At Aomori/Tsuruta's garment factory “M's Mate Corporation” (Tsuruta Town, Aomori Prefecture), we are currently manufacturing medical protective clothing at a rapid pace.

The factory usually produces women's dresses and blouses from major apparel makers. According to the company's president, Saeko Matsumoto, the number of orders for women's clothing decreased due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and the number of orders in May was zero, but on Twitter, "It's difficult ... please help" (Original mom) When called, 33,000 tweets and more than 30,000 likes were sent and spread, leading to mass production of medical protective clothing.

M's Mate Corporation was founded in 2002 with the aim of creating a sewing factory where the late Mr. Shigeaki Matsumoto was particular about handicrafts in domestic production. The site is a factory that was built using part of the elementary school building, and was opened based on my experience as a salesperson in the apparel industry. Currently, my wife Takeko and daughter Saeko are in charge of management.

The tweet that started the topic was by the account name "Aki-san". Aki, a student living in Tokyo, is Takeko's grandson and Saeko's daughter. He said that he used to use Twitter as a hobby, but he said, "I saw the news that the troubled shops were saved by using Twitter, and I decided to try it," said Aki-san.

In a tweet, "We manufacture medical protective clothing. We can make as many orders as you like!" (Original mom). There were inquiries from all over the country, and messages were sent from various fields, including small and medium-sized medical facilities, nursing homes, and individual consultations about wanting to use for donations.

Saeko said, “Actually, it was my daughter who suggested that I try to make a medical protective suit. It seemed like I suggested it lightly, but I started doing the prototype immediately rather than doing nothing. "

Saeko, who lives in Tokyo, travels weekly to Aomori, where the factory is located. He proposed a medical protective suit to the factory staff in late April, but there was no objection from the staff and there were few words. "I felt it might be difficult because the reaction was weak, but the prototype was completed in about two days," he said. "I should have been groping for the site where I had only made women's apparel. I saw Tsugaru's craftsmanship in such a short time," he said.

The next problem I encountered was finding where I needed it. It was said that "Aki-san"'s tweet was born when he was in a dead end. "It's amazing how powerful the internet is," says Saeko.

Currently, we are manufacturing at a monthly production rate of about 6000 sheets, and will ship it as soon as it is finished. Saeko said, “I started with the idea that I could make a little work and use it for society. Currently, my mother is recovering by breaking my body in this case. A person who will support me through the internet instead of mother and daughter I want to thank them."