Borderless Japan launches brand “LIB” to promote ethical consumption in everyday life
Borderless Japan Inc. Press release: July 15, 2025 Borderless Japan launches brand “LIB” to promote ethical consumption in everyday life Building on the 10-year history of Business Leather Factory, we are taking on the challenge of expanding the options for ethical living.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-6840e4f7650cf972c23d2b5690f3196b-2400×1260.jpg Borderless Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; CEO: Kazunari Taguchi) will change the name of its genuine leather product brand “Business Leather Factory,” which began business with the aim of creating jobs in Bangladesh, to “LIB” on July 15, 2025, and will begin developing it as an ethical brand that brings ethical consumption to everyday life. Based on the concept of “Life Is Borderless ─ Live Beautifully,” this is a challenge to make socially and environmentally conscious choices more accessible. Background to the rebranding Since its establishment in 2014, Business Leather Factory has been developing business items made of genuine cowhide leather while creating employment for more than 1,000 people, mainly single mothers and people with disabilities in Bangladesh. The number of customers exceeds 1.7 million (as of June 2025), and many customers are patronized through 19 stores nationwide and EC sites. On the other hand, in recent years, with the increase in consumers interested in “sociality” and “environmental consideration,” the value that not only “making” but also “selecting” itself leads to social contribution is spreading. In such a historical context, we have decided to change the brand name in order to evolve into a brand that connects products and life from a broader ethical perspective, based on our past thoughts and journey. Concept movie released – the thoughts behind the brand conveyed in one minute – We have released the “LIB Concept Movie,” which expresses the thoughts and worldview we have put into LIB. It is a short video of just over a minute, so we hope you will take a look. https://img.youtube.com/vi/jQsaqanmMz0/sddefault.jpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQsaqanmMz0 About “LIB”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-f66b773883a2ce932742c6e8f775b204-2400×1708.jpg The new brand name “LIB” is an acronym for “Life Is Borderless.” “Live beautifully.” This means that we continue to ask ourselves whether our daily choices are “comfortable” rather than “correct.” LIB wants to be sincere not only about the beauty of its appearance, but also about the less visible background, such as “how it was made” and “how it was delivered.” And we value the following four perspectives in
manufacturing. 1. Can it be used for a long time? At LIB, we design products that are repairable, not just “when they break, it’s over,” but “you can fix them and keep using them.” Aiming for a structure that allows parts to be replaced or repaired without compromising the beauty of the product, we are currently starting with slider repairs. In the future, we will further expand the options for “immediate repairs” and foster a culture of using things for a long time. ＜Repairable design＞ For example, the zipper has a structure where only the slider part, which is particularly prone to breakage, can be easily replaced at the store by storing the end of the zipper in an inner pocket. By being able to repair and replace it immediately at the store, you can enjoy the charm of genuine leather, which becomes more familiar the more you use it, for a longer period of time. This initiative is in line with the idea of “Right to Repair,” which is attracting attention worldwide. From an era when mass production and mass disposal were the norm, we are moving towards a society where repairing and using things for a long time is a natural choice. LIB creates products based on the design philosophy of “repairing” rather than “throwing away”.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-101b09f7b94fc24ac9f10e56dad637c9-2400×1660.jpg 2. Are you honest with your craftsmen? At our factory in Bangladesh and our workshop in Burkina Faso, we give top priority to hiring single mothers and people with disabilities who have difficulty finding work for various reasons. We are working to create an environment where people can learn skills even without experience and become independent as craftsmen. Creating jobs not only gives workers peace of mind, but also leads to the future of their families, especially their children. LIB wants to realize a society where children can receive education and grow up with their dreams through manufacturing. At our own factory in Bangladesh, we value handiwork and respect craftsmanship that protects fair wages and stable employment. In addition to providing industrial doctors, first aid facilities, and childcare centers, we also distribute sanitary products free of charge to female craftsmen. The salary table is clearly defined and fair operation is thoroughly implemented. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-9543fb3137df9f22ea5fc4f4aebf25cd-2400×1440.jpg 3. Are we protecting the beautiful nature? From the selection of materials to manufacturing, logistics, and sales, we value
