Japan clothing storage shortage leads to involuntary fashion loss

A survey conducted by Area Link Co., Ltd., the operator of the rental trunk room service Hello Storage, reveals that approximately 76.6% of respondents in Japan face limited clothing storage space. About 20.6% of participants reported that their storage is completely overflowing into living areas.

The study highlights a growing issue of ‘fashion loss,’ where individuals reluctantly discard wearable clothing due to lack of space during seasonal wardrobe changes. Over 53% of respondents admitted to disposing of items they did not want to part with, such as expensive brand names or sentimental pieces, because of storage constraints.

Furthermore, approximately 33.8% of those surveyed have experienced the need to repurchase similar items after previously discarding them due to space issues, with an average cumulative expenditure of 43,277 yen. In response to these challenges and the Ministry of the Environment’s push for sustainable fashion, 56.6% of respondents believe that utilizing external storage to preserve clothing rather than discarding it contributes to environmental protection.