【 凛rin life 】 Vol.006

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.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

┃K┃U┃D┃E┃N┃【 凛rin life 】
Vol.006
/ Issued March 3rd, 2023 /

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

■Index
■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□
… 1. News
… 2. Catch up
… 3. Original serialization for KUDEN Charity , Novel “KUDEN Samurai Sword Jam”
Ep.03 The Planet 01
… 4. KUDEN history"live like traveling" part 03
… 5. Q&A
… 6. Media & Serials and introduction of mail magazine serial-contents
■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

………………………………………………………………

■ 1. News

★「KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO」からのお知らせ★

#Clothes for people who love kimonos #Japanese ModestyleKUDEN 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.

Thank you for your many entries to our mail magazine subscribers-only Samurai Mode Vneck TShirt monitoring promotion.
Only the winners will be notified after this Mail Magazine is sent out.
Luxury 100% cotton with UV protection and contact cooling. Made of non-Uighur cotton.

It is elegant enough to be worn alone or with a kimono collar. This TShirt will be useful from now on. Please try on my simple but thoughtful TShirt design!
If you are interested in this item, we have a small stock, but it will be shipped within 3 business days.

We are pleased to announce our March order event.

We will hold the first order event for Samurai Mode Skirt - HAKKAKE - which is being produced for our crowdfunding customers for the first time on KUDEN's official website.

We are currently adjusting the sewing factory and fabric situation, but we are planning to start production on March 10 (Fri.). The schedule is subject to change.

More details will be in the next week's mail magazine.

● Samurai Mode Skirt - HAKKAKE 八掛-
The latest in the 3-piece kimono-like Japanese mode series/ Enjoy the traditional kimono hakkake in a single skirt/ Detachable hakkake parts allow you to dress one piece in various ways/ Change the silhouette easily with two buttons/ Italian design award-winning series/ Unisex design/ Sewn and designed in Japan

・Designed in the motif of "hakkake," the chic Japanese mode with a hint of color that shows through as you walk.
・A unisex design that can be worn by anyone of all ages, in Japan and abroad.
・The "hakkake" part is replaceable. The hakkake part is replaceable. By removing and replacing it, you can enjoy a variety of ways to wear one skirt.
・You can match the color and pattern with tops from the Samurai Mode Series to further expand the range of your outfits.
・Wrap-style design inspired by kimono. The button position can be changed for a 2-way style.
・Two silhouettes are available: a tight skirt and a flared skirt.
・This dress allows you to incorporate the enjoyment of a traditional kimono into your daily life.


●What is hakkake?
HAKKAKE is also attached to the hem and cuffs of a kimono, and can be glimpsed through the cuffs when a person moves, such as when walking lightly or moving his or her hands. They not only add color to the appearance of the garment, but also play a practical role in protecting the outer fabric from friction between the fabric and the hands and feet that move around a lot. The hakkake (kimono wrappings) around the feet, which are subjected to a lot of friction, are sometimes frayed, and the kimono is often replaced and re-tailored to be worn for a long time. The kimono is often worn down by the friction of the outer fabric, especially at the feet, and the kimono is often replaced only with a new hakkake.


Campfire Reference
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/62448

………………………………………………………………

■ 2. Catch up

Hello everyone. I'm Takahiro Sato, a.k.a. Tak, the designer. Today, March 3, is Hinamatsuri in Japan. Hinamatsuri (Girls' Festival) is an annual Japanese seasonal event to pray for the healthy growth of girls. In ancient China, people abhorred days with the same odd number in both the month and the day, and there were various events to purify evil spirits on those days. Influenced by this, Japanese people not only held ceremonies to ward off evil on March 3, but also combined it with children's doll games, and this fun event was established as "Hinamatsuri" in the Edo period (1603-1867) and continues to the present day.

This is a Sekku (Girls' Festival) in which Hina dolls (mainly male and female dolls) are decorated with cherry blossoms, tachibana, peach blossoms and other trees, Hina arare and Hishimochi are offered, and food and drink such as white sake and chirashi-zushi are enjoyed.Hina dolls are called "hitogata" or "katashiro" (dolls in the shape of human figures), and are used to ward off evil spirits by transferring them to the dolls.It is like a talisman that takes the place of the child and protects the precious child.This event represents the unchanging feelings of parents toward their children.

