Knitting is the power to change society. SHOKAY Knit for Good Program Officially Launched

DGBH (operated by Doubletree Co., Ltd.; Head office: Sapporo, Hokkaido; Representative: Tamiko Hayashi), which proposes a mindful style and "Happy Closet," has officially launched the "SHOKAY Knit 4 Good Program" to support projects that bring positive change to society through knitting, together with SHOKAY, a regenerative material brand focusing on "yak" material. SHOKAY Knit 4 Good Program, which supports projects that bring positive change to society through knitting, has been officially launched. SHOKAY will offer rare, never-to-be-reproduced SHOKAY hand-knitted yarns at a special price to support the activities of organizations and individuals who are working to solve social issues.

SHOKAY Knit for Good Program

#knitting #mindful knitting #ethical fashion #yak yarn #social good #social contribution

Background: Unprecedented "knitting boom" and the trend of mindful knitting

In recent years, interest in knitting has been growing rapidly both in Japan and abroad. Novels and comics such as "The Knitting Samurai" and "Knitter's High" have become the talk of the town, and various media have reported an "unprecedented knitting boom.

Mindful Knitting" is being reevaluated in today's lifestyles as a way to improve one's mind and detoxify one's digital life through the mindless movement of one's hands. SHOKAY would like to expand this trend of "knitters" among the younger generation as a gift to society, together with our 17 years of manufacturing experience since our establishment.

■Program Outline

SHOKAY offers rare SHOKAY hand-knitted yarns, which are not reproduced, at a special price in order to support projects that bring positive changes to society through knitting.

Content ：Special price for rare SHOKAY hand-knit yarns (not reproduced)

Target ：Projects, organizations, and individuals who contribute to solving social issues and connecting people through knitting.

　　　　　　Projects, organizations, and individuals who contribute to solving social issues and connecting people with each other through knitting

Examples of use: Support for disaster-affected areas, employment support, workshops at welfare facilities, mindful knitting projects, etc.

　　　　　　Mindful knitting projects, etc.

Yarn type: SHOKAY hand-knit yarn collection, mainly 100% yak yarn

　　　　　　(A detailed list will be sent upon request)

How to apply: Please contact us at the e-mail address below with a brief description of the project you are working on.

　　　　　　with a brief description of the project you are working on.

　　　　　　We will send you a list of SHOKAY hand-knitted yarn collections.

　　　　　　Email: office[at]dgbh.jp

　　　　　　(*Please replace [at] with @ to prevent spam)

Main Activities to Date

Since its foundation, SHOKAY has continuously developed social contribution projects centered on knitting.

(1) "SHOKAY for TOHOKU" project

A reconstruction assistance project carried out with women in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, this project provided a link between temporary housing communities through knitting using SHOKAY's yak yarns. The project attracted attention as an effort to reweave the bonds between people through the power of craftsmanship.

SHOKAY for TOHOKU Project

SHOKAY for TOHOKU Project

(2) "SHOKAY + Pokara" Project

A collaborative project with the knitting group of "Pokara," a labor support facility in Sapporo, where participants made products using SHOKAY's high-quality yak yarns and tried to link them to sales. The project contributed to the creation of opportunities for social participation through handicrafts.

SHOKAY + Pokara" project

(3) Mindful Knitting Workshop "Mindful Knitting Party

A knitting workshop to face the mind. Participants have commented that the time spent knitting mindlessly was a digital detox, and that it calmed their minds even though it was their first time knitting. The workshops are scheduled to be held in various locations in the future.

What is Mindful Knitting? (The program's ideological foundation)

This program is based on the concept of "Mindful Knitting" advocated by Tamiko Hayashi of DGBH since 2016. The word "mindful" has three meanings: attentive, mindful, and mindful.

Reason 1

The material itself is mindful.

SHOKAY, which was created to help solve the poverty of the Tibetan people, is mindful of animals, people, and the environment by limiting the shearing of yaks, which live at an altitude of 4,000 meters, to only once a year. The entire process, from yarn collection to distribution, is traceable.

