KODENSHI DOWN GUIDE
#01 / Light, yet warm.
KODENSHI® Down is an essential component of down-filled items from nanamica and THE NORTH FACE Purple Label.
KODENSHI® Down is a material designed to combine lightness and warmth.
The secret lies in the natural ability of down to trap large amounts of air, together with KODENSHI® technology.
KODENSHI is a technology that uses fibers embedded with ceramic particles to emit far-infrared rays, harnessing the wearer’s own body heat to maintain warmth. Rather than generating heat itself, it makes efficient use of the heat produced by the human body to provide natural warmth.
So, how is KODENSHI® Down made?
#02 / Where down begins.
Down is a by-product of ducks raised for meat. The ducks are not raised for their feathers.
The raw material comes from the feathers of white ducks. One of the key factors determining the quality of down is the size of each individual down cluster. Larger down clusters from well-raised ducks can trap more air.
For KODENSHI® Down, feathers of a certain size are selected so that the KODENSHI® rayon fibers can become firmly intertwined with the down.
#03 / Water determines the quality.
The feathers that arrive at the factory are first cleared of dust and debris, then carefully washed.
Around 200 kg are washed at a time—the equivalent of feathers from approximately 20,000 ducks.
What plays a crucial role here is the ultra-soft groundwater that flows beneath Meiwa, Taki District, Mie Prefecture, where the factory is located. The fine water particles penetrate every part of the feathers, while KAWADA FEATHER’s proprietary technology gently removes dirt as if polishing the feathers, without damaging them.
The abundant groundwater and the particular qualities of the water found in this region are essential. It is not only the techniques used to clean the feathers, but the very land on which the factory stands that supports the quality of the down.
#04 / Refining the down.
The feathers are gradually refined through a series of processes: dust removal, washing, drying, cooling and further dust removal, and sorting.
After washing, they are rapidly dried at a high temperature of around 150°C. This restores the feathers’ loft while sterilizing and deodorizing them, and removes dust, skin particles, and other impurities that can cause odors. Fine impurities are then removed once again, before the down and feathers are finally separated according to differences in weight.
In fact, the price of feathers varies according to their weight. The more thoroughly impurities are removed, the lighter the feathers become—which, from a business perspective, is a disadvantage. Even so, everything unnecessary is removed without compromise.
Every step in the process is there for one purpose: to achieve the highest possible quality.
#05 / The invisible technology within the down.
Once thoroughly cleaned and refined through multiple processes, the down traps a large amount of air within its three-dimensional structure. It is this layer of air that makes down both lightweight and warm.
The first priority, then, is to fully bring out the natural properties of the down itself.
Impurities such as skin particles and dust remaining on the feathers are thoroughly removed, and the quality is carefully checked. From selecting the raw material to washing, drying, sorting, and inspection, every step is carried out to bring out the down’s natural loft and performance.
KODENSHI® Down combines the natural insulating properties of down with the functionality of KODENSHI® rayon. Blended into the down, KODENSHI® rayon is a fiber embedded with ceramic particles that emits far-infrared rays and uses the wearer’s own body heat energy to circulate warmth more efficiently.
Under a microscope, KODENSHI® rayon can be seen intricately intertwined within the complex structure of the down. The difference is so small that it is almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
Light, yet warm.
That simple comfort comes from the natural properties of the down itself, and from the many unseen processes carried out to bring those properties to their full potential.
