News

KuSakuraShop International 5th's Anniversary - 1st Edition
20% OFF on ALL Non-Judo Products (until July 20th, 11am JPT)
KuSakuraShop International 5th's Anniversary - 1st Edition - 20% OFF on ALL non-Judo products

June has been quite a busy month for our teams both in Tokyo and Osaka. The COVID 19 crisis management, the dojo that are remaining closed until further notice and so on. If we had to choose a color to describe the atmosphere of the current situation, gray would definitely be the one.

This summer, let’s try to brighten the atmosphere and change our mind from all that's happening.

First we would like to give a special thanks to all of you who participated in the KuSakuraShop Special Judo Quiz. This small event we designed to thank our customers for their unyielding loyalty has far exceeded our expectations and we are quite grateful for that. For further information about the quiz, you can scroll down to the June report.

The quiz has just ended and summer has just begun, yet, we have another event to share with our customers in July and it is a rather important one as it consists of the 5th KuSakuraShop Anniversary. Already 5 years since we made KuSakura’s quality of product available to the world and despite the recent situation that may have weakened the shop financially, our motivation to always provide you the most qualitative martial art equipment remains the same and we wish to keep it up like this for as long as we can.

To celebrate KuSakuraShop’s 5th Anniversary, a few very special discounts will be carried on over the next few months and more than ever, this summer is definitely the time to gear up to get back to the Dojo on a sound basis. As such, to start this birthday, in July we thought about our Kendoka, Karateka or Iaidoka fellows and it is 20% OFF on All Non-Judo Equipment available online that we offer you. Shinai, Hakama, Kyudo Equipment all the best KuSakura’s martial equipment available for the best price since the creation of the website in 2015.

June Report
- A little bit above, we were talking about the KuSakuraShop Judo Quiz and as you were more than 1700 passionate Judoka to try their luck to win the brand new JOF/JNF Judogi, we can call it a success and we might consider doing this sort of event again in the future. Now we will proceed to the prize draw to determine who is the winner of the JOF/JNF Judogi, the belts and the special 20% discount code. Throughout the month, we will proceed to the prize distribution, and naturally as we promised, ALL PARTICIPANTS will be able to benefit from a 5% discount on all their next order regardless of their result on the Quiz. This discount code will be included in a special Newsletter we will send to all the participants by mid-August. Finally, we will release a short blog article so as to sum up this first KuSakuraShop quiz, give some precision on some questions and so on.
- We recently got back on Twitter but this time with a fixed editorial line. All our most important news and actualities will be shared on our Twitter page but if you want to know all the details of KuSakura’s actualities, the Facebook page and the Newsletter remain the main mediums.
In July, the workload does not get lighter with all the quiz result to analyze, the prize to distribute and quite important side project to work on, it looks like summer seems pretty busy for the KuSakuraShop team.

That’s all at the moment, if you do not want to miss any details of our actuality and projects, feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well as to subscribe to the Newsletter.

See you very soon and Happy Birthday KuSakuraShop!
Reopening Express Shipments (almost) Worldwide
Read the last informations about express shipping

The good news is, express shipping is almost entirely back to normal with FedEx, UPS and DHL.

Japan Post reopened shipments to France, Canada, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Estonia, Austria, Croatia, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg.

We're all set to resume business almost normally, and we wanted to let you know what we did the past weeks, and what the situation is now.

From today, the conditions are:

1. Express shipping (free for packages above 1 kg) is now back to normal for North America, Central America, all Western Europe, almost all Eastern Europe and most Asian countries. With a 2 to 4 days ETA for most destinations.

2. For small orders (small packages), we are lowering the express shipping upgrade fee from 15$ to 8$ for Central America, North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

3. We are removing all additional fees for oversized items (over 120 cm), with the exception of Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. We still can't use EMS for those destinations, so we'll have to charge fees from 10$ to 30$ for oversized packages.

4. We reached an agreement with FedEx to remove the distanced location delivery fees in Europe (at this point, Europe only. Sorry).
Some carriers charge very expensive fees for small towns and countryside deliveries, forcing us to use Japan post instead.
Since Japan Post shipments are suspended, it was one of our priorities and we're all set now.