In this day and age, it is not only parents and children, but also people who are important to us even if we are not related by blood, and we want to take this day to appreciate and think about our bonds.

Well, today's update is, went to bed at 9:00 p.m. as usual and got up at 4:00 a.m. to write, but my son woke up in the middle of the night with a stomach ache, and the sun was already up when I was rubbing his stomach and pressing pressure points on his hands to relieve the pain.
My son, who is mentally retarded and autistic, cannot communicate his symptoms well in words, so I have to be very attentive to him. I am relieved that it did not turn out to be serious. That is why I am writing this just in time to get my son's breakfast and pick him up from school.

When I mentioned this on Twitter with my morning greetings, I was asked how I manage to run a business with a child with disabilities and a father with dementia! So I decided to write a little more about how I work in the newsletter as well.

The most important point that enables me to manage both is that I have the support of many people around me, including my staff, which makes it possible for me to do both. I have nothing but gratitude.
On top of that, I am always looking for the best I can do. The way I worked when I was running a design company that collapsed due to hard work...
・Overnight work
・Long working hours
・Outsourced work
・No management or personal life is structured

and so on.At the end of it all, I collapsed from hard work and had to fold my company. Now, taking advantage of this lesson, I am struggling every day to regain control of my life by thinking in the exact opposite way.In the process, I was introduced in a book by Yohei Tsunemi on reforming the way we work, and I was featured on the front page of the Tokyo Shimbun's morning edition, reforming my way of working (I have stated since that time that I need to reform my way of earning).

「Why Overtime Work Will Not Stop」 (Shodensha)
Written by Yohei Tsunemi
https://amzn.asia/d/2M0a60A

Then there is KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO, a new business from a design company as the next reform in the way of working (the way of earning).
We will cover these areas in the KUDEN History series.
In ”Catch up", I will introduce more know-how like "This is what I am doing now!"
If you have any questions about how to reform the way you work (how to earn money) or how to balance work and family, please feel free to send me your questions.

Also this week, Irene, a staff member who was not able to meet in person at the COVID, came to Japan.
She met my son for the first time in Asakusa, Tokyo.
My son, who has completely fallen in love with Irene, has a goal to fly to Italy. I decided to work hard to create a system so that I can travel and work with my son a lot.
I decided to work hard to create a system so that I can travel and work with my son a lot.

By the way, my new "Samurai Mode Kimono Gown(temporary name)"
The keywords for this "Kimono Gown" were(AGAIN!)...
・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


We have finalized the pattern this week and are in the process of sewing the first sample. We are in the process of putting fabrics and materials into the sewing factory in Soma, Fukushima.

After much discussion, we chose the same linen and rayon blend as the Samurai Mode Linen Light Jacket for the fabric, which will be delivered to everyone in June.
Linen alone would be stiff against the skin and the silhouette would be stiff, so we blended it with rayon for a more relaxed feel and softness against the skin. Without a lining, this fabric is cool enough to be woven as a sunshade in summer.
Although linen light jackets are basically recommended to be cleaned, we were told by the fabric manufacturer that it is possible to wash them, although the rayon may be a little stiff if they are carefully hand-washed, so we conducted a washing test.
We will decide what to do with the final product after the first sample is completed.

We are looking forward to seeing you, and we would be happy to receive your comments and suggestions on what fabrics and patterns you would like to see in our products. (Please send your comments to the mail form!).

Thanks for reading.
See you next time.
Tak

………………………………………………………………

■ 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.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Novel “KUDEN Samurai Sword Jam”

Ep.03 The Planet 01

“Late!!”

As if down out heavy intense atmosphere, some hard voice echoes in the not-so-large room.

A slender but muscular man with a keen eyes, said to the two leaders who entered the room and give the instruction to seat by his eyes.

“Sooorry, Mr.Jin. But we just harried over from the stadium and finally are here!”

Angie is unabashed and replies by her voice with sunny disposition.

“And, we were in the match! Right, Arthur?”

Arthur doesn’t answer her question and silently takes his seat.
See him, Angie sit down in a hurry.

“Samurai-Dan, all here now.”

The man called Jin, who chairs this meeting, call out the names of members.

