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» Patented Developed by an acupuncturist and massage therapist. A functional and stylish “Takashima Chijimi” 100% cotton blouse born from the voices of nursing care workers.

Patented Developed by an acupuncturist and massage therapist. A functional and stylish “Takashima Chijimi” 100% cotton blouse born from the voices of nursing care workers.

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[Patented] Developed by an acupuncturist and massage therapist. Functional and stylish “Takashima Chijimi” 100% cotton blouse born from the voices of nursing care workers ​
Kansai Acupuncture Clinic Press release: January 27, 2025 [Patented] Developed by an acupuncturist and massage therapist. A functional and stylish “Takashima Chijimi” 100% cotton blouse born from the voices of nursing care workers. Heart & Assist is a company based in Konan City, Shiga Prefecture that plans, produces, and sells nursing care clothing. The representative, Ai Hiraki, has been running an acupuncture and massage clinic in the same city since 2001. We launched our nursing care clothing business in 2019. It all started when I heard about the worries and troubles of elderly people and people with physical disabilities that I heard about when I visited for home-visit massages. Among the many consultations, the most common one was, “I don’t have stylish nursing care clothes that I want to wear.” While listening to various stories, Mr. Hiraki wondered every day, “Is there anything I can do?” One day, his daughter, who was caring for her mother with dementia, asked her, “I wish I had clothes like this.” “to” and ask for specific requests. At my request, I went to a nearby store to look for it, but I couldn’t find any clothes that matched my needs. Taking advantage of this experience, I decided to first create the ideal clothes for the person in front of me. As a business, we will be working on developing nursing care clothing starting in 2019. Through repeated trial and error, in 2020 we developed the nursing care wear “La Hook (R) 19 x 2 (La Hook Ichikyu By Two)”. Using the high-quality cotton material “Takashima Chijimi”, we have created a stylish blouse with patented functionality and design. The challenge of developing nursing care clothing started from a place where I had no knowledge or experience of the fabrics, patterns, and sewing necessary for making clothes. We asked Mr. Hiraki about his thoughts on this project, which has a major goal of “creating an environment rich in products and services that take into account the voices of nursing care workers.” ●Start from scratch with no knowledge, experience, or acquaintances. Developing products together with the patient, their family, and clothing manufacturing professionals based on feedback from nursing care workers ──First, please tell us what made you decide to create nursing care clothing. As an acupuncture and moxibustion massage therapist, I perform home-visit treatments, and in addition to my physical concerns, I often receive inquiries from patients regarding their everyday problems. I had a problem with clothes. For example, you may want to wear long clothes because your back is curved, but the length will get in the way when you go to the bathroom, or you may want to wear your favorite clothes but find it difficult to take them off. I want clothes for day care or going out for a short time, but nursing care clothes are not very stylish or are not available for sale. After hearing about this, I tried looking for it, but I couldn’t find a place to buy it anywhere near me, so I realized everyone’s troubles. One of our patients, a person with dementia and her daughter, told us about the difficulty of keeping the hem of a blouse rolled up and the button being torn off when assisted with toileting or transportation. I have heard some specific concerns, such as having trouble with this. As I listened to various concerns, I was always wondering if there was something I could do, so when I heard a specific story, I thought, “Maybe I can do this.” I’m not a professional when it comes to making clothes, so since I’m not a professional, I started by asking the person in question, “Let’s do it together,” so that I could make something to suit the person in front of me who had inspired me.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/155223/1/155223-1-66221dca71ae8a6a76b4701306a38b4e-2048×1152.jpg Mr. Inoue and his son gave us the opportunity to develop nursing care clothes ──What was particularly difficult from the time you decided to make it until it was completed? Everything was difficult since it was a field I had no experience in, but I knew I had to move forward, so the first thing I turned to was the local Konan City Chamber of Commerce and Industry. When I went to consult for the first time and told them about this project, I was connected to the Takashima City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who introduced me to a business that makes the specialty cotton fabric “Takashima Chijimi.” I had originally planned to make a cotton blouse with a floral pattern, so I was able to use a high-quality material for the fabric. Making clothes requires many processes and people with skills, such as deciding on colors and designs, pattern makers who make patterns, and people who sew.However, as an amateur who was learning about this for the first time, I learned about it through acquaintances and friends. I was looking for someone who could help me. It was in the winter of 2019 that we were lucky enough to meet each other and really started to move forward. We visited the man who inspired us and his daughter to take measurements, and we all worked together to come up with a design and function that would solve the problem. ●The brand name is “La Hook (R) 19×2 (La Hook Ichikyu By Two)”. Nursing care clothing that brings smiles to everyone, including the wearer and the caregiver ──Please tell us about the product concept and the unique features of nursing care clothing. The concept is to cherish the idea of ​​“to stay fashionable forever,” yet the design is easy to change, the shape is easy to assist with changing, the fabric and stitching are durable and easy to care for, and the details are carefully thought out. thing. Fashionable clothing with an emphasis on quality, ease of use, and design. The brand name is “La Hook (R) 19 x 2 (La Hook Ichikyu By Two)”. “La Hook” is a function designed to solve the problem of hemming clothes, which was the biggest problem at the time of development. By hooking a string-like fabric to the hook with a flower motif on the back, the hem does not get in the way. It’s a structure. We were able to obtain a patent due to the high level of completion. “19×2” was named after the person who inspired the project and his daughters, Ikuko Inoue and Kaoru. A unique feature of nursing care clothing is that it has a longer length at the back so that even people with curved backs can wear it with peace of mind, but it also has the ability to use hooks to help caregivers raise the hem with one hand when necessary. , large armholes (armholes) The tuck on the back makes it easy to change clothes, the sleeves are 3/4 length so you don’t get cold in the air conditioner even in the summer, the length can be adjusted with elastic on the cuffs, and the hidden buttons give it a stylish look and prevent it from tearing. We are working on every detail. Other unique features of this product include a design that does not open the neckline too much, and while it is made of 100% cotton that is gentle on the skin, it has elasticity due to the characteristics of Takashima Chijimi.