In this mail magazine, 【KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO】 will send you topics such as Japanese culture including kimono, fashion, lifestyle, and behind-the-scenes stories of creators every Friday, written by fashion designer Takahiro Sato. I became a fashion designer at the age of 43 to create a place to work with my son who has a disability, and I am challenging myself as a creator and manager to go overseas. I will share with you my personal viewpoints and perspectives that I cannot easily share on my website.
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┃K┃U┃D┃E┃N┃【 凛rin life 】 Vol.005 / Issued February 24th, 2023 /
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■Index
■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□ … 1. News … 2. Catch up … 3. Original serialization for KUDEN Charity , Novel “KUDEN Samurai Sword Jam” Wheelchair Samurai 02 … 4. KUDEN history"live like traveling" part 02 … 5. Q&A … 6. Media & Serials and introduction of mail magazine serial-contents ■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□
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■ 1. News
★from「KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO」★
#Clothes for people who love kimonos #Japanese Modestyle KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO is a brand created to get people interested in traditional kimono with a modern kimono style that does not need special dressmaking.
There are many events that willclose on Tuesday, February 28. Store events currently being held at KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO are...
●Exclusive gift for mail magazine subscriber! Samurai Mode Vneck T-shirt Monitor Promotion ●5%OFF!![Pre order sale]Shirt II KASANE ●February Order Event Jacket&Pants II
The February Order Event, which closed on February 19, has been very well received. We are in discussions with the sewing factory about production, and have made plans for cutting fabrics, etc. We have found that we have some additional fabrics that we can offer to our customers. For this reason, we are extending the order period to February 28 (Tuesday), although the quantity is limited. Would you like to enjoy Spring wind with Samurai Mode Jacket? Don't miss this chance!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: <<Exclusive gift for mail magazine subscriber!>> 【Samurai Mode VneckT-shirt Monitor Promotion】
Made of high-grade 100% non-Uighur cotton This Vneck T-shirt fits KUDEN's Japanese mode style and looks great on its own or with a kimono collar. Unlike the boxy silhouette of regular T-shirts, this slightly tight design gives a sharp impression when worn. Despite being made of 100% cotton, it is made of a high quality fabric with UV cut and contact cooling properties.
To whom to enter Mail magazine subscribers who will write product reviews
Winner Announce 3rd March Only winners will be notified by email
Please send us your entry form at the URL below and select the size and color you would like to win.Winners will be selected by lottery and the winning email will be sent to the email address of the mail magazine subscriber.Please register as a member of KUDEN and enter your address and other necessary information for shipping.We will ship the Vneck T-shirt to you winners.A few days after the product arrives, KUDEN will send you an email requesting a review.Please review how you feel about the product.We look forward to hearing your wonderful reviews.
<Order period > Subscriber advanced pre order sale 11th Feb. 18:00 - 12th Feb. 18:00 All customer pre order sale 12th Feb. 18:00 - 28th Feb. 23:59 < Notice> ・Only subscribers to our newsletter can purchase during the advanced pre-order period.・Pre-order special 5% off.・If the number of items exceeds the planned production quantity for any size or color, the item will be sold out.・The product will not be available for purchase until after 18:00 (JST) on 11th Feb. (Sat).
<Guidline for delivery> Shipping start in April
< Items > ・Samurai Mode Shirt II - KASANE - Color&Collar ・Samurai Mode Shirt II - KASANE - Color&Collar Short Sleeve ・Samurai Mode Shirt II - KASANE - Lace Colla ・Samurai Mode Shirt II - KASANE - Lace Colla Short Sleeve
【February Order Event Jacket&Pants II】 Mail magazine subscribers will receive 5% off the regular Order Event + 5% off with the mail magazine limited coupon for a total of almost 10% off
<Order period > 4th Feb.18:00 - 28th Feb. 23:59(JST)
<Notice> ・Reservation are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis in limited quantities ・5% OFF for regular customers. ・10% OFF for subscribers to the mail magazine by using the coupon code in Vol.002 / issued 3rd February, 2023 /
<Delivery Guideline> Scheduled to be shipped by April to early May
< Items> ・Jacket Standard (Outer: black triacetate, inner: black) ・Jacket Custom (Outer: black triacetate, inner: your selected color) ※Limited to approximately 10 triacetate jackets in total.
