Dresses and pouches made from vividly patterned fabric that lifts your spirits just by looking at it.
Taga Tomoko runs the apparel brand jam tun (Jam Tun).
jam tun was born after Taga was posted to the Republic of Senegal (hereafter Senegal) as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer.
Here, we introduce how jam tun came to be and Taga’s feelings for Senegal, which are woven into its products.
The information presented was current when this article was published in October 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is jam tun?
In Pulaar, one of the languages spoken in Senegal, jam tun means “nothing but peace.” It is used many times a day as a response to a greeting.
To give shape to a “connection with Senegal that is not based on aid,” Taga launched a brand named after a word familiar to people in Senegal.
The brand offers a wide range of products, including dresses, pants, skirts, tote bags, and pouches. All are made from African fabric and sewn by tailors in Senegal.
One of their charms is that no two items are exactly alike. Even skirts of the same style each have a different pattern, making it hard to choose just one.
jam tun has no permanent store, so check Instagram for information about pop-up shops and event appearances.
African Fabric Discovered in Senegal
After graduating from university, Taga studied at a graduate school in the UK, focusing on solutions to issues such as the political economy and poverty of developing countries. She then spent two years in Senegal, West Africa, as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer.
Her work was based in Sinthiou Malem, a rural village about a nine-hour drive from the capital. Taga was the only Japanese person in the village.
But on days when she wore clothes made from African fabric, people would ask her, “Where did you buy the fabric?” and “Where did you have it made?” more often than usual. Clothing became a starting point for communication.
In Senegal, there is a deeply rooted custom of having clothes made to order: people buy fabric they like and take it to a tailor they regularly visit.
At first, Taga thought clothes made from African fabric were “too flashy and not really my style,” but she says she gradually began looking forward to thinking, “What kind of clothes shall I make next?”
The Waste Problem Taga Faced in Senegal
As Taga went about her life in Senegal, she saw colorful waste scattered around the village.
Traditionally, villagers used only things that would return to nature, so they disposed of waste by burning it themselves or throwing it outside their homes.
As a result, there were no incineration sites or waste collection systems, and non-biodegradable waste such as plastic bags accumulated throughout the village.
The colorful waste consisted of plastic packaging used for drinking water and small scraps of fabric discarded by tailors.
Hoping to encourage people to think about waste disposal, Taga sewed the small fabric scraps together with plastic waste to make bags with local tailors.
Word of the bags spread, and when people began asking for them, sales got underway.
They also became a new source of income for the tailors.
We interviewed Taga Tomoko of jam tun about her experiences, what makes Senegal special, and making things with African fabric.
jam tun Information
| Name | jam tun |
|---|---|
| Address | No permanent store; check Instagram for pop-up shops and other locations |
| Parking | None |
| Business hours | Check Instagram for pop-up shops and other locations |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | jam tun |
![Tsunagaru Cafe [Sen] exterior 1](https://media.kuratoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/23055159/sen-22.jpg)
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