SHOBIEN KYOTO Textile Director | Ritsumeikan University undergrad (business administration)
At seven, I began selling vintage clothing online. After entering Ritsumeikan University, I interned at Koto3D under a French CEO, then apprenticed at my family workshop, Shobien Kyoto. After a U.S. internship, I returned to Shobien in 2025 to lead its global expansion.
Conglomerate Born from Traditional Industry
Japan’s traditional industries are declining due to lifestyle shifts, shrinking markets, and a lack of successors. To sustain them, we must blend cultural essence with modern life through a new model that separates management and craftsmanship, empowering artisans’ creativity.
Born as the third-generation successor of Shobien Kyoto, a dyeing workshop preserving Japan’s oldest wax-resist technique, I’ve witnessed the decline of our craft. Believing that losing artisans means losing culture, I strive to transform the industry’s structure.