・Pants II Standard (fabric: black triacetate) ※Limited about 10 triacetate pants
・Jacket Eco Standard ( Outer: Black, inner: black) ・Jacket Eco Custom ( Outer: Black, inner: your selected color ) ・Pants II Eco Standard ( fabric: black)
【Again:Coupon code for subscribers for pre tailor-made event】
・Total 10% OFF for mail magazine subscribers using the coupon code in the Vol. 002/ Feb. 3rd, 2023 email. Go toarchive article>>
※Discounts will be applied when you sign up as a member using the email address of a mail magazine subscriber. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
[Number Limited Pre tailor-made] Samurai Mode Jacket -Standard model-
Hello everyone, this is Takahiro Sato aka Tak, the designer. On February 22, it has been 7 months since I started raising my son. On this milestone, the court gave me the OK to change my parental rights and family name, so I went to the city office to submit the registration form. There were many complicated procedures, and with the help of many people, we have finally reached the end of the process. It has been five years since I started KUDEN with the dream of creating a place to work with my son who lives away from me. Feeling the growth in my body, I am grateful for the help and support of everyone, including you, the staff, and the readers, and I renew my determination to do my best as a creator to take care of my father and raise my son.
This week we made pattern modifications based on the double-body toile. I asked to send the toile to Nikko and had an online meeting with the pattern maker, Ms. Tanigawa. Since I can't get out to Tokyo very often to pick up my son and take my father, who has dementia, to the hospital, I am able to meet with her online, which is very helpful. Instructions are drawn on the toile with a Chaco pen, positioned with safety pins, and sometimes cut and sewn to reflect the particulars of the design in the pattern. We also need to balance here the ease of sewing for the sewing factory and the comfort of the customer. My brand is still small independent fashion brand so I can't against the other big brand. My clothes are a small independent brand, so I cannot take on major brands with clothes that can be bought anywhere. Therefore, I design clothes with various gimmicks (such as replaceable half collars, corsets, sleeves that can be rolled up with buttons, etc.) so that customers can wear them for a long time without getting tired of them. Even if the design is imitated, the gimmicky nature of the garment increases the sewing process, which in turn increases the sewing wage. The major companies put pressure on sewing factories to keep sewing wages very low so that they can make a profit even if they offer 50% off at a sale, so they cannot or will not make clothes with many gimmicks because they cannot make a lot of profit. This also makes sewing more difficult, so only highly skilled sewing factories can sew. Due to the profit-making nature of the major brands, domestic sewing factories are already aging and decreasing in number due to short delivery times and low wages. However, the people who support KUDEN as partners are all highly motivated and have never lost their ambition to improve their skills.
As a designer, I protect KUDEN's uniqueness by increasing the difficulty level of sewing so that major companies cannot prioritize profit, and I consider it my mission to pay sewing factories fair wages. This is the secret of KUDEN's unique clothes, even if there are similar clothes.
Now, the new "Samurai Mode Kimono Gown" (tentative name). The keywords for this "Kimono Gown" were... ・1 piece can be used in both Western and Japanese styles ・Can be combined with other existing KUDEN clothes ・Customers who want to wear Kimono overseas can enjoy the Kimono style with just one piece ・Customers from hot countries can enjoy the Kimono style with this piece ・I want to make it a universal design that changes its expression just by changing the fabric like the original traditional kimono ・I want to make a silhouette that looks skinny with the shoulders dropped like a Jacket
Below are some photos of the toile check process with the patterner and a glimpse of the Kimono Gown. In this toile check, fine adjustments were made to make the collar stand up a little more when worn in kimono style, and to increase the strength of the garment.
The pattern will be finalized next week and the first sample sewing will begin. The sample sewing will be done by a sewing factory in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, which we always ask for. We are looking forward to seeing you soon, and we would be happy to hear your comments about the fabrics and patterns you would like to see. (Please send us your comments to the mail form.)
Thanks for reading. See you next time. Tak
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■ 3. Original serialization for KUDEN Charity , Novel “KUDEN Samurai Sword Jam”
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Make the world just a little bit better by wearing your favorite "cool & kawaii" clothes!KUDEN, a fashion brand founded by a father with a mentally handicapped and autistic son, and Japan's leading animators, manga artists, and illustrators collaborated for a charity project.This novel is based on a charity that was started in 2021-2022 to create jobs at welfare centers for the handicapped and sewing factories with the help of animation and manga.Animation Director Mr. Ryosuke Takahashi famous for Blue Comet SPT Layzner(Armored Trooper Votoms, Fang of the Sun Dougram) , Character Designer & Animator Mr. Moriyasu Taniguchi (Armored Trooper Votoms , Captain Tsubasa, Samurai Champloo ), a combination of the TV animation "Blue Comet SPT Layzner" (We also received supportive comments from mechanical designer Mr.Kunio Okawara), voice actors Mr.Kazuhiko Inoue (Kakashi from Naruto, Nyanko sensei from Natsume's Book of Friends ), Rune Sasaki (Alfine from Crusher Joe , Vanessa Layard from Macross), and other splendid animators, manga artists, and illustrator teachers who have drawn characters in KUDEN clothing. Their character designs are printed on KUDEN's clothes and bags. (Currently being re-prepared for permanent installation)Its characters and worldview have been adapted into a novel by Takahiro Sato of KUDEN and serialized in Hobby Japan's Novel Up+! ( English version is publishedon Wattpad)The story is about a father who is the last sword smith struggling for his disabled son. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KUDEN Voice Drama Episode 2 is a voice drama of a scene from the novel version of “Wheelchair Samurai". If you listen to it before reading the novel, you will enjoy the novel even more.
