News

March Special Offer
15% OFF on All Kendogi, Iaidogi & Hakama! (until March 31th, 10 am JPT)
15% OFF on All Kendogi, Iaidogi & Hakama!

Even if we can see the first plum blossom of the year, it is true that the recent events have brought a fairly tense climate in Japan. For more details about the various impacts on shipments from Japan, we recommend that you consult our article specially dedicated to the COVID19 outbreak.

Although shipments from Japan are not heavily impacted by the situation caused by the Covid19 outbreak at the moment, some delays are to be expected, particularly for packages bound for China. In addition, the closing of schools in Japan means that some members of our staff need to find solutions to provide care for their children. Naturally, we are trying to find solutions that will be partially or fully handled by the company, in order to minimize the impact on our logistics and let us keep the same quality of service that we usually strive to provide.

In March, it is the best time for our Kendoka and Iaidoka fellows to gear themselves up properly. With 15% OFF on our Hakama, Kendogi and Iaidogi high-end lines, it is the perfect time of the year to get some brand new equipment, naturally guaranteed by KuSakura’s pledge of quality. Note that this discount will only be running until March 31st, 10 a.m. JPT.

February report
- Our partner Seido, which is an expert in Kobudo equipment as well as KuSakura for Judo, has released a new video on its YouTube channel entitled “This is Martial Art”. Although practicing different arts, we are all bound by the same passion as well as by values that define our identity as Budoka. A great presentation video of our passion that must be seen by KuSakura's community Judoka & Budoka! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIRU4de9MJc
- The Sauna Suits being one of the most appreciated accessory of the KuSakura community, it saw the addition of an additional size, the size 0 is now available online.
March is probably not the busiest month of the year but next April will be the start of the new school year in Japan, also meaning the start of fairly sustained activity for our teams in Tokyo as well as for our Osaka workshops.

This month will be an opportunity for us to work on several side-projects and to prepare a rather important event, that will arrive very soon in your favorite online shop.

In the meantime, take advantage of our reduction and see you soon on KuSakuraShop.com.
Coronavirus - 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.

Coronavirus COVID-19 - Impact on international Shipping

Update: March 25, 2020

Shipping delays to specific destinations

Most of the packages going to Europe and Asia travel through a hub in China. Given that the vast majority of flights have been canceled, all carriers are taking appropriate measures to redirect all flights to different hubs. The situation is as follows:
- Delivery to China Hubei province is entirely suspended.
- Delivery to other areas in China is significantly delayed.
- Delivery to Hong Kong and Macao will suffer slight delays.
- Delivery to Europe may suffer slight delays in some cases (unlikely for the vast majority of our shipments)
- No impact for deliveries to North America, South America, Africa and Oceania.

Sanitary risks of products originating from Japan

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).

As things stand at the moment, 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.

Thank you very much for your understanding.
February Special Offer
10% OFF on all Karategi! (until February 28th, 4 pm JPT)
10% OFF on all Karategi!

Watching Japan dressing in its white-snowy coat is always something quite inspiring for us, martial art practitioners, always searching for self-fulfillment through the values of Zen and self-forgetfulness.

After having started 2020 by providing Judo competitors with brand new Judo gears, we decided to start the new Chinese year of the rat emphasizing on another martial art. In February, it is the turn of our fellow Karateka to enjoy KuSakura’s product quality at the best price, for it is 10% OFF on our high-end Karategi line that we offer you this month. Extremely appreciated among our customers, the Semi-Heavy Black Karategi Ninjutsu & Kobudo is, of course, part of this offer! Note that this monthly discount will only run until February 28th, 4 pm Japan time.

January report
- As mentioned above, Judo competitors were on the spotlights this month with a discount especially designed for them. The discounted IJF belts received a warm welcome after some of you were disappointed not to be able to enjoy our October and December belts discounts. Among all, this is the JOVB and the JOIB models that were the most popular.
- As mentioned in our previous actualities, with the closing of our partner Seido’s former website, the then called BudoExport, our team worked on the transfer of all the products present on the closed platform to kusakurashop.com. This construction work has been ongoing for a long time but our team did their best so that the new KuSakura’s product can be released within February.
Although the activity restarts slowly in 2020, the shop will evolve at a fast pace in the following months. New products will be released progressively widening significantly our high-end product lines, providing a better diversity in our equipment offer and allow us to give the opportunity to practitioners of other martial arts to also enjoy the KuSakura experience.