5. If you have a "small package" shipment waiting to ship, there's no ETA at this point and it's very unlikely shipments reopen before the end of August. We can offer express shipping upgrades for 8$, so if you'd like to update, please contact us.

Shipping is still suspended to: Russia, Brazil, China, French Polynesia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka.

And the following countries require prior approval (we can ship, but we need to assess the situation first): Africa, South America, India, Middle East, former USSR, Portugal and overseas France.

The past few weeks, we worked on each package shipment on a case-by-case basis. We managed to ship more or less all packages with no or very few delays, but it has been a rather complicated challenge .

On the one hand, orders have increased significantly since the beginning of June, mostly for wooden weapons, products that require extensive preparation time (weapon sanding, oiling, quality control, solid packaging that must avoid oversizing to the maximum, etc.).
Doing things right requires time and care, and we believe that both you and our craftsmen products deserve this care.

And on the other hand, many of our partner craftsmen, back to work at full capacity and concerned about production time and delays (especially for weapons, as they know that weapon practice is more or less the only form of training authorized in most countries), are making huge efforts to deliver as many products as possible, especially custom work. Orders that were planned to ship in July and August arrived in advance and were piling up at our office.

This weekend, we had more than 250 packages piled up, many of them being oversized, containing very long items, to the point we could barely move from room to room.

At this pace, it's was no longer possible to work on each shipment details on a case-by-case basis. We just did not have the manpower to check carrier availability for all destination and/or to contact you one by one.

Of course, we planned. We knew it would eventually come to this, so we worked with FedEx, DHL and UPS to improve the logistics. And our in-house IT guys developed tools that make the "COVID19" logistic easier to handle.
Our point was, we didn't want packages to get lost, damaged, stored in some offices somewhere forever, or returned to Japan. We wanted to make sure we get things right, with the highest level of service possible during such crisis.

And finally, on Monday 15th, 2 months of hard work finally paid off. We started processing all express orders. It's going to take about a week to have everything sorted, but it's on its way (if you're waiting for your express package to ship, it'll be soon!).

To conclude, we would like to express our most sincere gratitude to you all. Your outstanding support during this crisis helped us going through the most difficult times.

We're lucky to have such an amazing community. Thank you very much.
June Special Discount & News
10% OFF on All Judo & Kendo Accessories (until June 30th, 11 am JPT)
10% OFF on All Judo & Kendo Accessories

First, we would like to have a thought for all those affected directly or indirectly by the COVID 19 and the upheaval it brought into our lives until now. Recently, the Japanese government announced the end of the emergency state in the four remaining prefectures.

Although life starts to resume its course in a large part of the world, that school, shops and other institutions are finally reopening their doors, the situation for travel and therefore, for international logistics is actually far from getting back to normal.

However, during this crisis, our team acquired a quite efficient ‘emergency situation logistic’ set in cooperation with two carriers DHL and UPS.

It turns out that martial arts are still prohibited in numerous countries and that it will stay like that for some few more months. Meanwhile, we still need to live our passion one way or another and this is why we decided to carry out a discount on all Judo and Kendo accessories this month. Please note that this discount will only run until June 30th, 11 am (JPT).

Also, we would like to thank our customers for their loyalty and their interest in our brand. This is why the KuSakuraShop team decided to throw a Special Judo Quiz, that will allow one of you to win a brand new Competition Japan Judogi - JOF or JNF certified by IJF standards.

If you want to try your luck to win one of KuSakura’s best competitive Judogi, you will be able to participate from June 2nd to June 30th.

Challenges we are facing now

Organizing special shifts for our team so we can keep processing your order as soon as possible, with a reduced team. This was a tough challenge, but we believe we did a great job. We announced that we would put in place a 3 business days' delay for all orders, and we managed to ship more than 90% of orders without any delay. Of course, this is mainly because we are suffering a huge drop in orders, but also because of a faultless logistic carried by our team, logistic that proved strong under the stress of the crisis!

