News

Green Friday, Let's Give Back to the Environment!
10% OFF everything & spontaneous donations to 'Friends of the Earth Japan'(until Nov 29th, 10 am JPT)
Green Friday, Let's Give Back to the Environment!

10% OFF everything & spontaneous donations to 'Friends of the Earth Japan'

Dear Budoka,

We, as humanity, have reached a decisive point, as Human activities have disrupted the climate: temperatures are rising, wildlife populations plummet by 69% in the last 50 years⁽¹⁾, 11.1 million hectares of tree cover have been lost in 2021⁽²⁾, oceans are dying, an estimated 60 percent of the world's marine ecosystems have already been degraded or are being used unsustainably⁽³⁾, and an estimated 21.6 million people annually were internally displaced by climate-related hazards worldwide in the past decade⁽⁴⁾. Everyone is or will be impacted in the coming years, and worst is yet to come, so we need to act, fast!

KuSakuraShop deeply respects the values of Budo as they are an integral part of our philosophy, a philosophy based on values such as self-improvement and mutual aid.
With those principles in mind, we decided to organize a "Green Friday" for this event to be meaningful regarding the environmental crisis that we are experiencing! And thus, to make a difference, we chose to support Friends of the Earth Japan!

About Friends of the Earth Japan

'FoE Japan' is the Japanese branch of Friends of the Earth International, an international environmental NGO working on global environmental issues with 2 million supporters in 73 countries around the world.
This NGO is working on various themes such as Just and Fair Development, Energy and Climate Justice, Forests and biodiversity, and is taking action on environmental issues such as unsustainable energy sources, and much more.
Here are some examples of their actions:
- researching and disseminating information about the reality of climate change and make policy proposals for climate justice to the Japanese government, corporations, and the international community
- standing by the people who suffered from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident
- monitoring development projects that cause damage and make policy recommendations to relevant authorities
- proposing a transition in energy policy from the perspective of its impact on climate change
- conducting research on the current state of forests in Japan and overseas, and make recommendations for the government and companies to eliminate the distribution of illegally logged wood and promote more sustainable use of wood
- and more...
In order to help Friends of the Earth, we decided to make a 10% OFF discount on everything on the website, and at the same time, we're giving you the opportunity to donate the discount back (or more) if you wish to support them!

KuSakuraShop's customers know that our brand provides the highest quality equipment when it comes to Budo! All our products available in our shop will be discounted, and you will certainly find what you are looking for in Judo, Kendo, Iaido, Kyudo, or in Nippon Kenpo.

How to donate?

You will be able to make a donation to 'FoE Japan' during the checkout, right before validating your payment.
By clicking on the checkbox "Support Friends of the Earth Japan" on the checkout page, you will have the choice to give 10%, 25%, 50%, or the amount of your choice (up to 100% of the value of your order). This donation will help 'FoE Japan' to thrive, raise all of our voices, and help to stop climate change!

The Climate crisis couldn't be more relevant than it is today, but we wish to make a difference, and we know we can make one together! In the past, we already made great actions together, the strength of our community no longer needs to be demonstrated! As we are now facing the biggest threat we have ever experienced, let's face it together!

As we are finally getting out of the toughest time of the covid crisis, we wanted to try something new this time, by giving you the choice.
In the past years, you have proven that you were with us, even without a big Black Friday discount policy, so we could donate to NGOs. This time, you get the discount, and YOU DECIDE what you donate.

During last year's Black Friday Event, we made no discount but gave 15% to charities for all orders placed for a limited time and we reached more than 225,000 Yen cumulated! Make our community proud, let's do BETTER!

KuSakura's community has always been present and important to us, we would like to thank you for your continuous support.

This 'Green Friday' campaign will end on Tuesday, November 29th, at 10 am JPT.

