29-07-2025
Visitors learn of uniform's origins
Shotoku Gakuen Junior School student Chiharu Nakajima and Cleardale Station owner Ben Todhunter at a farm visit hosted by The NZ Merino Company so Japanese students can learn more about merino in their school uniforms. PHOTOS: NZM
Japanese students got a close-up lesson of where fine wool in their school uniforms comes from during a visit to the Todhunter family's high country station near Rakaia Gorge.
Their uniforms are made by wool fabric spinners and weavers Nikke Textile, which sources ZQ Merino fibre from farmers supplying The NZ Merino Company (NZM).
Among them are Cleardale Station's Ben Todhunter and Donna Field, who hosted about 35 schoolchildren from Shotoku Gakuen Junior School, decked out in their uniforms on the day.
NZ Merino global supply general manager Matt Hand said many of the Tokyo students had never seen sheep or set foot on a farm before, and loved the experience.
The farm visit brought them to the beginning of the supply chain for merino wool and introduced them to fine wool growers so they could gain an understanding and appreciation of the natural fibre, he said.
He said the students learned about fine wool's many attributes including its environmental benefits as well as its durability, warmth, odour resistance and breathability.
"These kids are wearing those garments six days a week in Japan all day, probably into the night, and the fact they are warm, but the product also breathes, means their bodies are behaving the way they should, and it's so much different from wearing plastic."
Student Chiharu Nakajima, 15, said she had no idea about the uniform material she wore daily during the school week until the visit to Cleardale.
'I saw the process for the first time, and realised how this uniform comes from sheep. After the shearing, the inside was so bright and soft. It looks really nice and I want to sleep on a bed of that material."
She said it felt special wearing clothes made from sheep after seeing where they lived on the farm.
Group adviser Naomi Hughes said many of the students were still wearing their old uniform.
"Most people don't realise that these uniforms come from wool. The texture is so different to how it seems on the sheep. It has been really special for them to see where it comes from."
Shotoku Gakuen Junior School students from Tokyo know more about merino wool in their school uniforms after a visit to Cleardale Station.
Mr Hand said the latest visit followed previous hosting of Japanese students by farmers.
"Ben is in the same space and loves educating people and seeing people interested in what's happening on the farm and understanding the challenges of farming.
"Producing enough wool to supply uniforms for thousands and thousands of students is not an easy task from the ground up, but we can do it."
Mr Hand said many farmers were contracted to supply wool to Nikke specifically for uniforms, and they were rewarded at a sustainable level in excess of auction prices.
Merino grades for the uniforms varied from finer 19 micron wool to 22.5 microns, depending on the school's budget.
The students also visited the Christchurch office to learn more about fine wool.
Nikke has a long relationship with NZM and is the largest textile manufacturer in Japan, producing high-end suiting fabrics and knitted high-performance fabrics for outdoor active wear as well as wool denim.
Mr Hand said they were also the largest supplier of uniform fabrics to about 1000 schools, and businesses, in Japan.
He said the schools used varying percentages of wool in their uniforms, with about 100 of them, including Shotoku Gakuen, wearing uniforms made completely from ZQ Merino wool.
That included tunics, trousers and blazers in woven fabrics, he said.
"Nikke are really passionate about educating the next generation of consumers and particularly educating them to prefer natural fibres, with a very strong slant towards looking after the environment."
The goal was for young people to wear merino beyond their school years, he said.