【Voice Drama #02】 KUDEN - Samurai Sword Jam -
https://youtu.be/07gUWM9JR_8 This voice drama was produced for the "Charity for Creating Jobs in Sewing Factories and Welfare Centers".
"Hey, he's in a wheelchair, isn't he? How can he fight in that thing?”
"Oops, it's Nagakura, the genius swordsman of the 2nd squad. Well, I think the match is decided now.”
Kenta has a well-trained, flexible, slender body with two katana at each side, sharp eyes, and seemed to be in early twenties at his age.
However, he is wheelchair-bound person.
On the other hand, that man, Nagakura who was called a genius swordsman by the audience, had a seemingly kindly face, but his body is also well-trained with dense muscles.
Rather than having a sharp look in his eyes, he did not have a very forward expression.
He wears a quiet atmosphere.
When they reached the center, 2 men look at each other quietly.
“Serene, how would you analyze? "
Angie Saito, the leader of the 3rd squad, asks right-hand woman of her Serena, the vice leader.
“My leader, normally, Nagakura would have the advantage, but we could easily know from his well-honed spirit that he is nothing to sneeze at. This is something to behold.”
Serene is looking at the device in her hand and beginning to analyze this match.
Beside her, Angie says happily, looking at the two in the center.
"Well, the winner of this one will get to play me next, so either way, I'm looking forward to it."
Serene doesn't care about Angie as she always does and went on with her analysis.
Kenta stared into Nagakura's eyes and remembered the reason for his journey.
...... I get a real steel katana. The katana is repeatedly forged to remove impurities. Until it becomes pure steel.
Beaten, stretched, forged, these process makes a sharp steel Katana without breaking and bending.
I walk my way of life like such a Katana…
Nagakura confronted Kenta, and when he saw his strength, he could not contain his elation.
“What they are eyeing. I don't think this guy is someone I can take it easy on and win.
I'm sorry, but I'm going to give it everything I've got from the beginning.”
Saying so, Nagakura draws his Katana from its sheath and takes a low, lower stance.
Kenta stares at Nagakura, trying not to be defeated by Nagakura's extraordinary spirit.
“Nothing better.”
Kenta drew his Katana 3with both hands, one blade pointing toward the heavens and the other toward his opponent.
......I've always been willing to take on the pressure of any challenge, no matter how big or how difficult it is.I want to know.
How strong I can be with just my body ......
The tension between the two grows to its maximum, and the shout to begin resounds.
“Go!!!!”
As soon as the signal is over, the two men step forward in a blink of an eye that the audience cannot follow.
Kenta swings from the heavens, the upper level, Nagakura swings up from the lower and rubs up on Kenta's Katana.
CRACK!!! EEEEEEEn!
Katana and Katana spark violently.
A moment after the sparks, the slash, which is too fast and exceeds the speed of sound, is delayed and generates a shockwave from the center of the stadium.
The audience goes silent.
The two fly back and forth between each other, positioning themselves.
“Not bad.” “You too.”
Weeeeeee Woooooooooo Weeeee Wooooooo
A high-pitched alarm sounded not only in the studiam, but throughout the town, as if to water down the battle between the two.
A high-pitched alarm sounded not only in the hall, but throughout the town, as if to water down the battle between the two.
"Enough! There!"
"This is the Emergency alert. Cancel the tournament immediately, and the all member of Samurai squad return to their posts. Leader and vice-leader of all units to the task force! Immediately! Everyone in the stadium, please follow the instructions and evacuate immediately!
"Shit. We've been interrupted. Later again."
Nagakura then puts his katana in sheath.
Despite the panic and confusion of the crowd, two black figures leap out of the audience.