⁽¹⁾: WWF
⁽²⁾: Global Forest Watch
⁽³⁾: United Nations
⁽⁴⁾: Migration Data Portal
Get delivered before '22 Xmas
Very last chance to be delivered before Christmas: December 15th. Check the visual calendar, or read more details here.
Christmas is almost here and maybe some of you are already making your gift list before the big day comes. Even though KuSakuraShop provides the fastest service, we cannot perform miracles, and we thought that some of you may need the deadlines for orders to be delivered before December 25th.
- Custom products (embroidered Belts/Dogi, etc.): Order before November 22nd and you will be delivered before Christmas (some products may have longer production time, please be careful when ordering).
- In-stock products shipped via FedEx DHL or UPS: the last chance to get items with embroideries/engravings delivered before Christmas is December 15th.
- Because of the covid situation and the Ukraine war, significant delays are to be expected with national postal services, so we do not guarantee delivery before Christmas for the standard shipping method (small package/Epacket). Please make sure to select express shipping at checkout.
We usually deliver in 4 days in Europe and North America. Our entire team will be focused on preparing your orders, and all orders for in-stock items placed on the 15th will ship on the 16th.
- We'll be open until December 28th, then closed from the 29th to January 4th, for our winter holidays. And of course, email support will be slower but maintained the whole time.
Finally, please understand that our carriers don't employ magical reindeer, and Santa Claus isn't working at customs. Hence, on-time order delivery cannot be guaranteed 100% so please don't wait until the last minute to order!
November Special Offer
10% OFF Made In Japan IJF Products! (until November 25th, 10 am JPT)

10% OFF Made In Japan IJF Products

We're in November and the new year is slowly but surely coming our way, but we still have plenty of time to practice at the dojo, develop ourselves, and make a difference inside our community, before taking the next step forward.

As you know, KuSakura has its heart set on making the best IJF (International Judo Federation) certified products ever made, specially designed for demanding international competitors! That's why, this month, we will be offering a 10% discount on our range of praised IJF-certified products, and more specifically on the Made In Japan ones!

If you're looking for a high-end Judogi or belt combining the best of Japanese quality and fully corresponding to the standards required by the Judo Federation, you wouldn't want to miss this opportunity!

And, as you might expect, we're also working on making this month's Black Friday a special one and proposing something different (as we always do), so our special offer will be shorter than usual and will end on November 25th, at 10 am Japan Time!

That's it for this month, enjoy the discounts, and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!
Back to the Dojo Special Offer
10% OFF on our new season essentials selection!! (until October 31st, 2 pm JPT)

10% OFF our new season essentials selection

September is already here, and with it, the beginning of a new season! It's time to go back to the Dojo! Temperatures reached records all around the country, it's still very hot here in Japan, and practicing at 35°C is quite challenging, both for the body and mind! We hope you could enjoy your summer and that you and your close ones are safe.

To help you to prepare for your regular training, we made a special selection of some of the most essential products in our catalog. Dogi, Belts, Hakama, Referee Kits, Knee Supports, and more products will be discounted 10% OFF. With this offer, you can gear up and start off on the right foot with a brand-new outfit!

This offer will be running for two months, until October 31st, 2 pm JPT.

That's it for this time, enjoy the discounts, and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!
O'Bon 2022
Most Craftsmen and workshops will take a few days off from August 11th to August 16th, so all custom-made orders will be delayed accordingly.

O'Bon 2022

Every year in August, the O'Bon festival is held in Japan. This Buddhist festival is a celebration of the spirits of the ancestors, families gather and visit their ancestors' graves to honor their memory. Thus, many Japanese will return to their families.

This year, August 11th (Thu) will be Mountain Day, a national holiday in Japan, which will mark the beginning of some holidays for our craftsmen. So, until August 16th (Tue), the majority of workshops will be closed and will not be able to provide quotations for custom-made items or provide accurate production times.
All custom-made orders placed before and during this period will be delayed by about a week, but fear not, this will be automatically taken into account in the estimation of the shipping dates displayed on all products, as well as in your cart.