“Mr.Takanori Kusunoki, representative of the Bell country in Venus.
Mr.Mikiyasu Goto, vice representative.”

After introduction, late middle-aged man with short hair sitting at the back of the room nods, and look each other through their eyes with the man called vice representative.

In spite of the tension, the two men seemed calm about this situation.
Then, Jin Hijikata bows lightly  with respects to the people seated facing him, and resumes introductions.

“This is Mr.Edward Liu, Supreme Commander of the Defence Force. The commander of 1st  battalion, Army Special Forces, Mr.Greg Nishiyama. The commander of 3rd battalion, Air Forces, Mr.Yoshito Muller.”

The old man called Edward Liu, dressed in a black military uniform with blond hair tied at back, has big muscular body and sharp eye, nodded quietly in his seat.

The two men seated to the right of Edward stand up and send a salute.

The man called Greg has a short hair and a calm behavior but also has a well-trained thick chest and dynamic flexible muscles, it can see over the uniform.

The man called Muller has impressive red wavy hair  looks too young to organize the battalion.

Jin Hijikata confirms their seated and continue talking.

“And here, the head of Samurai-Dan, Sogen Kondo. The leader of first squad, special armed team, Soji C.Okita. The leader of second squad, special armed team, Arthur J. Nagakura.

Also the leader of third squad, Angela Saito.”

“The leader of fourth squad, investigation team, Lee Matsubara. The leader of tenth squad, patrol team, Alto Harada.
I am a chairman of this meeting, deputy head of Samurai-Dan, Jin Hijikata. In addition, we invite 4 staff working at Space elevator and front office to understand the detail.”

Sogen Kondo.

White and long hair. The old man has impressive white goatee is not very big but his firm body with a dignified appearance gives a image that be cut if you touch, like that, people can feel his life from entire of body.

The man called Soji, still have a child appearance on his face, doesn’t hide the slightest pretense of being bored, can’t wait for it to be over…, and     finger strings of his katana on left.

Lee Matsubara.

Short black hair, stubble beard.

But for some reason, he is clean and tidy. Chiseled facial features with deep set eyes, and tallest man in this room.

16 people in heavy atmosphere at the secluded place of the concrete and glass modern headquarters building, the meeting is about to be held, about first direct terrorist attack on the space elevator for Bell, surrounded by ocean and water-rich country in the Venus.

“Let’s get started with briefing about terrorist attacks on the space elevator.”

Jin Hijikata said, then turn on the projector in the conference room and begin to explain the current situation of the terrorist attacks.



Ep.03 The Planet 01

To be continued next week.

………………………………………………………………

KUDEN History「Live like traveling」Part 03　

“Stay in the Philippines: Fatherhood and Management Side”

　What I really wanted to hear was the village chief's thoughts on the village.
His thoughts about the future.
Unlike Japanese villages, the village is a small-scale unit, and the villagers are like a family.
I see the village chief as a business owner, and as a business owner myself, I was eager to listen to what he had to say. Forget the fact that I do not speak English.
In this village of Catarataraan, a residents' organization called PO (People Organization), "Nagmakapak," has been organized, and the entire village is participating in a national reforestation project.
According to the village chief, mornings in Nagmakapak (PO) are early and activities begin at sunrise. Most of the inhabitants of Catarataraan village are farmers and peasants who do not own their own land.
In agriculture, they pay land rent to the landowner and live on a pittance.
Surplus profits are not generated by agriculture alone.
There are two main incomes in reforestation projects.
1, daily salary from the government.
2, from NGP, a fund. (The fund is used to invest in a rental business: a meeting place for POs, vehicles for pick-up and drop-off business, karaoke, water servers, etc.)
In addition to agriculture, they have been able to earn income through reforestation projects to better their livelihood.
However, the National Green Project will come to a temporary end in 2016.
The village head enthusiastically hopes that this activity will continue.
There are only 4 out of 300 people in the village who are called “experts” (teachers, police officers, etc.).
He said he would like to use the proceeds from the reforestation to educate children and increase the number of university graduates.
I also found out the cause of the imbalance.
He said he pulled the internet rather than the water supply for his children's future.
The first chickens crowed in the morning; it was time for the PO members to go to work. The village head's face in the morning sun was that of a father who loves his family despite the responsibility and pressure.
＿＿

So much for the article that appeared in the company brochure at the time.
What I Learned in the Philippines.
Let's look back at what it was like back ten from the perspective of today in 2023.