Organizing shipments is, of course, the toughest of all challenge. KuSakuraShop has a very well designed logistic that relies on Japan Post, FedEx, UPS, and DHL simultaneously, with per country and per package type/size optimizations. FedEx has suspended all shipments from Japan. Japan Post can only deliver a few countries (France, Canada, the UK, but not the US or Australia). UPS has increased rates, and DHL, in addition to not handling packages over 120 cm, implemented a special crisis surcharge.
Each order requires more time, as we need to check each carrier rate, limitations for each country, etc.
Small orders usually shipped with Japan Post that have not been upgraded to express shipping at checkout are stored in our office.
And many countries cannot be delivered without additional fees or cannot be delivered at all.
Under these conditions, it's very hard for us to maintain free shipping on all orders without increasing our prices, which we didn't do yet. In June, we plan to keep working as we've done in the past two months. Customers can still select free shipping for all orders, and for small orders that haven't been upgraded at checkout, we're offering an upgrade or to store the package until shipments reopen. (For reference, we currently have about 50 orders stored on customer requests. We have no decent solution for only 3 of them, going to Russia, China, and Turkmenistan).

From now on, the next challenge will be to keep the business afloat until September (we hope that orders will return to normal by then). We have already increased our stocks to the maximum to help our workshops, so it's not something we can continue to do, but we are working on alternative solutions!
At KuSakuraShop, thanks to the help of the Japanese government, we have all been able to make the sacrifices necessary to stay afloat (unfortunately, Japan has offered an aid of 100,000 yen to all the residents but offers absolutely no support to businesses). The team is still complete and we do not plan to let anyone go. We are in this situation together, and we are going to go through it together!
Although we do not yet need the help of the community, we will inform you if this changes in the coming months.

May report
- In order to support both our partner workshop in Aichi and our own workshop, we decided to release two face masks model, one close to a "deluxe model" and another emphasizing more on the essentials while staying comfortable to wear.
- You can now purchase a Gift Card directly on our website. Gift Cards have become quite common in the past few weeks but as we already had some customers requesting it, we thought that this could be the right moment to release it on the Shop.
- We reworked our emailing system. Nothing was actually wrong with the former one but some things could be improved to offer the best customer experience possible. More information, better compatibility and better readability, you will be able to check these emails out very soon!
- With the current situation, our team is handling several projects simultaneously but we are still trying to find some time to work on the new products we plan to release on the shop.
Enjoy our discount and see you very soon on KuSakuraShop!
Sashiko Face Mask
To support us and our workshops, you can now purchase our masks directly on the Shop.

As all our customers know, KuSakuraShop is driven by a strong ethical will, passed on through our products and services. We do not want to take advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak situation to make a profit and our staff was quite uncomfortable with the idea of offering this type of products on the shop. Nevertheless, in the light of this unprecedented crisis, our workshops have to find a solution to stay alive, to keep providing you with high-quality pieces of equipment. Therefore, we have decided to sell this product so that you can also show your support while protecting yourself and your surroundings during these difficult times.

The first model of mask is made from Sashiko fabric, a traditional fabric with a lot of beneficial properties that we explained on our blog, using high-quality Japanese Mikawa cotton, the same cotton used in KuSakuraShop's high-end Judogi. These masks were made by our partner workshops and besides all the beneficial properties that Sashiko fabric offers, this mask has been treated to be antimicrobial and odor resistant through a Japanese cypress tree solution. This treatment is meant to stay efficient up until approximately 50 laundries when washed in cold water.

See the Aichi Workshop Model

The second model, although less design, will suit more tight budgets or people wishing to directly support KuSakura. This mask comes directly with a sponge filter, filtering with sustained efficiency while drying quickly.