See you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!

(Picture by Guilhem Vellut)
Summer Special Offer
10% OFF a product selection! (until August 31st, 2 pm JPT)

10% OFF a Summer Selection

Here we are in Summer, temperatures and humidity are very high here in Japan. It's a difficult season to practice at the dojo, we have to be more cautious about ourselves, take breaks, stay hydrated, and don't push ourselves over the limit. We hope you'll be able to train in the best conditions, no matter the country you're living in. Take good care of yourself!

For this discount, we will offer a 10% discount on a selection of products fitted for summer. You'll find light jackets for your Judo, Kendo, Iaido, or Karate practice, some belts, T-shirts, Judo bags for conveying your equipment (dogi and belt) to the dojo in a design & elegant way, and more.
Summer will be hot, but we are sure that our selection of products will help you to find the perfect gear for your practice during these demanding months, with, as always, KuSakura's pledge of quality.

Please note that this offer will be running for two months, until August 31st, 2 pm JPT.

June report

We continue to add new products to our Nippon Kenpo equipment lineup: the Traditional Nippon Kenpo Groin Protector - Mata Ate is now live.
This rigid shell optimally protects the genital area, with padding around it for maximum comfort and cushioning during practice and impact. This made-in-Japan product will surely please a lot of Nippon Kenpo practitioners!

That's it for this time, enjoy the discounts, and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!
Special Offer
10% OFF Judo Kata Buki & Protective Equipment! (until June 30th, 2 pm JPT).

10% OFF Judo Kata Buki & Protective Equipment

Here we are in May, the Spring is settling in and we had the pleasure to admire Sakura's blossoms all around the country here in Japan. May is also very special for the Japanese as it starts with the "Golden Week", a one-week holiday at the beginning of the month where families gather together.

For this new discount, we will offer a 10% discount on Judo Kata Weapons & all protective equipment!
In all Budo, Kata are fundamentals to go further in your practice and achieve excellence. On KuSakuraShop, you'll find Bokken, Jo, Tanto & Kenju (wooden pistols) to make the most of your training. All these wooden equipment are made in Japan by the last traditional workshops and can be engraved if you want to customize them!
Training is important, and to practice in the best conditions, you have to be protected accordingly! You'll find on KuSakuraShop a lot of different products to protect yourself in the most effective way. We have different equipment depending on your Martial art, we're sure you'll find the perfect item, with as always, KuSakura's pledge of quality.

Please note that this offer will be running for two months, until June 30th, 2 pm JPT.

April report

By popular demand, we added a new product to our Nippon Kenpo equipment lineup: the Flexible Nippon Kenpo Do Uchi (breastplate).
Much appreciated by Kenpo practitioners for its comfort, this made-in-japan breastplate is available in 4 different sizes, and will remain durable over time. This is the perfect accessory for every practitioner who wishes to practice without wearing solid protection. And it is now discounted as part of our monthly offer!

That's it for this time, enjoy the discounts, and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!
Golden Week 2022
KuSakuraShop will be closed from April 29th to May 6th. Our website stays operational and accepts orders, but no shipping will occur during this period. Emails will be answered at a much slower pace.

Golden Week 2022

In Japan, April 29th (Showa Day), May 3rd (Constitution Memorial Day), May 4th (Greenery Day), and May 5th (Children's Day) are national holidays.

All suppliers, carriers and partners will be closed or will maintain only limited service during the complete holidays.
In order to avoid hundreds of orders piling up for Friday 6th, we will be working on a light shift on May 2nd, and 6th, although we will only be able to ship a minimum number of orders.
Our system is set to indicate the first shipments on Monday the 9th (the day where normal operations will resume). We can only guarantee that all orders that are supposed to ship within 36h (products in stock only) will be shipped on Monday the 9th at the latest.

Please also note that orders containing products that are order-made or out of stock might suffer a delay of about 2 weeks if their production/preparation time includes the Golden Week. This delay is taken into account by our system, and the date indicated at checkout stays accurate.

