The KuSakuraShop Team

Hi everyone,
My name is Kazuma Hayakawa, head of KusakuraShop. I have taken over Mr. Delage, the former representative, in spring 2023.
My previous experience includes working in the film industry for 10 years, specifically in sound recording for movies (dialogue recording and sound effects editing), followed by 10 years in the food and beverage industry.
Although I have experienced completely different industries, and now I have been given the opportunity to challenge myself in the martial arts world. Throughout my life, I had little connection to martial arts, but as my father, who has been involved with Kusakura as a member of the founding family, for over 40 years, retired, my desire to learn and inherit the path he has walked has grown stronger day by day. It was at this moment that I fortunately encountered Seido, a company that has supported the martial arts industry and Kusakura for many years, along with my father.
At Seido, there are skilled craftsmen who inherit traditional techniques and staff members who have practical martial arts experience and specialized knowledge. They handle a wide range of martial arts equipment tailored to the needs of martial artists worldwide. Learning that there are many people who love Japanese culture and martial arts there, I was deeply impressed. Through touching various fabrics and martial arts equipment, I felt the depth and artistry of the craftsmen's products, where their passion and energy resonate in each and every piece.
Personally, I have just taken the first step in martial arts, but the thought of meeting each and every customer on the path I will walk fills me with a sense of anticipation.
In my teenage years, I was particularly drawn to introspective films by directors such as Shuji Terayama, Nagisa Oshima, and Takeshi Kitano. However, it was when I came across Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" at a rental video store at that time that I first experienced the joy of watching movies. "The Hidden Fortress" is a work that embodies humanism, humor, life and death, and popular and traditional elements. It is a classic yet unparalleled piece that completely overturned my previous values with its exhilarating and refreshing impact. The sight of Toshiro Mifune, riding a bareback horse, gripping the hilt with both hands and swiftly slashing at the fleeing samurai without holding the reins, can be described as the most important cinematic experience for me.
At KusakuraShop, comrades who have been fascinated by martial arts, Japanese culture, and art gather, transcending nationality and diverse perspectives. We are constantly preparing to deliver high-quality products with love, promptly meeting the expectations of customers worldwide. I feel the excitement and joy every day in the sense of mission to deliver the expected products to customers around the world.
We will carefully deliver, imagining the joy when customers first hold them, and envisioning that the products we deliver will become an important part of everyone's lives.
With heartfelt sincerity.

Hi everyone
My name’s Rahel and I was born and raised in Switzerland.
I started practicing Aikido at a young age, and through it, I got in touch with the Japanese culture. My fascination for this country lead me to study Japanology and to spend one year as exchange student in Tokyo.
After graduating back home, I decided to return to Japan and dedicate some time to practice more intensively. That’s when I became part of the KuSakuraShop team, at the beginning mostly working at and later running our embroidery and customization workshop. Roughly five years later, I enrolled in university in Switzerland again to strike a new path.
However, I never stopped missing Japan and the work I did there, especially when I saw people wearing our Dogi, Hakama and belts somewhere on the mats abroad. (Yes, I couldn’t help secretly peeking at the embroideries to make sure the quality was up to my standards 😊). Hence, I return to this company to support the team, further develop the products and make sure you get the best service possible!

Hi everyone,
My name is Baptiste Roziere, I was born in 1991 in France.
As long as I can remember I have always been interested in japanese pop culture (music, video games, mangas, animes…). My affection for this country has increased with time while discovering other aspects of its culture; and I had the chance to visit it in 2018. The experience I got was even better than expected, since then, my objective was to live there.
I had the opportunity to join the Seido/KuSakuraShop team in the computer department following an interview and was able to move to Japan. I will make everything I can to honor the company, to the quality of the products and the values that are transmitted.

Hello,
My name is Alexander Venânçio. I’m of Portuguese origin, born in 1988 in Paris.
Having had a grandfather in the Navy, who traveled around Asia, I got in touch with Asian cultures at a young age and was mainly attracted to the Japanese culture, which is so different from ours.
This encouraged me to practice Judo for several years. Why Judo? you may ask. I've first started Judo because it is a very popular kid activity in France. Growing up, Judo values like Respect, Modesty, Self Control and Politeness really talked to me. For me, Respect is a great value. As a kid, I learned how to practice and fight with respect for my opponent. Practicing Judo was a very rewarding experience.
My passion for Japanese arts, be it drawing, music, or architecture, but also its history, made me engage in this culture, loving this country more and more. After many travels to different regions of Japan, I finally moved to Tokyo to live daily in the midst of this culture.
I got the chance to meet and work with a very dedicated team, retrieving the mentioned respect among the practitioners, and vis-à-vis the Japanese culture and its traditions.

Hello everybody!
I mostly execute the Dogi alterations (like cutting sleeves/trousers, sewing reinforcements on Hakama etc.) and accomplish embroideries. Experiencing the bubbly energy of my two little boys daily, I was looking for an activity for them. The spirit of Aikido, in which winning or losing isn't a matter of physical strength and proper etiquette is taught during practice, seemed to be a good option. I'll never forget my boys’ facial expressions, bursting with pride, when they put on their first Dogi: Jacket and pants, embroidered with their names, made just for them!
We have the latest embroidery and engraving machines so we can customize the equipment and have them delivered with almost no delay. It's very rare that we can actually meet our customers in person; nonetheless, we are putting our heart into making a unique Dogi, trying to satisfy everyone who opts for our high-quality products. If you stay somewhere close to our shop, don't hesitate to drop by, because we'd love to meet you.

Hi everyone!
My name is Nicolas Nothum, I was born in the north-east of France in 1984.
I always had a strong interest in Japanese culture and I first visited Japan in 2010. Since then, I had the chance to come back many times and finally decided to settle in Tokyo in 2014.
I got in touch with the team in early 2015 as a freelance photographer for their KuSakuraShop project and had the opportunity to work with them on diverse occasions. Now, I'm in charge of their digital media, I take care of everything related to video, photo and (almost) the entire visual content you see on our websites and YouTube page. I'm excited to be a member of this team and work on projects that will provide useful information about the Budo universe. I hope to offer content that catches your interest and piques your curiosity, content, that makes you want to see more. But above all, I want to highlight the amazing work the last Japanese traditional artisans do to create your equipment.
Be sure to stay updated and check our sites and social media regularly!

Hello!
Welcome to SeidoShop.
I was taught machine-sewing by my mother from a very young age, before I start studying both Western dressmaking and Japanese traditional clothing manufacturing at a specialized school.
In 2015, my son started Karate; it was the occasion for me to get interested in Budo and to discover Seido. Since I joined the Team, I cultivated my sewing techniques and of course also developed it further; being constantly in contact with the careful craftsmanship and the attention to details dear to Japan, I learn a lot myself.
From the workshop, I do not exchange much with customers, but I always keep in mind the contented smiles of those who occasionally dropped by the shop to get their Dogi while I’m working on customizing new items.

Hello everyone, and thank you for your interest in Seido.
Until now, I only had experience in the hospitality industry, but I joined the team where I work while learning embroidery and sewing, product care, inspection and packaging everyday.
Everything is new to me and the discovery of this new industry as well as the acquisition of new skills is exciting for me.
I hope that my work, combined to the quality of our products, will bring smiles to practitioners all over the world.