To be continued in the next time.

………………………………………………………………

■ 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 mention “mail magazine Q&A Section” before sending your question.
https://ku-den.jp/ja/pages/contact

※Please note in advance that not all questions can necessarily be answered.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


▽Q.1▼
I love kimonos. I met KUDEN when I wanted to wear kimono without knowing how to dress easily. I love it because it is sharper and cooler than other kimono style clothes. What made you decide to design kimono style clothes?

|A|
Thank you for loving it! I'm so glad. As for why I decided on the kimono style clothing, is! Because I wanted it. I have practiced dressing myself, but I am too busy to wear a kimono and honestly don't have the time in my heart to do so. But I want to wear kimono.
Also, as I wrote in today's update, this coincided with a time when I was thinking about creating a business that would be accepted not only in Japan, where the population is declining and the economy is stagnant, but also overseas, in order to create a place to work with my disabled son who lives far away from me.
I happened to be sorting through my late mother's belongings and found that she had carefully preserved her kimono and my haori hakama from my 753(Shichi-go-san : Japanese celebration to celebrate the growth) This was the inspiration for me to buy a sewing machine and start studying patterns, and I decided to make them myself if I didn't have any.
KUDEN's clothes are very much appreciated by people like me who love kimonos but are too busy to wear them or are overseas and cannot dress themselves.

▽Q.2▼
I love the Samurai Mode Jacket and always use it. It's hard to find a good reference for it, so I'd like to see more OOTD ideas.

|A|
Thank you for your love and support. I am sorry that I have not been able to take pictures of OOTD because I spent my many time for my father, who is undergoing anti-cancer treatment and has also developed dementia, and I have been raising my son since last summer.
My son is wearing it calmly, and I am planning to take pictures consistently, starting with the kimono gowns that I am introducing now. We are also planning to hold a Kimono & Japanese/Western style off-line meeting where I will photograph our customers.
We would be happy to create a KUDEN Look Book with photos of your kimono and Japanese/Western style coordination. If you contact us directly via messenger, SNS DM, LINE, etc., we will be happy to consult with you about individual styling (several of our customers have used this service). (Several of our customers have used this service.) We hope you will take advantage of this service as well.


▽Q.3▼
I'm looking forward to the kimono gowns! Will there be a “AWASE"(lined) one?

|A|
The first crowdfunded kimono gowns to start at the end of March or April will be delivered in early summer and will be in a cool single garment (hitoe) with a cool feel.
We are also planning to release a new pattern for fall/winter with a new fabric and an improved “AWASE" pattern.KUDEN's clothes are loved by people living in Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries with a variety of climates.
Therefore, we will design kimonos that can be worn all year round by combining single garments with materials that have the original function of kimonos.


【Ask a question to us】
Please mention “mail magazine Q&A Section” before sending your question.
From here>>

………………………………………………………………

■ 6．Media & Serials and introduction of mail magazine serial-contents

Up-and-coming nFashion Magazine・AVESSA MAGAZINE
https://www.avessa.com/on-virtues-and-vices/


SF adventure
Novel「KUDEN Samurai Sword Jam」

・Japanese　
Powered by Hobby Japan　“Novelup plus”　
Free reading
https://novelup.plus/feature/kuden/

・English
"Wattpad"　
Free reading
https://www.wattpad.com/story/307475614-kuden-%E5%8F%A3%E4%BC%9D-samurai-sword-jam

【Introduction of mail magazine 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）

○Archive from here
https://ku-den.jp/ja/blogs/mail-magazine-rin-life

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

・Edited/Published by：KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO（Gerbera Design Inc.）

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

All copyrights to the contents of "KUDEN凛rinlife" belong to the editor/publisher.Please refrain from reprinting, forwarding, or re-editing most or all of the contents of this e-mail magazine without permission.Quotations on personal blogs and social networking services for non-commercial purposes are acceptable as long as the source is clearly stated.
© 2023 KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO /Gerbera Design Inc,

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
┃K┃U┃D┃E┃N┃【 凛rin life 】
Vol.006
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
/ Issued March 3rd, 2023 /