Why start Play KIMONO now?

In this post, I would like to reflect on the current state of the kimono industry leading up to the launch of Play KIMONO, and share some thoughts with you.

 

The Hurdles to Wearing Kimono

Many people have an interest in wearing kimonos, but they are met with numerous hurdles.

For example:

・Not knowing how to wear one

・Not knowing where to buy one

・Having no one around to teach them

・Walking into a kimono shop on a whim, only to find high prices, unclear quality, and questionable business practices

・Not understanding the customs and etiquette

・Finding it difficult to move in even when wearing one

・Standing out—for better or worse

・Issues with cleaning and storage

Most people end up stumbling at one of these hurdles.

 

A Desire to Wear Kimono

However, it seems that many Japanese people harbor a latent desire to wear kimonos. This is not limited to Japanese people; even foreigners seem to share similar feelings, which is why kimono rentals are so popular in tourist spots like Kyoto.

While there have been many surveys on why people don't wear kimonos, "because I don't like kimonos" is never among the responses.

In reality, people want to wear them, but are being prevented from doing so by the hurdles mentioned above.

 

Solutions to Date

To address these issues, forward-thinking kimono retailers have attempted the following:

・Kimono dressing classes (free or paid)

・Offering hair, makeup, and dressing services

・Synthetic fiber kimonos

・Two-piece kimonos and easy-to-tie obis

・Streamlining distribution

・Recycled kimonos

・Offering kimono-wearing events

・Educational activities on platforms like YouTube

While many of these measures were devised for corporate profit, a significant number have also come from good intentions.

 

Current Solutions Aren't Enough

Yet, despite these solutions, the demand for kimonos shows no signs of growing. In terms of production, it is no exaggeration to say that high-quality kimono manufacturing is down to 0.01% of what it was during its peak (around 1975).

To cut straight to the conclusion: even if you change the approach, the end result still aims for the traditional "kimono style," which remains difficult to move in and impractical for daily wear.

Consequently, it lacks the mobility and comfort of Western clothing, and thus is not worn on a daily basis.

 

Why I Started a Kimono Business

My self-introduction is a bit out of order, but my name is Naoki Hara, and I am the representative of Play KIMONO. I launched Kyo Gofuku Futaya in Kyoto in 2014.

I am not from Kyoto—I am from Oita Prefecture—and my family has no background in the kimono business.

While I will save the story of how I became a kimono shop owner for another time, the sole purpose for starting my business was to "create successors for artisans." To do that, we need a world where many people buy and wear kimonos.

It has been 10 years since I started this business making custom-ordered high-end kimonos with nothing to my name.

Our competitive advantage lies in streamlining distribution to offer customers kimonos that match their ideals, at overwhelmingly high quality and prices lower than the market average.

I started in a shared office with a rent of 15,000 yen, and now I have grown to be able to operate out of a traditional Kyoto townhouse. In Kyoto, there is likely no other company that can handle both retail and production management while providing custom-made pieces of the same quality.

 

Kimono Will Continue to Decline at This Rate

Though I am proud to have achieved that much, it has only grown to a scale that I can manage alone.

Thanks to customers who seek out the best kimonos, I have grown bit by bit, but when comparing the growth speed of Kyo Gofuku Futaya with the rate at which artisans are disappearing, it is clear that we cannot keep up. 

15 years since I set my sights on the kimono business, 10 years since I started the company. Truthfully, I don't see any sign that we can stop the decline of the kimono at this rate.

It may not go extinct, but it is highly likely that we will only be able to produce kimonos of a much lower level of quality.

 

A World Enjoyable for Beginners, Not Just Cultural Athletes

Current kimonos range from formal pieces like tomesode, furisode, and homongi to casual items like komon and tsumugi. However, the structural problems of the kimono remain the same for all of them.

The people who are currently wearing kimonos on their own are enthusiastic kimono lovers who have overcome these hurdles.

If you think of Japanese culture as a sport, you could say they are "cultural athletes" at the Olympic or national championship level. This is the only demographic the kimono industry is currently catering to.

In reality, wearing a kimono is demanding; it requires enduring heat and cold, and the practice of arts like tea ceremony can even cause foot pain from sitting in seiza for long periods.

Of course, there is a certain level of fulfillment in achieving that, but it is not something everyone can do. If you think in terms of sports, the base should be much wider—including citizen runners, casual baseball players, people who walk for their health, and even children.

In the world of kimono, there is no stage where anyone can easily wear one at any time. And even where such attempts exist, they are often overlooked, lack refinement, or are overly specialized.

 

Play KIMONO: More Comfortable Than Western Clothes

The clothing Play KIMONO aims to create, while not necessarily replacing everything, is intended to be more comfortable and more attractive than Western clothing.

For example, the essence of what we want to achieve includes:

・Rethinking the very fundamentals of "what is Japanese clothing?"

・Building upon the history of diverse Japanese styles

・Using functional materials to achieve the comfort of outdoor wear

・Keeping it simple

・Blending in with modern cityscapes

And so on.

 

If it is more comfortable than Western clothing, I am certain more people will wear it.

Furthermore, if I may be honest, Western clothing does not really suit the Japanese physique that well. It is hard to notice when among other Japanese people, but it is obvious when compared to Westerners; Western clothing looks its best on Western body types. I think many people would agree with me.

 

Increasing Japanese Attire with Play KIMONO

Even for dedicated kimono users like myself, the logic for choosing clothing remains:

"There are many inconveniences to wearing a kimono in daily life. Therefore, considering ease of movement and accessibility, Western clothes become the default for everyday wear."

Therefore, the Play KIMONO hypothesis is:

"If there were Japanese clothing that was easy to move in and easy to obtain, more people would wear it."

　

Since Play KIMONO essentially uses an apparel production background, increasing product sales will not directly lead to more work for traditional kimono artisans.

However, it does create a path for:

・Expanding the base of kimono wearers

・Producing user-friendly items as crafts once they are developed

・Directly hiring artisans as our company scales

I launched Play KIMONO with this future in mind. I look forward to the opportunity to hear your thoughts.