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/155223/1/155223-1-41b45f2b914d7ab136afb09948c95248-1320×1980.png Nursing care clothing that combines functionality and design Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/155223/1/155223-1-ff940ac4bb8220d9ed6738b0c2413b79-1800×2700.jpg La hook (R) Hem can be hemmed using the hook on the back ●We want to deliver nursing care clothes that have 100% cotton, skin-friendly material, stylish designs, and all the desired functions to those who truly desire them ──How has the response been since you started selling it? It was completed in the summer of 2020, and we also took on the challenge of crowdfunding to keep a record of this initiative. After that, we created a homepage, set up a shopping site, and started selling. Initially, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were not able to hold exhibition sales as much as we had hoped, but we have increased opportunities to open stores at events held by the women’s section of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and welfare
facilities, and to hold try-on sales and try-on photo sessions. We are working to expand our sales channels, such as having our products stocked in several stores within the prefecture. We have been featured in newspapers and TV, and we are also disseminating information on You Tube. Additionally, we received feedback from people who felt a little reluctant to give the product as a gift, so we changed the name from “Nursing Clothes” to “Care Wear.” “Care wear” embodies the idea of ​​being both considerate to the wearer and stylish. It is also used as a return gift for hometown tax donations in Konan City, and a person who purchased it there contacted me about exchanging the size, and I had the opportunity to talk with him. She lived in Tokyo and was looking for a cotton blouse to prepare clothes for her mother who was moving into a nursing home. They looked for it at a department store but couldn’t find anything that matched their tastes, so they found it on the Internet and purchased it. I liked it so much that I bought a second one. This event gave me confidence that if I could reach the target audience that I truly wanted, they would buy it. Maybe it exists somewhere, but I don’t think I can find it anywhere near me. There must be many people all over the country who are having the same problem. That’s why we want to increase the number of stores that carry our products and create an environment where people can easily purchase stylish care wear.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/155223/1/155223-1-71846cf757d05c13ad595e0fe799872f-3900×2925.jpg Exhibition and sales (held irregularly)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/155223/1/155223-1-3b9e9197e3f5dc826233ff78bae7d232-1108×1478.jpg TV interview ●The important thing is to respect self-choice and encourage social participation. Aiming to create a platform that directly connects local residents, nursing care/medical professionals, and companies ──Please tell us about your future goals. This time, I learned that if you turn your idea of ​​“I wish there was something like this” into reality, it can be used by many people, and that by commercializing it, you can make it widely known. I also felt that it was necessary to respect the opinions of the people involved and their families, and to communicate their needs. Of the words I received from the person who gave me the opportunity and his daughter, one that particularly left an impression on me was, “The older you get, the more you want to help others.I’m glad I was able to do that.” What I often hear from elderly people is that they want to be of help to others and that they don’t want to be taken care of by others. In order to avoid being taken care of by others, we need products and services that help us become independent, and the more options we have, the better. If there are many, you have the freedom to choose and decide for yourself. Hints and ideas about what kind of things are needed can be found by the patient and the care provider. I believe it is the role of professionals and companies to pick up those voices and give form to them. Listening to the voices of those in the field allows seniors to participate in society and help others. If the voiced needs lead to the commercialization of products and services, we can create an environment rich with such products and services, which can be selected and utilized by those who need them. The goal is to create a platform that connects local residents, medical and nursing care professionals, and businesses directly. We would like to create a system that allows each individual to solve their own problems within the larger community ties. This project was undertaken as one of the opportunities to create that opportunity. I would like to take this opportunity to connect with people who share my thoughts and make this a reality.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/155223/1/155223-1-eebdcedf874946d6153dbab987ce03ec-2048×1536.jpg From left: Iku and Ikuko, representative Ai Hiraki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ ■Heart & Assist Representative: Ai Hiraki Location: 2-5-1
Hiramatsukita, Konan City, Shiga Prefecture E-mail:
info@heart-assist.jp URL: https://heart-assist.jp/ Online shop: https://handa.base.shop/ Heart & Assist official LINE account: https://s.lmes.jp/landing-qr/2006408474-1GNv7Dox?uLand=U391n9 Heart & Assist various SNS instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heart_assist facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=101359874977737 x :https://x.com/handassist

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