BATONER

BATONER is a knitwear brand born in 2013 in Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture — known as a knit production area. The brand is operated by Okuyama Meriyasu, a long-established knit factory founded in 1951. Set in the rich natural environment of the Murayama region — long active in wool production and spinning — and in close cooperation with neighboring spinning and dyeing mills, the factory has long worked on knit products for many domestic and international maison brands and apparel makers.

Against that background, BATONER was born as a factory brand — directly delivering the know-how and craftsmanship accumulated in-house. The brand name carries the wish to pass Japan's world-class techniques and traditions to the next generation "like a baton." From material selection to spinning, dyeing, knitting, fulling, and finishing — every process is managed under high quality standards, condensing the depth and possibilities of knit into each piece.

The knitwear sent into the world looks simple and authentic at first glance. But yarn count, gauge, knit structure, and pattern balance are thoroughly designed — built with attention to the moment of putting it on and to the aging that lets it settle into the body. The "SIGNATURE series" — leveraging the brand's particular strength in rib-knit techniques — is the iconic standard line, highly evaluated at many select shops and department stores.

In a context where the domestic distribution rate of Made-in-Japan knit is said to be less than 1%, BATONER deliberately commits to domestic production and continues updating its techniques and expressions day by day. The knit has become an existence drawing attention from shops and users not only in Japan but worldwide.

A knit factory brand integrally managing from materials to product

BATONER's knit integrally manages everything from the selection of raw materials (wool, cashmere, cotton, linen) to spinning, dyeing, knitting, fulling, and finishing — together with its own factory and trusted nearby mills. Through close cooperation with artisans at each process, the brand realizes stable high quality and distinctive texture.

Knit expressions designed down to yarn, gauge, and knit structure

Based on quality natural yarns spun at Sagae and Yamagata mills, gauge (needle count) and knit structure are precisely designed — drawing out varied expressions from refined high-gauge knit to highly versatile mid-gauge pieces and three-dimensional low-gauge knit. The way materials and design align — with each piece showing a different expression — is part of BATONER's appeal.

The "SIGNATURE series" — the iconic rib-knit line

The "SIGNATURE series" that symbolizes the brand is a standard line leveraging advanced rib-knit techniques. While offering volume and dimensionality when worn, it combines surprising lightness and softness — a popular series repeated by many users. Crew necks, turtles, cardigans, and more — variations are abundant.

Carried at select shops across Japan and around the world

BATONER's knit is widely carried at select shops, department stores, and specialty stores both in Japan and abroad. Stocked at BEAMS, UNITED ARROWS, ISETAN, SHIPS, BIOTOP, and others domestically, and at overseas shops as well — the brand has earned high evaluation as a Made-in-Japan knit brand.