduced product disposal.
Irregular Baumkuchen: We make use of Baumkuchen that was rejected for reasons other than the taste, such as for uneven baking, unevenness in size and deformation.

3 | Simplification of packaging

When packaging products, Ryohin Keikaku seeks not to adorn them but rather to highlight their natural colors and shapes. For this reason, we use bulk packaging and place products in plain, uniform containers. Faithful to our philosophy of simplicity, this approach is also in keeping with our policy of conserving resources and reducing waste. As such, all MUJI products appear on store shelves in simple packaging bearing only product-related information and a price tag.

Examples
Fabric products: Products are sold only with tags without using product packaging in order to eliminate waste of materials.
Retort series: By printing the necessary information on the retort pack itself as a product package, we do not use an extra package, thus avoiding double packaging.