23/04/2026
I recently came across a Japanese brand addressing speculation online about where their products are made. Their statement, that production was not in China despite forum claims, was met with immediate backlash. Comments quickly followed: “What’s wrong with made in China?” The brand then felt compelled to clarify that no offense was intended.
That reaction misses the point.
A brand should be transparent about where its products are made, clearly and without hesitation. Yet in practice, this information is often buried, obscured, or omitted. It is not uncommon to spend time navigating a website just to identify where a company is based, only to find that the country of manufacture is nowhere to be found. With enough persistence, the truth usually surfaces, somewhere in China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, or South America.
If there is nothing inherently wrong with these places, why the reluctance to state it plainly? Not all brands are reluctant. But many are.
The answer is uncomfortable. For many customers, country of origin carries meaning, and brands understand this. It shapes perceptions of quality, materials, labor standards, and values. It can influence the emotional experience of a purchase. Knowing where something is made may not change the object itself, but it can change how it is understood.
Consumers have different priorities. Some focus on material integrity, including the compounds used in rubber, the chemicals involved in tanning leather, and the finishing. Others think about labor, and whether the hands involved were fairly treated or exploited. Some consider broader issues, including the policies or values of a country. Many want to support the industries, craftspeople, and traditions that gave rise to the products they admire.
There is also growing awareness of imitation. Some brands observe what others have built, then move quickly to produce cheaper approximations with little regard for origin, process, or integrity. Not all production is equal, and not all intent is the same.
Beyond all of this, there is something more fundamental. Some brands build with intent, deliberately and with care, and with respect for the craft. There are customers who seek that out. They are not simply buying something new or visually appealing. They are looking for a meaningful connection to the object, the process behind it, and a community that shares those values. For them, a purchase is not just acquisition; it is alignment.
Transparency allows the customer to decide where they stand.
When a company is open about where its products are made, including the people, the materials, and the process, it is making a statement. It is saying: this is who we are, and this is what we stand behind.
When that information is difficult to find, or deliberately avoided, that too is a statement.
Pay attention to both.