"Arthur! Let's go! This is the emergency alarm for the space elevator! If you're late again, you'll be dodged! " "Leader Angie! I'll be there as soon as I can! " "I know, I know Serene"
Angie said in Kenta's ear.
'If you like, come join the Samurai Dan. We'd welcome you! "
......When...... Kenta doesn't feel a sign, he is surprised to see Angie approaching him.
Kenta sheathes his katana.
There are still some strong ones in this world.
Amidst the alarming mayhem, he swears to train for even greater heights.
"Princess Misa! Please hurry!"
'Wait a minute, I can't run away first!"
"Target is not here. This emergency alert tells us something trouble about a space elevator. It is this town, this country that is being targeted! What someone target is this city, this country!"
Misa bit her lip as she thought of the situation.
"Princess Misa! Please hurry!"
'Wait a minute, I can't run away first!"
"Target is not here. This emergency alert tells us something trouble about a space elevator. It is this town, this country that is being targeted! What someone target is this city, this country!"
Misa bit her lip as she thought of the situation.
"I understand, Gen-jii. Let's go back."
Misa turned around and stared at the space elevator towering high into the alarm-blinking sky.
Ep.02 “Wheelchair Samurai”
Fin.
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■ 4.KUDEN History「Live like traveling」
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: After falling into bankruptcy, falling ill, being separated from my son, and hitting rock bottom, I decided that I create a place where I could work with my disabled son in the future. I decided to start KUDEN with this goal in mind. Through encounters with various people, KUDEN has come to be what it is today. People who want to become fashion designers. People who are interested in how to start a new business in this era, people who like KUDEN's clothes and want to know more about KUDEN. For those who want to get hints for overcoming hardships and adversities, and for those who love children with disabilities, we will weave a memoir of KUDEN's history from its origins to the present. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KUDEN History「Live like traveling」Part 02
「First homestay in my life in a village without water supply」
"Ouch." I wake up on the top bunk of the bed, which is made of wooden slats, with a sore back.
"Hmm, where am I?"
Yesterday, I was drinking the Village Chief's secret brandy and playing with paper balloons with the children's welcoming song and dance as my side dish..Oh well, this is not Japan.
I just forgot I am currently staying at the home of a village chief in Catarataraan, Mangatarem, Philippines.
I woke up sleepwalking and unintentionally almost fell off my position on the creaking wooden bunk bed.
I remember that I used a bunk bed with my younger brother at my parents' house until I was in early elementary school.
On the lower bed, Mr. Yagi, a fellow trainee with us, is still sleeping.
Last night, the "paper balloons" and "koma" that Mr. Yagi had brought as souvenirs were very popular among the children.
"If you drop a paper balloon on the ground, you lose! "
I made up the rules as I went along, and my memory stopped at the point where I fell into bed drunk from playing with the children until late at night.
All Filipino children are friendly. Yes, I feel that many adults are shy but friendly as well. I wonder if it is a national trait. I was happy to be able to play with children again after a long time.
Some of the kids were about the same age as my son, who lives far away from me, and it's been a while since I've had a chance to feel like a father, and it still warms my heart. Thank you all for playing with me.
If I went back to sleep, I would miss the bus leaving at 6:00 a.m., so I got up and went for a walk. When I went to wash my face, the village head and his wife were preparing breakfast and lunch for everyone under the still dim early morning sky.
“Good morning.”
I don't speak English at all, but I greeted them with a smile. A man has guts and charm!
“Good morning!“ From Village head and his wife.
She was preparing breakfast and lunch for our reforestation experience. She used a machete to lightly cut off the middle strand of a large banana leaf, about her height, to make room for the lunch box. It was not until later that I learned that it could be used as a lunch box. "I'm going to go wash my face!" (In Japanese!)With that, he headed for the water well.This village has electricity and internet, but no city water. What an imbalance. Toilets, of course, are not flushed, but rather flushed from a bucket of water next to the toilet bowl. I quickly pushed the hand-pump well about 5 pushes and quickly washed my face before the water stopped, but the water stopped immediately. Yeah, it's a hassle. It is January in Japan. It's the middle of winter, but here in the Philippines, it's warm even early in the morning. Even in the early morning, it's still warm. I got tired of pushing the pump, so I took off my shirt, filled a bucket with water, and bathed my head in it all at once. It feels so good! Surprisingly, I can live in any environment. I thought as I yawned deeply in a stranger's house in a stranger's country, feeling the possibility of a new me.