See the KuSakura Workshop's model

Whether it is to support us, the industry, or just because you are quite satisfied with the look of our masks, check out the product page directly on our website!
May Special Discount
10% OFF on essentials for Experienced Judoka (until May 29th, 4 pm JPT)

10% OFF on essentials for Experienced Judoka

We would like to send a big thank you to all of our customers who placed some orders to support the fight against the COVID-19 as well as to support us. As you may know from our communication of last month, the team is doing its best to keep your favorite martial art e-shop afloat as are currently doing many other e-commerce websites in the light of the current crisis we are all facing, and this support, even the tiniest is really welcome. Do not worry, in May, it is still time to help us if you wish to.

Unfortunately, it is not tomorrow that we will be able to train at the Dojo but still, it is always time treating yourself with some brand new high-end equipment, especially during these difficult times. This month, may we offer you 10% OFF on a selection of essential items for experienced practitioners? Shihan, competitors, or Judo enthusiasts since you are a child? This selection is specifically dedicated to you. However, these pieces of equipment will also be the best option for intermediate Judoka wishing to practice directly with the best gear currently available on the market! Please note that this discount will only run until May 29th, at 4 pm (JPT).

In April, while working on some side projects, our team mainly focused on handling your orders. As you may know, due to the COVID-19, some carriers such as Japan Post and FedEx had to suspend their shipping services for an indeterminate period of time, leading to some delays. As already mentioned on our website, when it is needed, our team will contact you directly and keep you regularly updated on the situation.

Enjoy the discount and see you very soon on KuSakuraShop!
SPECIAL DISCOUNT
10% OFF ALL JUDOGI + 5% FROM ALL ORDERS DONATED FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 (until May 1st, 11 am JPT)
10% OFF on all Judogi + 5% FROM ALL ORDERS TO FIGHT THE COVID-19

In many countries, we, passionate practitioners, find ourselves confined, with the impossibility of practicing our passion at the Dojo, with our Senpai and our Sensei. Even though it is only temporary and we naturally know that it is for the common good, it is rather difficult to accept not being able to practice your art when you are truly dedicated to martial arts.

We are well aware that in these difficult times, the lockdown does not really help to keep morale high. And it is precisely for this reason that for the second part of April, we wish to please our customers, by launching a discount that we had not planned for, but which was highly awaited by many of you. Therefore, until May 1st, it is 10% on all Judogi stamped KuSakura that we offer. With this special discount, we hope to cheer your morale up and that it will allow you to spend the confinement a little bit better, knowing that you will be able to wear your brand new Judogi after the crisis.

In addition, as indicated in the special message from Gaëtan, manager of KuSakuraShop, we will continue to give 5% of all orders to the association Doctors Without Borders, a charity organization fighting against the spread of the Covid. We invite you to consult this communication report mentioning the situation in Japan but also the consequences that this unprecedented crisis has had on KuSakuraShop.

March Recap:
- It was clearly the perfect month for our fellows Kendoka! Along with our monthly discount on all Kendogi & Hakama, we were thrilled to release our new KuSakura Kendo Shinai line! In this new collection, you will find all SG (Safety Goods) or SSP (Shinai Safety Promotion) certified Shinai.
- Whether you need to transport 2, 3 or even 10 Shinai, you will undoubtedly find what you are looking for within our new line of high-end weapon carry bags entirely Made in Japan! A first selection is already available online, but further carry bags are on track to be released soon!
- They were quite popular and eagerly awaited by the Kyudo community, KuSakura’s Made in Japan Kyudo jacket and Hakama, both men and women models are back and this time, on KuSakuraShop for our international community! If you need a brand new high-end jacket or Hakama, you may want to check this new collection out!
- Arrows, quiver and Giriko powder are some of the few Kyudo accessories that we released online! As usual, KuSakuraShop is certain to aim right by offering you only the best Kyudo equipment currently available on the market.
- Apart from the new products, we also released a comprehensive guide on how to choose your Kendo Shinai on the KuSakuraShop Blog. If you are a Kendoka, and you don’t know if you should opt for a Dobari, Jissengata, a smoked Shinai or a carbon graphite one, this article might be able to catch your attention and help you out in your decision.
State of Emergency: We must stand back up together
A message from Gaetan, KuSakuraShop's Manager.
Hello KuSakura community!