As exciting sounds February, we highly recommend staying tuned on KuSakura’s actuality to be aware of the latest news and release.

Enjoy our discount and see you very soon on KuSakuraShop!
Closing for KuSakuraShop's annual inventory
There will be no shipping on January 31st as we will be closed for our annual inventory.

End of January 2020 Special Calendar for our Annual Inventory

- January 30th: closed from 1pm. Orders should be processed as usual.
- January 31st: closed all day.
- February 3rd (Mon): back to normal for all activities.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

Photo: Samantha Hurley, Burst
January Special Offer
15% OFF on a selection of competition wear! (until January 30th, 10am JPT)
15% OFF on a selection of competition wear!

As it is customary around the world, on behalf of all the KuSakuraShop staff, we wish you a Happy New Year, full of good surprise and rewarding experiences inside and outside the Dojo!

After all these festivities and good times spent with your relatives, the batteries are fully charged and you are now ready to get back on the mats! New year, also means new resolutions to follow, and to give this new decade a kicking start, we are sure that gear up to perform in competitions is on your resolution list. Good news! It is also on KuSakuraShop’s list to keep providing its customers with the highest quality of Judo equipment. For the first month of 2020, it is 15% OFF on a selection of competition wear that we offer! Please note that this offer will only be running until January 30th, 10 am Japan time.

Whether you need a brand new IJF approved Judogi, belts or a Sauna suit to prepare a forthcoming competition, we are certain that you will find what you need to face 2020’s challenges.

December report

The end of 2019 was quite busy for both our workshops and our team in Tokyo that has speeded their production process up and organization to fulfill all the Christmas gifts.
- Within the month, we were able to offer two discounts in order to mark the occasion, one on all accessories and another on all 2019’s bestsellers.
- The end of the year was also the occasion for us to undertake an annual report on everything that happened on KuSakuraShop in 2019 as well as to define our objectives and plans for 2020. You can read this report on our website here.
- We released a new article on the KuSakuraShop blog. In this article, we are focusing on the Sashiko fabric and giving some more information about the several features of this traditional fabric that built KuSakura’s reputation within the Judo community.
As mentioned in our annual report, a lot of new products will make their arrival in 2020. Not only Judoka, but also other martial art practitioners will be able to enjoy KuSakura’s pledge of quality. The KuSakuraShop blog will also see the release of some new articles and a special event is coming.

This year again and more than ever, our staff is determined to offer you the best KuSakura experience, whether it is with our products or on our websites.

Stay tuned on our actuality and enjoy the discount.
2019~2020 New Year's Holidays
KuSakuraShop will be closed from January 1st to January 6th. There will be no order processing during this time but we'll keep answering your emails from home!

From time to time, warriors must take a breath to replenish.

This is to start the new decade on a sound basis that KuSakuraShop will be closed for a few days, from January 1st to January 5th. But don’t worry the staff is bringing some homework and will keep answering your messages at a slower pace.

From December 30th, our workshops will also be closed, delaying all orders containing made to order or out of stock products by approximately 10 days. Naturally, this time range is taken into account in the estimated shipping date we provide during checkout.

The KuSakuraShop team wishes all its customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This year has been full of experience for KuSakuraShop and our staff which will provide you an even better experience in 2020. Thank you all for your great support and amazing product reviews, which are the greatest gifts you can offer us.

Photo: Eiji Ienaga
Xmas & New Year Special Offer
15% Off 2019's Bestsellers! (until January 7th, 10 AM JPT)

15% OFF on 2019's Bestsellers!

Here we are, gifts preparation is done and the last Christmas orders placed before December 16th are on their way to our customers’ Christmas trees. It is almost the big day and it is now time to think about the good resolutions to hold during the new coming year.