environmental consideration and create products every day. For leather items, we use cowhide leather that is a by-product of the Islamic festival “Eid” and everyday life, and practice recycling-oriented manufacturing to reduce waste. In addition, the leather care products are made with natural shea butter from Burkina Faso. This natural material is carefully refined by local women, and it also contributes to local employment.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-5a96e8e1344843e5482b9502034f3cd7-2400×1260.jpg 4. Does it feel comfortable? We believe that comfort is not just about “ease of use.” In addition to ingenious materials and design, we also believe that the feeling that “this choice leads to someone’s happiness” also fosters daily comfort. LIB aims to cater to the sensibilities of each user through the customer service at our directly managed stores and the careful guidance on our EC site. From before you pick up the product to after you have it. We value the experience of connecting with our customers and sincerely approach the creation of our products so that the time spent choosing can be a rich one.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-b579d7f3e0d413cd1562419d768d723d-2560×1622.jpg LIB will continue to carefully reexamine what we can do, one by one, to further spread ethical consumption. We want to make the choice to “live beautifully” more accessible and more free. We make the most of our materials, techniques, and passion, and recycle as much as possible without throwing away anything. We want to continue to build on our actions that connect us to society and the environment through manufacturing. And in the future, we will not only focus on leather items, but also take on new challenges that are close to daily life, such as apparel and food. About Business Leather Factory Products We will continue to sell the products with the “Business Leather Factory” logo that we have been selling until now until they are out of stock, in order to avoid the environmental impact of disposal. All of these products are made under the same values as LIB’s philosophy, and there is no change in quality. We hope you will make your purchase with this in mind.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-5594e5080be22987a2c514c144602ddf-2400×1260.jpg The official website has been renewed Together with the change in brand name, the official website has also been renewed. We have also prepared a “Special Feature Page” where you can learn about the thoughts of our craftsmen and the background of our manufacturing. Please take a look. Official website A podcast is also available to talk about the thoughts that led to the brand name change A podcast is also available in which CEO Taguchi and brand manager Hei talk about the thoughts behind the brand name change and the background to how they arrived at the name LIB. What are we trying to change through manufacturing? Please listen to our thoughts.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/21621/622/21621-622-3466277814678a856aa9e478265d9c77-3900×3900.jpg Listen to Podcast Click here for recruitment information LIB is recruiting for various positions such as product designers, store developers, and sales fellows. For details, please see the recruitment information. View recruitment
information About LIB LIB started its business in 2014 as a “Business Leather Factory” as one of the social businesses developed by Borderless Japan. It has its own factory in Bangladesh and provides stable employment to people with various circumstances, such as single mothers and people with disabilities. Currently, LIB employs approximately 900 craftsmen and operates 19 stores nationwide in Japan (as of July 2025). LIB’s genuine leather products are affordable, yet feature careful handiwork and a wide variety of colors. In addition to a total of 12 colors, we offer a wide range of items that are suitable for daily life and work, such as business bags, wallets, and business card holders. ○ Official website: http://l-i-b.shop/ ○Official instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lib_life.is.borderless ○Store list: https://l-i-b.shop/shop/ About Borderless Japan Inc. Founded in 2007 as a company that only does social business to solve social issues through business. The company operates over 50 businesses in 13 countries around the world to solve various social problems such as poverty, the environment, education, and gender, and is expected to achieve sales of 10 billion yen in 2024. Its ecosystem that produces a succession of social entrepreneurs has been recognized, and the company has received the Good Design Award Business Model Division (2019), the Valued Company Award/Judges’ Special Award (2019), and the CSA Award – A company that creates next-generation talent that people in their 20s would like to recommend. In October 2023, the company announced a new purpose, “SWITCH to HOPE: Turning social issues into hope for everyone,” in order to take social issue solving to the next stage. The company aims to create a system that allows more people to work together to create a better society. Official website:
https://www.borderless-japan.com/ Company name: Borderless Japan Co., Ltd. Address: 4F Tenjin Futata Building, 3-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka Established: 2007 Representative: CEO Kazunari Taguchi Business: Business development aimed at solving social problems (herbal tea business, leather products business, crowdfunding business, social business school business) *This email has been sent automatically, so please do not reply.
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