My name is Gaetan, most of you already know me from a few discussions that we may have had when you contacted the customer support or from the blog articles that I post as often as possible on the KuSakuraShop Blog.

KuSakuraShop is run by Budoka and we always privileged transparency, honesty and quality towards our customers and given the hard times we are all going through recently and as KuSakuraShop Manager, I feel it is now more necessary than ever to stay on this line. So, it is to keep you all informed about the real Covid19 situation and consequences in Japan but also on the consequences on the shop, for our team.

First of all, on behalf of all KuSakuraShop’s team, we would like to express our sincerest support and encouragement to all persons who are suffering from the current situation, those affected physically or mentally, those confined at home, those worried about their health or their surroundings’, those working relentlessly day and night to save lives amidst all this tensed environment, carriers, drivers, cashiers and all supermarkets and convenience stores staff.

As a manager, my role is to always make certain that you all get the best equipment quality, the best service and that you always get the right pieces of information. As of April 10th, there are 4,768 confirmed cases in Japan and despite all the measures taken by the government, this number is actually still increasing and no one can naturally know to which point this number will grow. Although the outbreak is more likely to be under control in Japan, as social distancing is a cultural aspect along with the mask that Japanese often wear when they have a simple cold, the state of emergency has been declared. As Japan does not have the legal means to restrain individual liberties, this special measure only allows local governments to shut down some public institutions, schools, private facilities such as entertainment one and to have better control over hotels and hospitals that are facilities used for the fight against the Covid-19.

Although we are not forced to shut down our workshop, the impact on our activity is significant. KuSakuraShop already took measures since last month in order to reduce the risk during commuting for the staff. But now with the new government measures and the outstanding evolution of the situation, we have to adapt once again and we implemented the following measures, starting from today:
- KuSakuraShop's office will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our staff will work from home and handle all email inquiries, order tracking, order management, etc., as usual.
- KuSakuraShop will be open but work on a special schedule on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. To avoid crowded trains, working hours are set from 10 am to 5 pm but part of the staff is encouraged to leave early if possible.
- Non-essential staff are working on a partial basis with the guarantee of receiving 90% of their salary.
- We will be in close contact with all our partners and especially the craftsmen, ready to help as much as we can if necessary.
KuSakuraShop will not only follow government guidelines but will go even further by implementing measures that have been taken by European countries as much as humanly possible.

Finally, a word about the orders and how the activity is going on here. All our staff are working hard to keep your order fulfilled, to keep up on the quality of our service and to answer all your questions in a record time. Nevertheless, is still a business and this time, we would need your support as much as you need ours, and this is why to keep all these wonderful people working here in our workshop, your participation is more than welcome. If you feel like placing an order but wait for the situation to get better, it might actually be the best moment to place it as it would greatly help our staff and in the end, our workshops. If you cannot, please don’t.

During April, we will keep our “5% of all orders for the fight against the COVID-19” campaign running, even on our next discount that will be running from April 15th. If you would also like to participate in the fight while helping us, we will be more than happy to process your order, as fast as possible, as usual.

Please stay all healthy, motivated and ready to enjoy life and get back to the Dojo once this crisis is done. Together, we will be able to stand back up and hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon.

Take care, protect yourself and your family!
Coronavirus COVID-19 - Impact on international Shipping
For the latest information on shipping & delivery, please refer to the info box that we put in place on all products pages, category pages and shopping cart page. As of today, we can only ship to: United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Romania, Mexico, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea and Slovakia. For other countries, please contact us PRIOR to placing your order or your order might be put on hold for several weeks
To be aware of the latest information on shipping & delivery, please refer to the infobox that we set up on all product pages, category pages and shopping cart page.

Coronavirus COVID-19 - Impact on international Shipping

Update: May 7th, 2020
Japan Post has decided to suspend all shipments to more than 150 countries. FedEx shipments are suspended worldwide. DHL has implemented a significant price surcharge and suspended shipment to some countries and updates partial suspensions daily. Therefore, KuSakuraShop is no longer in capacity to promise that your orders will ship on the announce date below.

