[April Dream] Aiming for a Future Where Every Closet Has One 'Kurume Kasuri' Garment
Okamoto Shoten shares its 'April Dream' vision to make the 200-year-old traditional Fukuoka craft 'Kurume Kasuri' an everyday apparel item in every home.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 22:51
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
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## Our Dream
We want to create a future where it is completely normal for every household's closet to have at least one Kurume Kasuri garment.
## About Us
Okamoto Shoten Co., Ltd. is a company that handles everything from product planning and manufacturing to wholesale and retail, primarily for apparel and fashion accessories, centered around 'Kurume Kasuri', an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan with a history of about 200 years.
We operate mainly through our in-house brands 'Giemon' (written as 儀右ヱ門, ギエモン, or Giemon), conducting wholesale, running 8 directly managed stores, an online store, and selling at special events.
## Kurume Kasuri and the Background of Our Dream
Kurume Kasuri is a woven fabric born in the Chikugo region in the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, and has been passed down for over 200 years.
The unique texture created by dyeing the threads first and weaving them according to a pattern has the characteristic of conforming to the skin the more it is worn, allowing it to be cherished for a long time.
(Reference: Kurume Kasuri Cooperative Association HP https://kurumekasuri.jp/about )
On the other hand, today, Kurume Kasuri is often perceived as 'something to wear on special occasions' or 'something for a limited group of people'.
The current reality is that it has not yet fully become something people can casually pick up and continue to wear in their daily lives.
## What We Are Working On Now
We want to create a future where it is completely normal for every household's closet to have at least one Kurume Kasuri garment.
## About Us
Okamoto Shoten Co., Ltd. is a company that handles everything from product planning and manufacturing to wholesale and retail, primarily for apparel and fashion accessories, centered around 'Kurume Kasuri', an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan with a history of about 200 years.
We operate mainly through our in-house brands 'Giemon' (written as 儀右ヱ門, ギエモン, or Giemon), conducting wholesale, running 8 directly managed stores, an online store, and selling at special events.
## Kurume Kasuri and the Background of Our Dream
Kurume Kasuri is a woven fabric born in the Chikugo region in the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, and has been passed down for over 200 years.
The unique texture created by dyeing the threads first and weaving them according to a pattern has the characteristic of conforming to the skin the more it is worn, allowing it to be cherished for a long time.
(Reference: Kurume Kasuri Cooperative Association HP https://kurumekasuri.jp/about )
On the other hand, today, Kurume Kasuri is often perceived as 'something to wear on special occasions' or 'something for a limited group of people'.
The current reality is that it has not yet fully become something people can casually pick up and continue to wear in their daily lives.
## What We Are Working On Now