On KuSakuraShop’s end, 2019 has been a very enriching year marked by some changes and novelties. But now, it is time for resolutions and to think about the new coming year new projects.

In order to get this new decade off to a great start, KuSakuraShop is offering you 15% discount on 2019’s bestsellers. A Judogi for your forthcoming competitions, a brand new embroidered belt or a KuSakura bag to transport all your equipment, everything you need to perform the best on the mats. Please note that this offer will only run until January 7, 2020, 10 am (JPT).

2019 Report

The year really started in February, when KuSakuraShop held a booth at the Grand Slam in Paris. We were actually quite proud to see that the Kodokan stand presented KuSakura’s product as their official equipment.

This very same month, the jewel of KuSakura’s high-end Judogi line, the famous Dojin Master was released online, followed the next month by the JOV and the JNV.

The famous Dojin Master now available online!

May saw Emperor Akihito’s abdication, who decided to pass the throne down to his eldest son the current Emperor Naruhito. Following this unprecedented move KuSakuraShop took 10 days off, but this one-in-a-lifetime event was extremely pleasant to live for all the team.

Summer began with KuSakura’s Karategi release. Four high-end models, for the greatest benefit of our fellow Karateka. These new products were also in a way, a confirmation of our will to provide more martial arts communities (other than Judo) with high quality equipment.

The World Judo Championships took place in August in Tokyo, and we naturally couldn’t circumvent this major event. KuSakura was there to hold a booth and once again, we were able to meet our customers providing them with high quality products, in the country that saw the birth of our brand as well as of Judo. Some pictures are available on our official Facebook page.

KuSakura's booth during the Judo World Championships

Moreover, the summer season was the occasion for our staff to work on many projects that will be released very soon or that are already online, such as the blog which the team work keeps working hard on to improve the customer experience on KuSakuraShop.

More information regarding your favorite Judogi on The KuSakuraShop Blog!

In October, it was the turn of KuSakura’s Sauna Suits as well as the Kendo referee kit to be on the spotlights. Furthermore, the birthday of Judo's founding father was a great occasion for us to undertake a focus on his life and his accomplishments, an article that you can find on our blog.

The perfect equipment for athletes

During the two last month of the year, we were quite focused on KuSakuraShop’s #BFCM and Christmas preparations.

In 2020 on KuSakuraShop!

A lot of new products will be released really soon on KuSakuraShop, which will allow us to extend our product lines to more martial arts and to offer our products to more Budo practitioners.

Several publications will be released on the KuSakuraShop blog. Some will be quite technical such as our newest released about the Sashiko fabric used in the conception of your favorite Judogi, and some other will be lighter but will always deal with KuSakura’s activity or with other martial arts in general. Finally, the creation of our blog allowed us to improve the global customer experience on KuSakuraShop and we naturally wish to keep up on this path.

All in all, our wish remains to offer the best quality of products to our customers, but we would also like to go further and offer them a whole experience to live with KuSakura.

As usual during this period of the year and to start the new decade on a sound basis, our team will take some well deserved days off from December 31st to February 5th. All shipping will be suspended during this period, but you will still be able to place your orders and our team will bring some homework and will still answer your message.
Schedule for Delivery Before '19 Xmas
Your last chance to be delivered before Christmas: December 16th. Check the visual calendar, or read more details here.
Christmas is almost here and maybe some of you are considering completing their gift list before the big day. 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.
- Made to Order items (embroidered belts, custom Judogi sizes): Order before November 26th and you will be delivered before Christmas.
- Products available at the warehouse (Judogi, some belts) shipped via EMS/ePacket: last chance to get items with embroideries/engravings delivered before Christmas is December 6th.
- Products available at the warehouse (Judogi, some belts) via FedEx, DHL or UPS: last chance to get items with embroideries/engravings delivered before Christmas is December 12th.
- In stock products (belts, bags) shipped via FedEx DHL or UPS: last chance to get items with embroideries/engravings delivered before Christmas is December 16th.
Yes, we're sure. 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 the 17h will ship the 18th.