We recommend all customers to upgrade the shipping method at checkout if the displayed shipping method is "Japan Post".

We will email you on or before the announced shipping date if your order cannot ship. We may offer you a paid shipping upgrade if you want your order shipped via one of the few priority services that remains active with one of our carriers (FedEx, UPS and DHL).

Packages that are longer than 120 cm are subject to additional restrictions so all packages containing weapons longer than 119 cm are more subject to delays than others.

As of today, we are still able to ship almost normally to:
United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Belgium Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Finland, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Norway, Romania, Mexico, Denmark, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea and Slovakia.
(This is not a guarantee that we will be able to ship, especially items above 120 cm in length, but we do not expect major issues for those destinations).

For other countries, please contact us PRIOR to placing your order or your order might be put on hold for several weeks

Other orders will be put prepared, packed and stored until one of the 5 carriers we are working with reopens the destination (you will be updated via email).
Side effects and production issues:

The Japanese government has issued a temporary closing order for all schools in Japan, canceled all major events, and put heavy restrictions on flights coming from Korean and China. If KuSakura's products consist of high-end products, the Japanese economy is heavily dependent on the importation from China and so are KuSakura's workshop.The current restrictions have for consequences the slow down of the overall production even for our 100% Made in Japan products.

The shortage of some chemicals causes some manufacture processes to slow down or stop (bleaching process, fabric dyeing, etc.).
The country also suffers from a lack of production capacity due to the fact that an important part of the workforce manufacturing clothes is composed of mothers who have to stay at home and watch over their kids, and because of the relatively old age of some craftsmen who absolutely need to stay away from any risks of contamination.

As a result, we are expecting to suffer from Dogi, Obi, and Hakama shortages.
The situation is already very tight at the workshops and since our craftsmen must take all precautions and avoid coming to work if they suffer any flu-like symptoms, we also expect further delays regarding weapons production.
As you all know, unlike any other companies in our industry, KuSakuraShop has a very well-made system that announces the production time or restocking dates of all products. We cannot guarantee that we have all the elements that would allow us to give you a 100% accurate information, but we can guarantee that we are updating product information every day, weekends included, so it reflects the current situation to the best of our knowledge.

Sanitary risks of products originating from Japan & Financial Situation

The coronavirus is transmitted by one person to another in respiratory droplets. That means the virus can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and releases these droplets into the air, where they are either inhaled by others, or can land on other people's mouths or noses if they're near enough generally at a distance of about six feet (1.8 meters).

At the time, it is considered that touching infected surfaces isn't' a major source of transmission, but transmission is possible.
However, given that our packages have a lead time of 3 to 7 days for delivery and that packages are subject to temperature, pressure and hygrometry variations during transportation (especially in cargo) surface transmission in these conditions is considered extremely unlikely.

The number of cases in the general population (outside of the confined boat case) stays very low in Japan. Our team is proceeding very carefully and the vast majority of our staff don't have to travel on crowded trains often.
Two members of our staff are trained medical professionals and worked in medical environment in the past. If any doubt was raised about potential infection in the team, all necessary measures (including full disinfection of our facilities) would be immediately taken.

Despite the very reduced risk of contamination when ordering from KuSakuraShop, we have already seen an important decrease in orders in the past 2 weeks. As an economically strong company is a company with cash reserves, rest assured that we will be able to hold this situation for quite a while. However, this will be at the cost of our side projects, the blog articles, the new product development, and even worse, our charity programs, so please understand that for everything that does not directly concern Budo equipment, things may change in the near future.

Thank you very much for your understanding.
April Special Discount
10% OFF ALL BELTS + 5% FROM ALL ORDERS DONATED FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 (until April 15th, 11 am JPT)
10% OFF on all belts & 5% from all orders donated for the fight against COVID-19

Although good days are coming back and the beautiful Sakura season (cherry blossom) still covers some Japanese regions with its typical rose/whitish colors, March has been tough and quite stressful for all of us and we are all hoping for a quick return to normality. With all that happens with the outbreak we are currently facing, we have to stay safe and be careful to also keep others safe. However, KuSakuraShop is a business and this is why we will still keep sharing with you the latest news and what happened in the shop.

