Delivering the Joy of Japanese Culture to Everyday Life: Kimono Casual for Women Who Love Kimono【kamadaworld】

interview

Youko Kamada

Based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Youko Kamada operates the brand ‘kamadaworld’ with a concept of “bringing joy to everyday life through Japanese culture”.
After participating in events in Sapporo city, the brand now mainly focuses on online sales.

We’re here with Youko Kamada, who runs the kimono obi remake shop Kamadaworld.

We’ve learned that Kamadaworld’s activities go beyond just remaking kimonos and obis into items that make women shine, and that they have many other particularities.

In this interview, we’ll ask Ms. Kamada about the origins of Kimono Casual and the brand, as well as their activities, commitments, and future goals.

Activities of Kamadaworld

——— Can you tell us about Kamadaworld’s business activities?Kamadaworldの事業内容を教えてください。

Youko Kamada (hereinafter Kamada): Since around November 2017, we’ve been remaking kimonos by hand using purchased kimonos and obis, and mainly sell remade skirts.

At first, I wanted to make remade bags using kimono obi, but skirts started to sell better, so now we mainly produce and sell skirts. Of course, I still make bags and other items.

——— Is the purchasing done at places like recycling shops?

Kamada: We buy from various places, such as kimono stores, recycling shops, and specialty stores that sell kimonos and obis, depending on what we want to make.

——— Do you run the brand alone?

Kamada: I do everything alone, from designing and making items to sales, shipping, and customer communication.

Since I’m doing everything alone, there are some parts that I can’t keep up with, but I continue to run the business at my own pace within the limited time I have.

The Beginning of Kimono Casual

——— What was the reason behind starting Kimono Casual and your brand?

Kamada: Before starting my handmade business, I used to work in elderly care.

In my previous job, I had a shift pattern where I always had a day off after a night shift, so I had a relatively large amount of free time.

Therefore, I wanted to use that free time for a side job and decided to do something I enjoyed, which was handmade work.

——— Was there a particular reason you came to work with kimono and obi fabrics?

Kamada: It was actually by chance. At first, I was making clothes for dogs such as dog clothes, leashes, and collars.

I had a dog myself and I liked doing it, so I made and sold them. However, they didn’t sell very well.

At that time, I happened to visit a department store and saw that kimono fabrics were being sold at a low price. I bought some and made a bag, which I posted on Instagram. A friend said to me, “This could sell well,” so I decided to make and sell products that featured remade kimonos and obis.

Commitments in Activities

——— What are your particular focuses and things you value in your brand and current activities?

Kamada: My focus is on doing what I love and being involved in things I enjoy.

When I see the traditional Japanese clothing of kimono and obi, it soothes me, and I can get so absorbed in my work that I forget the time.

Also, while doing this kimono remake business, I noticed that many elderly customers are ordering or purchasing our kimono remake skirts for their grandchildren’s wedding because they are in a wheelchair and cannot wear kimono due to the difficulty of putting it on.

However, if it’s a kimono remake skirt with an elastic waistband, they can wear it even in a wheelchair, so they order from us.

Realizing there is a high demand for it, I am motivated to make more kimono remake skirts.

Surprisingly, many customers who purchase my kimono remake skirts have this reason.

Therefore, it is important for me to set a price that is affordable for anyone to buy and have.

The Impact on Society Through Activities

——— As a brand, what effects or impacts do you want to bring to society?

Kamada: I think recently, there has been a lot of talk about SDGs. I believe that this job is exactly about SDGs, so I’m happy that I can contribute to it.

Also, since kimono is a traditional Japanese clothing, it is a culture that will not disappear in the future.

However, in reality, kimono has become a difficult item to wear due to reasons such as the difficulty in putting it on. As a result, the number of people wearing kimono has continued to decline.

Therefore, I hope that through this kimono casual style and my brand, people can easily wear it and that there will be a social effect of preserving what might become obsolete. I want more and more people to wear it.

Future Goals and Outlook

——— Do you have any goals or things you want to do as “Kamadaworld” from now on?

Kamada: Basically, since I am doing this alone, my goal is to maintain the current situation.

Rather than increasing employees and making the brand larger, I want to continue with my current personal style.

However, I recently started to remake Oshima Tsumugi, and I hope it will sell as much as Kurotomesode, so I want to work towards that goal.

——— Are Oshima Tsumugi and Kurotomesode different in price and characteristics?

Kamada: The fabric itself is different. Kurotomesode is a highly limited genre that can only be worn for celebrations such as weddings. It has a gorgeous feeling on a black background and looks great in photos. However, some have been mixed with cotton or chemical fibers.

On the other hand, Oshima Tsumugi is at the top of the kimono world. It can be washed, which is a feature that cannot be done with regular kimono. It is the only one that can be safely wet with water.

I would be happy if more people, including those who do not yet know about kimono casual, could learn about these things.

——— Are you mainly selling to Japanese customers?

Kamada: Basically, it is for domestic customers, but there are a few times a year when customers from overseas purchase as well.

Therefore, I did consider selling to overseas customers, but the commission fee was high, and I cannot sell it at the current price due to fear of delivery troubles. So, I have not been actively selling to overseas customers.

Conclusion

In this article, Kamada from Kamadaworld talks about the origin of the brand, their activities, what they value, and their future goals.

Female skirts with a Japanese-style feel are sold at a very affordable price, so if you like the atmosphere of traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono, please check out their sales site.

They also accept custom orders.

Thank you for reading until the end.