Launched in 2017 with a new era of kimono fashion, ‘Next Kimono’, KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO is evolving into a lifestyle brand that goes beyond fashion.

”Japanese culture and people” - it is the intersection of inherited traditions and future creations.
‘Next Kimono’, a Japanese-mode innovative expression of traditional kimono culture.

KUDEN has been delivering Japanese culture to the world in a new form by developing “Next Kimono,” a Japanese modern style that expresses traditional kimono culture in an innovative way. KUDEN was founded by a father, designer Takahiro Sato, who wished to create a place to work with his son with disabilities. Collaboration with Japanese POP culture such as anime, manga, illustrators, and voice actors. Through the power of culture and creativity, we aim to create a future where everyone can work in their own way.

KUDEN becomes a brand that proposes not only fashion but also an entire lifestyle.
We continue to develop new items that will enrich your daily life and creative activities.

KUDEN is a brand that connects Japanese culture to the future.
We create new values while preserving traditions, and support those who create, protect, and love.
We develop products and deliver the charm of Japanese technology, culture, and creativity to the world through our magazine, with a focus on craftsmanship that is only possible with a small brand.

It is the people who support kimono, Japanese tradition and culture, including Japan's advanced sewing technology.
These people have a life, they are not doing it as volunteers, and it is their professionalism that makes Japanese craftsmanship so wonderful.
Why don't you cheer for Japanese craftsmanship?
If this is not done, the fire of Japanese tradition, great craftsmanship and MADE IN JAPAN will be extinguished.

The sewing factory that first supported KUDEN went bankrupt.
Seeing the moment when artisans we had helped lost their jobs made us determined to protect Japanese craftsmanship.
Since then, we have continued our efforts to keep Made in Japan and pay fair wages to the makers.
With the changing times, the environment for manufacturing in Japan is becoming more and more difficult.
That is why KUDEN proposes a ‘Life with good things valued and used for a long time’, and based on this concept, we make and deliver high quality MADE IN JAPAN clothes and products with this brand mission.
Our designs that you will love for a decade are made by Japanese artisans of craftsmanship and delivered to you.

• Ultimate design that can be loved for ten years
• Providing products and services with ingenuity that never gets boring
• Providing an environment for long-lasting use, including repair and care through concierge services
• Focus on MADE IN JAPAN craftsmanship as much as possible

Nice to meet you, I am Takahiro Sato, designer of KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO.
I started KUDEN with the goal of creating a place to work with my mentally disabled, autistic son in the future. kuden is not just a fashion brand, but continues to evolve as a lifestyle brand that connects Japanese culture to the future.

KUDEN's Brand Mission

‘Life with good things valued and used for a long time.’
In the fashion industry, mass production and mass disposal have become the norm, but we are defying this trend by focusing on simple and timeless designs, high-quality materials, and sewing techniques in pursuit of manufacturing products that will be loved for more than 10 years.
However, KUDEN's proposals are not limited to fashion. From now on, we will design the entire lifestyle and become a brand that proposes “ Lifestyle to enjoy Japanese culture.“　Please look forward to our future lineup.

Why focus on “MADE IN JAPAN”?
When I had just jumped into the fashion industry, the sewing factory “Marron,” which kindly gave me advice and made my first clothes with me when I did not know what was right and left, went bankrupt before my eyes. The artisans at the factory had excellent skills, but due to intensifying price competition, the number of jobs decreased and the business became untenable. I still remember the feeling of helplessness I felt at that time.

From this experience, we decided to become a brand that can deliver good products to customers while paying fair wages to artisans(craftman).

Today, Japanese manufacturing is facing a crisis.

• Only large or small family-run factories survive (mainly sewing factories).
• The aging of craftsmen is progressing and there is a serious shortage of successors (kimono tailors and other traditional Japanese cultural crafts in general).
• Unable to respond to declining or changing demand due to changing lifestyles (Japanese culture and traditional crafts in general)
• Low wages and short delivery times make it difficult to run a business (not only in sewing, but also in the field of POP culture such as anime and manga, and in Japanese industry as a whole).
  

If this situation continues, Japanese technology and culture will be lost. That is why KUDEN is committed to MADE IN JAPAN, including domestic sewing and domestic fabrics, and continues to make products to connect craftsmen's skills and culture to the future.

Expanding Kimono Culture Overseas -Next Kimono
KUDEN's fashions are designed as “Next Kimono,” combining the beauty and functionality of the kimono, for people who love Japanese culture both in Japan and abroad. Through “Next Kimono that does not require difficult tecnique to wear,” KUDEN proposes a new form of kimono culture to those who would like to try wearing kimonos but feel it is too difficult or are too busy to wear them.

Japanese traditional culture x POP culture
KUDEN has developed “KUDEN Charity” in collaboration with creators of anime, manga, illustrators, and voice actors, not only for kimono and Japanese culture, but also for the welfare of people with disabilities and the future of creativity in Japan. My dream is to create a future where everyone can work in their own way through the power of culture and creativity. This is my own dream and what KUDEN aims to be as a brand.
KUDEN is a brand that connects Japanese culture to the future.
We create new values while preserving traditions, and support those who create, protect, and love.
We develop products and deliver the charm of Japanese technology, culture, and creativity to the world through our products and magazines, with a commitment to craftsmanship that only a small brand can provide.

The Future Sight
I am a single father raising a disabled son and taking care of my father, while spending my unique days developing my brand from the countryside of Nikko to Tokyo and overseas.

Through KUDEN, we will continue to propose a new lifestyle for a new era that fuses tradition and modernity, and to challenge ourselves to protect the future of culture, technology, and craftsmanship, from Japanese tradition to POP culture, etc.

We hope you will continue to watch KUDEN's progress and create the future with us.