Taichi Nakamura: The Challenge of "Recovery Wear"—Technology Supporting Rest

The three major elements for health are said to be "exercise," "nutrition," and "rest." Among these, we have focused particularly on "rest," which is often overlooked.

As background, surveys show that approximately 80% of Japanese people feel "fatigue" on a daily basis. In medical sciences, fatigue is one of the body's three major alarms alongside "fever" and "pain," yet it is the most difficult to recognize. If left unaddressed, it is a critical sign directly linked to serious illness and decreased performance. In response to this challenge of modern society, we advocate for "active rest" rather than just passive "resting." The culmination of this is "Recovery Wear," which was born in February 2010 as the world's first category of its kind.

The origin of our company lies in my experience hovering between life and death due to a cerebral hemorrhage during a rugby tournament in high school. The desire to "dedicate the life I almost lost to helping society" led to the challenge of eliminating "bedsores" encountered at nursing care sites.

How to promote blood flow in those who cannot move as they wish? This pursuit of recovery in the "ultimate state of rest" led to the development of a unique material using nano-platinum.

At the beginning of development, we faced difficulties in rolling out nursing care mats using the original material on the surface, but a prototype T-shirt made using that material caught the eye of a buyer at Gold's Gym. The tide turned when we identified a demand for supporting the rest time of athletes living intense daily lives. The core was the unique PHT (Platinum Harmonized Technology) fiber, which is embedded with minerals such as nano-platinum.

This fiber has three characteristics. ① "Extreme Fineness": Refined to a thickness about one-fifth that of a human hair, we pursued a supple and overwhelming feel and comfort. ② "Approach to the Rest Environment": The fiber containing the original material "DPV576" supports high-quality rest time just by wearing it, leading the mind and body to a peaceful state. ③ "Permanent Functionality": Because minerals are embedded into each individual fiber using special technology, the functionality is not lost even after repeated washing. Its durability as clothing is the same as general apparel. Some products are registered as "General Medical Devices," and effects such as recovery from fatigue, improvement of blood flow, and relief of muscle stiffness can be expected.

We value jitsugaku (science) and have continued thorough verification. Starting with industry-government-academia collaboration with Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokai University, we currently collaborate with 19 research institutions in Japan and abroad, including UCLA, Stanford University, and the University of Tsukuba. Through the accumulation of paper submissions and conference presentations, in 2013, we became the first Japanese company to receive the "Gold Winner" top award at "ISPO," the world's largest sports trade fair.

The challenge of supporting rest, which began at gyms frequented by top athletes, subsequently expanded to department stores and spread to health-conscious executives, business professionals, and homemakers, with cumulative sales exceeding 2.4 million units (as of early March 2026).

In order to obtain certification as medical devices for products equipped with new functionality to support rest, we have been consulting with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare from an early stage. On the other hand, since around 2020, misunderstandings of medical device rules and inaccurate labeling have occurred frequently, causing market confusion. Against this background, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare established a new category for "General Medical Devices" for the first time in about 42 years.

The recovery wear market is gradually expanding, and options for obtaining healing and rest are increasing more and more. In this environment, for the healthy and rich lives of everyone, we intend to continue working as a leading company to create an environment where users can choose correct values.

Health also requires management based on scientific evidence. We are not only developing and popularizing products but also conducting activities to promote "Rest Studies," which treats rest as a science. While there is a tendency to think of sleep first when it comes to rest, Rest Studies divides it into seven types, including "relaxation," "exercise," "nutrition," and "socializing."

We want modern people, who are extremely busy, to face their own rest and sleep, and to aim efficiently for improved quality of rest and maximization of performance.

"Creating the global recovery market and energizing everyone involved." Our technology, born from nursing care sites—places where recovery is needed—has now expanded overseas and become a product loved by a wide range of people. We will continue to take on further challenges to firmly support the healthy lives and performance of busy modern people.