(Yicai Global) May 26 -- Japanese retailer Uniqlo will start selling reusable face masks this summer, made from materials used in its AIRism underwear and T-shirts.

Uniqlo's self-made face masks will be produced by using the breathable and quickly drying AIRism materials and priced at about JPY1,000 (USD9.30), The Nikkei reported.

Fast Retailing, the parent of Uniqlo, had earlier denied that it would join the global hype of face mask manufacturing. But amid surging consumer demand, Japan's largest apparel retailer had changed its mind, President Tadashi Yanai told the same news source.

Although Japanese regions are easing their emergency measures as the Covid-19 epidemic is subsiding, the demand for personal protective equipment is still high, the Yamaguchi-headquartered firm said in a statement.

The global sales volume of AIRism products is nearly 100 million units per year, and the product lines are mainly produced in China and Southeast Asia.

Editor: Emmi Laine