As one of Japan’s largest synthetic textile manufacturers, Marui Textile Co., Ltd. has built a thriving business across three strategic pillars: apparel, industrial materials, and IT innovation.

By merging decades of textile manufacturing excellence with cutting-edge technology, the company launched “UP-T,” a revolutionary eCommerce platform that enables customers to create custom T-shirts from a single piece. Through an expanding product range, UP-T has become a trusted destination for “original manufacturing” that empowers individual creativity.

However, as their web services scaled and evolved, Marui Textile encountered significant obstacles with their offshore development strategy. Persistent quality issues, communication breakdowns, and frequent system defects threatened user experience and business continuity.

The company turned to SHIFT ASIA, seeking an offshore partner that could deliver enterprise-grade quality alongside seamless communication through experienced Japanese project management. The results exceeded expectations, transforming not just development processes but also fundamentally improving service reliability and operational efficiency.

We sat down with Mr. Tomoyuki Miyamoto, Executive Vice President of Marui Textile Co., Ltd., to discuss how SHIFT ASIA resolved longstanding challenges, elevated service quality, and changed his perspective on what offshore development can achieve.

Understanding UP-T: A Platform for Creative Expression

Q: Could you describe what UP-T offers to your customers?

UP-T is an eCommerce platform that removes the traditional barriers to creating custom merchandise. Customers can design and order original T-shirts starting with just one item — no minimum quantities, no compromises. Through television advertising, we have a rapidly growing user base that continues to exceed our expectations.

Today, UP-T has evolved far beyond its initial scope. It’s become a comprehensive platform for original manufacturing, with T-shirts serving as the foundation for an ecosystem of customizable products and creative services.

Tomoyuki Miyamoto, Executive Vice President

Q: What principles guide your approach to service development and operations?

Our strategy rests on three non-negotiable pillars: speed, accuracy, and flexibility.

In the digital economy, launching a web service is just the beginning. Continuous improvement through rapid iteration is essential; we need to move through test-and-learn cycles quickly to stay ahead of user expectations and market trends.

Precision is equally critical. eCommerce operates around the clock with no margin for error. System instability or inaccuracies don’t just frustrate users; they directly erode trust and revenue. Every defect represents a potential lost customer.

Finally, we emphasize flexibility. Our team approaches challenges with a solution-oriented mindset. Rather than defaulting to “that’s not possible,” we ask “how can we make this work?” This flexibility is central to maximizing user satisfaction and driving innovation.

The Breaking Point: When Quality and Communication Failures Demanded Change

Q: What specific challenges were you experiencing with your previous development?

Our situation had become untenable. We were working with an offshore development company that lacked Japanese-speaking staff, which created a persistent communication barrier. Requirements were frequently misunderstood, specifications were misinterpreted, and implementation errors became routine.

The quality problems compounded over time. We’d fix one defect only to discover that the fix had introduced new issues elsewhere. Unexpected system failures would take the entire service offline without warning. These weren’t isolated incidents; they were chronic problems that directly impacted our users’ experience.

For a company committed to user convenience and reliability, the situation demanded immediate action. We couldn’t continue operating this way.

Q: What led you to choose SHIFT ASIA as your development partner?

Our selection criteria were clear from the outset. We needed experienced Japanese project managers who could bridge communication gaps and ensure mutual understanding. Language capability alone wasn’t enough; we needed PMs with deep technical expertise and proven leadership experience as well.
Quality assurance was the second critical factor. SHIFT ASIA’s affiliation with the SHIFT Group which is widely recognized as a leader in quality assurance services, immediately caught our attention. Their reputation provided confidence that quality wasn’t just a marketing message but a core competency.

We conducted a thorough evaluation of multiple vendors. SHIFT ASIA distinguished itself through the precision of their proposals and their systematic approach to quality management. They demonstrated clear methodologies for preventing defects, not just fixing them. The alignment with our needs was evident, making the decision straightforward.

Q: How do you evaluate the value proposition of offshore development generally?

Offshore development offers two compelling advantages that are increasingly difficult to ignore.

First is talent accessibility. Japan’s domestic engineering talent shortage worsens each year. Competition for skilled developers is intense, and filling technical positions can take months. Offshore markets provide access to highly capable engineers with specialized skills that would be challenging or impossible to hire domestically.

