"I Want to Make My Own Brush" – Global Makeup Brush Enthusiasts Place Custom Orders with Takeda Brush in Kumano, Hiroshima. Overseas Sales Ratio to Exceed 50%.

One-of-a-kind custom-made makeup brushes created together with the customer.

Takeda Brush Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kumano Town, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture; President: Yasuhiro Takeda), a specialized makeup brush manufacturer in Kumano Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, has announced that its overseas sales ratio is expected to reach 50% by the fiscal year ending May 2026, against the backdrop of an expanding global makeup brush collector market.

While synthetic fibers have become mainstream in the makeup brush industry, the company continues to focus on small-batch, integrated production that maximizes the unique characteristics of natural hair. In recent years, the company has been receiving custom orders from overseas enthusiasts for individual brushes. In handling these custom orders, the president himself directly communicates with customers via email in English, a unique system that has spread by word-of-mouth through social media and overseas communities as an experience where "you can make your ideal a reality" and "an experience you can't get anywhere else."

The company positions the acceptance of custom orders as part of its development efforts to explore new possibilities for makeup brushes. Going forward, the company will continue to create makeup brushes that prioritize quality and functionality as tools, based on the experience and skills of its craftsmen, without being swayed by trends or efficiency.

▼ Takeda Brush Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Official Website

Why Natural Hair is Gaining Attention in a Market Dominated by Synthetic Fibers

In recent years, synthetic fibers (artificial hair) have become mainstream in the makeup brush industry. Due to the soaring cost and difficulty of obtaining animal hair, as well as the stable quality and supply of synthetic fibers, many cosmetics manufacturers have shifted to synthetic brushes. Even among well-known cosmetics brands, the number of products using natural hair has drastically decreased. Even in Kumano, Japan's largest production area for makeup brushes, demand for synthetic fiber brushes has been increasing in recent years due to changes in the cosmetics market.

Amidst this situation, Takeda Brush has consistently continued to make makeup brushes that focus on natural hair. Natural hair is a material rich in individuality, with variations in thickness, stiffness, tip strength, balance, curl, and the ability to hold makeup. By leveraging these unique characteristics, it is possible to achieve gradient expressions, delicate control, and a wider range of textures and colors in makeup finishes.

However, handling natural hair requires a keen eye based on experience and a great deal of effort. Takeda Brush has developed its own manufacturing methods and continues to create products that maximize the performance unique to natural hair.

Various shapes of eyeshadow brushes that leverage the individuality of raw hair

Trends in Overseas Sales Ratio and Trading Partners

The company's overseas sales have been steadily increasing. Although they once dropped to 14.8% of total sales in the fiscal year ending May 2024, they increased significantly to 30.5% in the fiscal year ending May 2025. Furthermore, they are expected to reach 50.6% in the fiscal year ending May 2026, meaning overseas sales will account for more than half of total sales. Total sales are growing, boosted by overseas sales, and the demand structure has shifted from being domestic-centric to targeting overseas wealthy individuals.

Customers are spread across the world, primarily in the United States, Europe, and Asia, as well as the Middle East and Australia. These orders are not just for standard products but are mainly custom orders specifying the type and shape of hair, placed directly by individual customers and resellers.

The Background Behind the Support for "Custom Orders from a Single Brush" Among Overseas Enthusiasts

There is a collector market for makeup brushes overseas, and in recent years, attention has been particularly focused on Japanese natural hair makeup brushes. Enthusiasts seek rare raw hairs, unique shapes, and highly decorative handles such as those with maki-e (Japanese lacquer with gold powder), and actively exchange information on overseas communities and social media. There are also resellers who focus on the Japanese makeup brush market and sell them worldwide.

Amidst these trends, word spread that Takeda Brush accepts custom orders from a single brush, leading to requests for original makeup brush production from all over the world.

The number of foreign visitors to the annual Fude Matsuri (Brush Festival) in Kumano, Hiroshima, is increasing year by year (as seen in 2025).

Although the total cost, including custom fees and international shipping, can be high, the company is frequently mentioned as having "outstanding quality," being "indispensable for collections," and being "a brand I want to order a custom brush from someday." Among them, there are many customers who order makeup brushes costing over 200,000 yen each, and enthusiasts who collect them in dozens. Furthermore, an increasing number of custom orders include a specification to engrave the logo and the kanji characters "竹田" (Takeda) on the handle, so that the product can be identified as a Takeda Brush. This spread naturally through images posted by overseas enthusiasts on social media.

For overseas users, it seems rare to find a manufacturer that allows them to specify the type, shape, and purpose of the brush hair in detail, and we hear comments like "Being able to realize my ideas is like magic."

On social media, users from around the world actively post about their makeup brush collections, sharing custom examples.

An example of a popular custom order with the logo and kanji "竹田" engraved on the handle. An order from a renowned makeup artist based in Paris.

Examples of custom orders. Examples of custom orders. Some custom orders cost over 200,000 yen each.

"Direct Line to the President" Dialogue and Integrated Production System

The number of custom orders from overseas is increasing year by year. This is partly because there are almost no other makeup brush manufacturers that can handle custom orders from a single brush. Takeda Brush does not have an overseas EC site or official distributors; instead, the president, who has the authority to decide specifications, handles all overseas orders directly. They typically manage consultations with around five overseas customers simultaneously. While this system is not necessarily efficient, it is also the reason they can respond to individual requests in detail.

President Yasuhiro Takeda (Third-generation president)

Communication is mainly conducted via email in English. Since how specifically they can share the image of the brush's shape and feel greatly affects customer satisfaction, the president himself proposes shapes close to the customer's wishes and finalizes the specifications, taking into account the characteristics of the raw hair, the diameter of the handle and ferrule, and the structure.

Customers often make requests based on a sensory image they have in their minds, but sometimes these requests involve shapes unsuitable for the characteristics of the raw hair, impractical designs, or unreasonable precision. In such cases, the company explains why it is difficult to achieve based on the properties and structure of the raw hair, and then adjusts the specifications to a more realistic form.

The Flow of Custom Order Production

Adjustments require conveying subtle nuances in English, demanding highly accurate communication. There are cases where adjustments become difficult because the customer's ideal cannot be reconciled with the characteristics of the raw hair or practicality. In such cases, the company carefully explains the background and constraints of the specifications to gain understanding. Through this process, the very experience of creating a single makeup brush together with the customer leads to the value and satisfaction of the custom product. There are also customers who, after repeated communication to finalize specifications and even after receiving a quote, cancel the order or simply stop contacting the company. This process requires time, effort, and courage, so the company believes that respect and understanding for the maker are essential.

Takeda Brush's Production System

In Kumano, Japan's largest brush production area, a production system based on division of labor has developed. The ability to achieve efficient, high-quality mass production under a wholesaler system has supported the current scale and market share of the production area. Even in the field of makeup brushes, efficient production through division of labor, mainly OEM manufacturing for major cosmetics companies, has become the mainstream.