The lifestyle of Japanese people has changed, and very few people wear kimonos on a daily basis like they used to. On the other hand, there are an increasing number of kimono fans who are fascinated by the charm of kimonos and participate in events held by kimono shops, or buy kimono bolts from internet auctions, flea market apps, and second-hand shops.

Kimonos are basically sold as a single piece of cloth called a bolt of cloth, which is then tailored to fit the wearer’s body. In the past, the only way for individual customers to purchase bolts of cloth was through a kimono shop, and tailoring was requested through the kimono shop. For this reason, it was common for businesses that undertook tailoring to not open their doors to individual customers. In fact, until recently, the industry did not believe that a business could be run as an independent tailoring shop.

Despite the voices of those around them, “Tailor Shop Fujikobo” opened a shop in Muromachi, Kyoto, where kimono manufacturers are concentrated. Kato Wasai Co., Ltd., which operates the store, is a long-established Japanese dressmaking shop founded in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture in 1906. It trains Japanese dressmakers under the name Fuji Kobo Japanese Dressmaking Academy. The Japanese dressmakers it trains are the best of the best, known as “male tailoring technicians” who can finish first-class items for department stores and high-end kimono shops. The reason it set up shop in Kyoto is that while many kimono-related businesses are going out of business in the provinces, Kyoto, the home of kimono, has many businesses and is a hub for kimono production.

Currently, it operates Japanese dressmaking academies in Chiba and Kyoto, and takes on tailoring orders from kimono shops, manufacturers, and individual customers, as well as selling carefully selected items selected by the store. The man leading this business, which is far removed from the norm in the industry, is President Yoshihiro Kato, who was adopted into the Kato family as a son-in-law. President Kato was originally an engineer at an electronics manufacturer, and learned about kimono after marrying his wife, who was the heir to the company. They are taking on bold challenges, using their “ignorance” of industry common sense as a weapon. Also, because they are based in Chiba, they have the advantage of being able to do things that people from Kyoto don’t do without hesitation. “Our tailoring is relatively expensive. But we put effort into even the parts that are not visible, and we finish them carefully. We refuse requests to do it cheaply because it’s okay to do it half-heartedly,” President Kato asserts.

The people who support President Kato and his tailoring shop are Japanese dressmakers who have been trained at the Japanese Dressmaking Academy. It takes at least four years to obtain the national qualification of Japanese dressmaker level 2, which certifies the level at which one can work as a professional. To obtain level 1, two more years of practical experience are required. And even if you become a professional, your skills will deteriorate if you don’t do a lot of work. In such a harsh environment, securing orders is more important than anything else in order to maintain the high level of Japanese dressmaking skills.
In order to maintain the skills of Japanese dressmakers and to widely convey their skills to future generations, it is necessary to increase the number of people who wear kimonos. In recent years, although it is a niche trend, the number of kimono enthusiasts who are fascinated by kimonos and wear them as fashionable clothing has been increasing. As one of those kimono lovers, I would like to contribute to the maintenance and development of the kimono industry by actively wearing kimonos.

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