When I return refreshed, the village chief hands me a mug and a sweet bag of coffee and milk mixture. "Do you drink coffee in the morning?" As a diabetic, I control my blood sugar levels with a sugar-free diet even when traveling, so I gladly took only the village chief's feelings and tasted it with hot water. (As an aside, Filipinos love sweets. I asked the coordinator of some foundation, a local NGO, about it, and she told me that there are many diabetics in the Philippines.)
I don't speak English, but when I was alone with the village chief, I really wanted to talk with him, so I used all the words I knew, and what I didn't know I made up for with my feelings and gestures, and we talked in a different language, culture, and background.
To be continued in the next time
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■ 5.Q&A
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ▽Open to questions for KUDEN and designer Tak▼ We welcome your comments, requests, and questions for KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO and designer Takahiro Sato. We will answer your questions in our weekly mail magazine. We look forward to hearing from you.
※Please note in advance that not all questions can necessarily be answered. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
▽Q.1▼ I really like KUDEN's photos. How do you take them?
|A| Thank you for liking our photos. The photos are mainly taken by myself and photographer Nobuyuki Arai. I myself started taking pictures when I started KUDEN as a necessity for a small brand with no budget. I have been a creative director and art director in the game and toy industry for many years and was a "A professional who makes you take photos", but it was difficult for me to take pictures by myself. When I, as a designer of KUDEN, am not good enough as a photographer to realize the images I have in my mind, I ask Mr. Arai, my most trusted and reliable photographer, to take the best photos and videos with me, while I concentrate on being the brand director. I am the brand director, and we shoot the best photos and videos together. We first met Mr. Arai when I asked wheelchair dancer Kenta Kambara to shoot a PV for us, and I was looking for someone who could capture all the charm of Kambara's cool dance moves. KUDEN will continue to focus on photography and video in the future.
▽Q.2▼ I work as a freelancer. I always look at your Tweet. You seem to be very busy, tweeting from very early in the day. I would like to work more efficiently, but I can't seem to make good use of my time.
|A| I understand! I have been experimenting with different ways of working since I was forced to start my own business when my parents were diagnosed with cancer at the age of 31 and I had to work and take care of them at the same time. The more free time I have, the more I have to be disciplined in many situations. I don't know your occupation, so I can only speak from my own experience, but I think it is essential to establish a certain rhythm in your life. There are many life hacks and how to's out there, but if I were to give you one piece of advice on how to start, it would be to fix your bedtime (not the time you wake up). The first reason why we fix our bedtime is to ensure sleep, which is the most important for our health and creativity. The second reason is that even if you set a fixed wake-up time, if work is pushed or you are drinking heavily, you will be too sleepy to get up, and eventually the habit will be forgotten. So, set a bedtime and complete work and private errands by that time. In order to keep the bedtime, I work backwards and adjust my work and wake up time. From personal experience, I believe that this way of "thinking backwards" is more flexible, and the starting point of bedtime creates a rhythm in one's life that is easier to maintain. By the way, I go to bed at 9:30 p.m. after putting my son to bed, get up early at 4:00 a.m. if I can't make progress on my work, or sleep more until 6:00 a.m. if I am tired, depending on the day's situation.
【Ask a question to us】 Please mention “mail magazine Q&A Section” before sending your question. From here>>
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■ 6.Media & Serials and introduction of mail magazine serial-contents
The following is a list of contents that are being serialized in the Rin life mail magazine. The contents will be posted weekly on an irregular basis. Subscribers to the mail magazine can read archived articles on the website.
●What is traditional Japanese culture?|Performing arts, crafts, events, food, clothing, and housing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: During the Edo period (1603-1868), many artisans, including woodworkers, moved to Nikko when the Nikko Toshogu Shrine was being built.I was born in such a place, and in my childhood, I had a lot of contact with various artisans. There was a skilled knife smith who lived in the neighborhood where I was born and raised, and he took care of me from a young age and taught me how to forge knives.This experience is the starting point of inspiration for my designs, as I love to make things.Japanese traditional culture. I will introduce the arts, crafts, events, clothing, food, and shelter from a designer's point of view. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 【The World of Ningyo Joruri Bunraku - a Traditional Japanese Performing Art -】 (Last article is on Vol.002)
●KUDEN clothes care point by staff Sena :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Sena, a KUDEN staff member, also handles PR, translation, and voice acting. But within the company, he is known as the ironing master. Sena has always loved ironing and does it before each KUDEN photo shoot, and since KUDEN's clothes have gimmicks and designs not found in other brands, ironing requires a certain knack. This is a care corner by Sena, who receives tips and advice from sewing artisans and concierges. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"Can wash the Samurai Mode Series at home or not? List" Last article is on Vol.00