Second is cost efficiency. While the yen’s weakness has narrowed the price differential somewhat, offshore development still offers meaningful savings compared to domestic rates.

SHIFT ASIA’s pricing sits above typical offshore vendors but remains well below Japanese development costs. Critically, the quality and talent level justify the premium. You’re not just paying less; you’re receiving genuine value that rivals or exceeds domestic alternatives.

Q: How did the engagement unfold from initiation to full deployment?

We launched the project in December 2024 with a deliberate, phased approach. Rather than an abrupt wholesale transition, we started with a small pilot team focused specifically on quality improvement initiatives. This allowed us to validate SHIFT ASIA’s capabilities while planning a systematic migration from our existing vendor.

What struck me immediately was the speed of execution. From our initial inquiry through team onboarding and project kickoff, SHIFT ASIA moved with impressive efficiency. There were no bureaucratic delays or drawn-out procurement processes; just focused, professional execution.

Q: What has been your experience working with SHIFT ASIA’s project managers and engineering team?

Two words consistently come to mind: professional and precise.

The contrast with our previous partner is stark. With SHIFT ASIA, defects are rare to begin with; their development process clearly emphasizes prevention over remediation. But what’s truly remarkable is their proactive approach to quality management.

Previously, our workflow was reactive: we’d discover issues, report them, and wait for fixes. With SHIFT ASIA, the dynamic has completely reversed. Their team identifies potential problems before they reach production. They don’t wait for instructions; they present solutions, recommend preventive measures, and take ownership of outcomes.

This isn’t a “we’ll build whatever you specify” mentality. It’s a genuine partnership where the team thinks critically about the product, anticipates challenges, and actively contributes to service improvement. You can see the influence of SHIFT’s quality-first culture in every interaction.

Measurable Impact: Dramatic Improvements in Stability and Reliability

Q: What concrete results have you achieved since partnering with SHIFT ASIA?

The transformation has been substantial and measurable across multiple dimensions.

System defects have dropped dramatically. We track both defect counts and error frequency rigorously, and both metrics show significant improvement. The reduction in emergency incidents has been particularly valuable; we’re no longer constantly firefighting production issues, which has freed our internal team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than operational triage.

Quality awareness permeates everything SHIFT ASIA does. It’s evident in code reviews, testing protocols, and ongoing monitoring. This consistency has built our confidence to assign increasingly critical functionality to the team. The scope of work has naturally expanded as trust has deepened.

Perhaps most importantly, daily collaboration has become effortless. The communication friction that previously consumed time and energy has disappeared entirely.

Q: Which aspects of SHIFT ASIA’s service do you value most, and why?

Precision stands out above everything else; precision backed by rigorous engineering discipline. We explicitly prioritized accuracy in our partner selection criteria, and SHIFT ASIA has exceeded even our elevated expectations.

The impact of having Japanese project managers at the interface cannot be overstated. Miscommunication has essentially been eliminated. Nuances that would be lost in translation are captured accurately. Context is understood fully. Requirements are implemented as intended.

Despite being an offshore provider by definition, working with SHIFT ASIA feels identical to collaborating with a domestic Japanese firm. The experience is seamless.

Q: What’s your vision for UP-T’s future evolution?

We see tremendous opportunity ahead. UP-T is evolving from a T-shirt customization service into a comprehensive manufacturing platform that enables creative expression across product categories. Our goal is to multiply the value we deliver to users and significantly expand our customer base.

Beyond T-shirts, we’re accelerating expansion into adjacent product lines and new market segments. The platform architecture we’re building with SHIFT ASIA’s support positions us to scale efficiently as these opportunities materialize.

Q: Based on your experience, which companies would benefit most from SHIFT ASIA’s web development and maintenance services?

Offshore development’s appeal is obvious: access to talent and favorable economics. But legitimate concerns exist around quality consistency, communication effectiveness, and security protocols. Many companies hesitate because of these risks.

SHIFT ASIA resolves this tension. You get offshore economics combined with the SHIFT Group’s enterprise-grade quality standards, robust governance, and security practices. This combination is particularly valuable for large enterprises and organizations where quality cannot be compromised.

If you’re seeking cost-effective technical resources without sacrificing reliability, control, or communication quality, SHIFT ASIA deserves serious consideration. They’ve proven that “offshore” and “high-quality” aren’t mutually exclusive when the right partner brings the right capabilities and culture.