We'll be open on December 31st, then closed from the 1st to January 5th, 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 the customs. Hence, on-time order delivery cannot be guaranteed 100% so please don't wait until the last minute to order!
December Special Offer
15% OFF On All Accessories & Bags! (until December 19th, 10 am JPT)

15% OFF On All Accessories & Bags!

The autumn colors of the Momiji leaves (Japanese maples), get Japan dressed with a flood of yellowish colors while Christmas magic is on its way.

With our annual #BFCM program, the most foresighted of you were able to check the last box of their Christmas wish list with our exceptional discount on all our products. Now, the KuSakuraShop staff offer you the opportunity to complete the new equipment set your recently acquired with some more-than-useful accessories in the Dojo. It is 15% OFF on all accessories & bags available on the website that we offer you, until December 19th, 10 am (Japan time).

This year, it is 300,000 JPY that has been collected for charities during KuSakuraShop’s Black Friday and we would like to thank all our customers for this outstanding collective endeavor that will be of great help to the three organizations we support. Thanks to all KuSakuraShop’s staff members and to the Judo community, this Black Friday has been a huge success.

As we approach from Christmas and the same way as November were, December will be a rather busy month, both for our workshop in Osaka and our website staff offices in Tokyo.

Enjoy the discount and stay tuned for KuSakuraShop actualities!
Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2019
10% OFF Everything & Donation to Amnesty, MSF & UNICEF (until December 03rd, 5pm JPT)

10% OFF Everything & Donation to Amnesty, MSF & UNICEF

At KuSakuraShop, Business and ethics are not antonyms

Last year, we decided not to follow everyone by offering any discount that would not suit our vision of business at all. We had rather opted for a charity donation campaign to Doctors Without Borders and Amnesty International.
Although this event was quite successful and supported by a vast majority of people in the martial art world, we also listen to our customers. We heard that some of you were quite frustrated to not be able to celebrate the #BFCM by enjoying KuSakura’s product quality for a better price like during our monthly promotions throughout the year.

This is why for this edition, and as we hold charity events throughout the year now, we have decided to do both.

On the one hand, during the #BFCM 2019, you will be able to enjoy KuSakura’s quality with 10% OFF on all our products. On the other hand, 5% of all our sales during this period will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International and UNICEF.

Furthermore, we would like to take this opportunity to come back on all the charity events we have run so far, since #BFCM 2018.

We hold charity events every month, with always the same concept of donating 10% of all orders to charities for a period that goes from 36 to 72 hours. What is actually happening at the back of the shop, is that each order placed during these periods is tagged with a "charity eligible" tag, and once we have reached a decent amount, we can proceed to the donation to each charity organization we support, through bank transfers.
To follow the results and to keep track of these campaigns, we even developed our own tool that automatically fetches all orders eligible for charity donation.

This graph below is a simple screenshot of the tool we use internally, that shows how much, when and the charity organization the money went to.

Here you can see that Amnesty International, UNICEF and Doctor Without Borders all received 199,500 YEN (approx. $1900 USD) for a cumulative total of 598,500 YEN (approx. $5500USD) donated over a period that starts from January 1st and ends on November 11th.

In fact, Japan is not very "charity-friendly" and the conditions are far less motivating than in most European countries, even if donated money can be deduced from company taxes. This can explain why KuSakuraShop, with only slightly less than $2000 USD, is one of the main donating companies for Amnesty International in Japan. Naturally, we are proud of the ethical line we strive to implement behind our brand, but this trend really shows how much these organizations need our support.

Through what we do and what we offer, the KuSakuraShop staff all aim at following the fundamental values of Judo and are bound with the same desire and objective to contribute to social prosperity and harmony leading ultimately to the benefit of everyone. We all share the same vision of what ethical business is, and this is precisely why all KuSakura’s products are strictly controlled, to fit our global vision.

If you would like to know more about our ethics and our charity program, please feel free to read our dedicated "KuSakuraShop Charity Programs page".

Thank you very much for all your support and we wish you the best on the mats!