Meanwhile, we wanted to start a very special event for the shop, we felt that it wasn’t the time and we have decided to postpone it until we can see an improvement in the situation.

This is why this month, we changed our plans and would rather stand up a special operation to help fight the COVID-19. In April, we will run 2 discounts of two weeks each. First, you will be able to benefit from 10% OFF on all our high-end belts. Along with this discount, 5% of all orders placed on KuSakuraShop will be donated to Doctor Without Borders, an organization involved in the fight against the COVID-19. This charity has special expertise in outbreak management and we really hope that his little donations will help to improve this unprecedented situation as fast as possible. This offer will end on April 15th at 11 am, Japan time.

March Report:
- It was clearly the perfect month for our fellows Kendoka! Along with our monthly discount on all Kendogi & Hakama, we were thrilled to release our new KuSakura Kendo Shinai line! In this new collection, you will find all SG (Safety Goods) or SSP (Shinai Safety Promotion) certified Shinai.
- Whether you need to transport 2, 3 or even 10 Shinai, you will undoubtedly find what you are looking for within our new line of high-end weapon carry bags entirely Made in Japan! A first selection is already available online, but further carry bags are on track to be released soon!
- They were quite popular and eagerly awaited by the Kyudo community, KuSakura’s Made in Japan Kyudo jacket and Hakama, both men and women models are back and this time, on KuSakuraShop for our international community! If you need a brand new high-end jacket or Hakama, you may want to check this new collection out!
- Arrows, quiver and Giriko powder are some of the few Kyudo accessories that we released online! As usual, KuSakuraShop is certain to aim right by offering you only the best Kyudo equipment currently available on the market.
- Apart from the new products, we also released a comprehensive guide on how to choose your Kendo Shinai on the KuSakuraShop Blog. If you are a Kendoka, and you don’t know if you should opt for a Dobari, Jissengata, a smoked Shinai or a carbon graphite one, this article might be able to catch your attention and help you out in your decision.
Although if March was tough, our team has been able to advance on some projects and we foresee April to be on the same line. Time is not for celebration. At the moment, we keep sending your packages as usual, but the situation can evolve from day to day.

All in all, rest assured that we will keep you informed. Stay tuned to stay aware of the latest news. See you very soon on KuSakuraShop!
New Products & Navigation Menu Rework
New Products Now Available Online & New Shopping Menu!
New products release and a more intuitive shopping menu!

Let's take a break from all the issues going on to talk about what's new in your favorite Martial Arts Shop.

New products

Two new categories have appeared on the shop this month, Kendo and Kyudo equipment!
- We released our new Kendo Shinai line up. All Kusakura's Shinai are either SSP or SG certified which are two standards guaranteeing the quality of the weapons as well as its compliance with the standards set up in international and European competitions. Furthermore, all the shinai are always scrupulously checked to fully meet KuSakura’s quality standards.For further information, you can consult our collection already available online.
- Carrying Shinai to the Dojo by hand is not really the most convenient thing. So we have also put online a first selection of weapon carry bags. Whether you are looking for a bag that can contain 2, 3 or even 10 Shinai, you will most certainly find what you are looking for among our range of Shinai carry bags.
- They were quite popular and expected, KuSakura’s Kyudo jacket and Hakama man and woman models are back and this time, on KuSakuraShop for our international community!
- In addition to the jacket and the two models of Hakama, we also have put online a selection of accessories necessary for Kyudo practice, arrows, quiver and Giriko powder are few products of this launch line up that you can find online on KuSakuraShop.
Navigation Menu Rework

Along with the release of the aforementioned new products, we have decided to rework the collection navigation menu to improve the ergonomic and to make it more intuitive for our customers. The collection categories are now all arranged by martial art, greatly facilitating the navigation when searching for a specific product.

Some more product releases are planned in the coming weeks. To not miss any, stay connected to the KuSakuraShop news and subscribe to our monthly Newsletter!

See you soon on KuSakuraShop