Reason #2

The act of knitting itself is a practice of mindfulness

Knitting is the very act of mindfulness, where one is aware of each stitch and pays attention to the moment without judgment. It is also used in medical institutions in the U.S. and Europe, and has been reported to reduce stress, improve concentration, and relieve anxiety.

Reason #3

Knitting with compassion for others

Knit for Good is a social program that puts "Reason 3" into practice on a societal scale.

About SHOKAY's yak yarns

Yak yarns have a warmth that surpasses cashmere and a texture that is smooth and gentle on the skin. It is highly regarded as an easy-to-knit material for both beginners and advanced knitters. Only 100g of this rare fiber is harvested from yaks raised by nomads on the Tibetan plateau each year. The yarns offered here are a limited stock collection with no reproductions.

Comments from Tamiko Hayashi, Representative

I believe that knitting is a very human activity, where one's mind is prepared by mindlessly working with one's hands, and joy is born when the finished product is given to someone else. Please contact us for projects of any size."

■About SHOKAY

SHOKAY is the world's first regenerative material brand focusing on "yak" material, a social business founded in 2006 by two female students studying international cooperation at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government with the aim of solving poverty issues among the Tibetan people. As a pioneer of ethical knitwear, their founding story was published in the book "Sekai wo Chan Kaeru Oshigoto" (Kodansha, 2010).

Only 100g of yak hair is harvested from one cow per year, making it a rare material. It is said to retain heat better than cashmere, has excellent breathability and flexibility, and is resistant to pilling. The company produces and sells high-quality knit products and yarns while ensuring traceability. The brand contributes to the achievement of 12 of the 17 UN SDGs.

URL: http://shokay.jp

About DGBH

In 2010, DGBH produced "DGBH (DoGood, BeHappy!)," a one-year limited select store at Omotesando Hills that proposes an ethical lifestyle centered on SHOKAY. Since then, she has developed a wide range of businesses, including seminars, travel planning and management, product planning and development, and content creation, based on the concept of "living a happy life while enjoying a mindful lifestyle. She is currently writing a series of articles in NOTE on the theme of "Happy Closet - ABC of Mindful Style" from the viewpoint of regenerative fashion that enriches and revitalizes the mind and life, and how to create a happy closet where clothes invite good fortune.

URL: https://note.com/dgbh/m/m43a5d530f1fc

Company Profile

Company name: Doubletree, Inc.

Location: Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Representative Director: Tamiko Hayashi

Establishment : July 8, 2008

Main Business: (1) Sole distributor of ethical yak material brand SHOKAY in Japan

　　　　　　(2)Content planning and production business "DGBH (DoGood, BeHappy!)

　　　　　　Operation of seminars and travel planning under the theme of "Mindful Style × Happy Closet", product development, and content production.

　　　　　　DGBH operates seminars and travel planning, develops products, produces contents, and disseminates information under the theme of "Mindful Style × Happy Closet".

　　　　　　(3) Vacation and vacation house business

　　　　　　We are developing "Okusasu Cottage," a cottage for rent in Niseko Town, Hokkaido, that combines forest therapy and retreats.

　　　　　　(3) Vacation/Working house business: "Okusuri Farm" (in preparation), a cottage for rent in Niseko Town, Hokkaido, that combines forest therapy and retreat.

Profile of Representative Director Tamiko Hayashi

After working for a foreign entertainment company, a publisher of VOGUE NIPPON, and in PR for European and American fashion brands, she established the NPO "Social Concierge" in 2007. She has practiced yoga and meditation for over 30 years and has completed the Tatsumura Yoga for Health Teacher Training Course. She is certified as a forest therapy guide in the United States. She has also completed the "Forest Medical Trainer" training course certified by Shinano-cho, Nagano Prefecture, and is a member of the Shinano-cho Forest Therapy Study Group "Hitotsuki no Kai". Currently, she is preparing "Okusuri Farm," a one-room retreat cottage offering forest therapy programs in Niseko-cho, Hokkaido. On her Instagram page, she shares her daily life in Hokkaido, living in Sapporo and Niseko.

URL : https://www.instagram.com/tamikohayashi/

Instagram: @tamikohayashi

Please contact us in advance when reprinting or quoting the content or photos in this release, noting "Doubletree, Inc." as the source.