As usual, our team is taking work home and will continue to answer emails at a slower pace and our website will stay fully operational.

See you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!

(Picture by Takashi Tomooka)
We Stand With The People of Ukraine - We Stand For Peace
We are organizing a special charity program where the proceeds will go to the United Nations High Committee for Refugees (UNHCR), from March 29 to April 5. Read the news in details for more information.

Dear Budoka,

As you know, KuSakuraShop has never been neutral, we have been modestly contributing to several NGOs for years now with what we believe to be the best interest of Humankind under the Budo philosophy and ethics (to the risk of displeasing a portion of our customers).

Addressing the entire Budo community, KuSakuraShop would like to state with determination its position against all kinds of wars, and its full support to all victims of any kind of aggression. For this reason, we will hold a special charity campaign and pause our actual discount from March 29 to April 5.

During this period, 10% of all our sales will be donated to the United Nations High Committee for Refugees (UNHCR).

If you want to make the most of our current discount, please note that it will be stopped on March 29th afternoon (Japan Time) and will resume on April 5th. If you would like to participate in our charity event, please hold your order until March 29th afternoon.

Fellow Budoka, the study of Budo teaches us more than techniques, it teaches us a form of wisdom built by Japanese ancient warriors, Samurai, but also by all the wonderful modern Japanese great masters who embraced moral and ethical values of their time.

Japanese masters inherited a tradition of violent civil wars and, through the peaceful Edo period, integrated arts of living. Then, they integrated modern methods and ethics through the Meiji period and fell into the terror of dictatorship of World War II, to finally fully embrace the way of durable peace.

Japan, as a sovereign nation, is the only nation with an army entirely dedicated to its defense, with no capacity for aggression. For more than half a century, this deeply infused into the heart of the Japanese population, and in our everyday life.

Our future and the future of our children shall never know the terror our parents and grandparents lived. As human beings, as a citizen of the world, as Budoka, we feel obligated to stand with the people of Ukraine and to stand for peace.

Jordy Delage

Founder & CEO @Seido Co., Ltd.
IJF Special Offer
10% OFF all IJF products! (until April 27th, 2 pm JPT).

10% OFF on IJF products

March is here, Spring is around the corner and we hope it will be accompanied by better days. Fortunately, the Covid situation at KuSakuraShop is now over, last month was tough, but we're now back stronger than ever. Thank you again for all your support and your understanding.
Let's stay careful, the crisis is not over but if we take care of each other, we can get through this together.

Our discount on Belts & Embroideries is now over, we hope that you jumped at that opportunity! And as we're speaking of opportunity, you may have heard that the IJF (International Judo Federation) standards have recently been updated, so this is a perfect occasion to offer a 10% OFF discount on all IJF products!
For more than 10 years, KuSakura has been an officially certified brand by the International Judo Federation, all our high-end Judogi are approved for international competitions (with the only exception of the JOZ, JOZW, and JOA models).
Whether you are a beginner or one of the greatest athletes, you'll find the perfect equipment, with as always, KuSakura's pledge of quality.
If you need more information on the IJF regulations and how to comply with the new ones, please visit our dedicated page: International Judo Federation 2022 Regulations.

Please note that this offer will be running for two months, until April 27th, 2 pm JPT. (Update: Due to our Charity Event regarding Ukraine, this discount will pause from March 29th, 2 pm, JPT, to April 5th, 2 pm, JPT).

Beginning of the year report

We are excited to announce that Sauna Suits are finally back on KuSakuraShop! Many of you were waiting for their return and your patience has now been rewarded.
These high-tech sauna suits are made from ultra-thin and ultra-light fabric and are the most efficient weight management equipment currently on the market. Using this garment prompts excessive sweating making it an extremely efficient tool to eliminate toxins.
Discover the Sweater and the Pants.

That's it for this time, enjoy the discounts, and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.com!