I saw a video ad for LET'S Kendo, "You can wash your armor!" "Aren't you going to wash your armor?" I'm sure many readers have this phrase stuck in their heads. Musashibo Kensen ( http://bougu-kensen.com/ ) , a cleaning service specializing in kendo equipment, is a leader in the kendo equipment cleaning industry, having handled 750 cleaning requests and 1,875 items in the past year. This time, we spoke to Kensen's President Tsuyuki about what prompted him to start cleaning kendo equipment and his future plans. *For armor cleaning, click here.

profile

Daibutsu Co., Ltd. President and CEO: Tsuyuki Kanya In 1996, he established Daibutsu Limited Company and became its representative director. Daibutsu Cleaning operates six stores, mainly in Musashino City, and plans to expand to 10 stores by April 2018. With the mission of "increasing the number of kendo practitioners," he started "Musashibo Kensen," a cleaning service specializing in kendo equipment. He is applying the knowledge he gained at a clothing dry cleaner to cleaning kendo equipment. He plans to develop a detergent specifically for kendo equipment within this year. He is a kendo instructor with a 7th dan rank.

LET'S KENDO commercial

-The video advertisement that was shown in LET'S KENDO was very impressive! Tsuyuki : First of all, I thought it was important to make people remember me . I thought maybe I was being too silly, but it was well received (laughs). It makes me happy that the kids are imitating me." -I think many people learned about Kensen through that video ad. Tsuyuki : "We're working on a sequel, so I hope you'll look forward to it."

What made me start cleaning kendo armor?

-Can you tell us about your background? Tsuyuki : After graduating from high school, I joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. I was discharged in my early twenties and took over the family dry cleaning business. I continued practicing kendo until I was about 24, but then I took a break from it for 18 years." -What was the reason for leaving Kendo for 18 years? Tsuyuki : " I mistakenly thought that speed and strength were everything in kendo . When my child started kendo, I decided to take it up again myself. I found the mental battles very fascinating. From then on, I became addicted to kendo." -You operate six clothing dry cleaning stores called " Daibutsu Cleaning . " Is clothing dry cleaning your main business? Tsuyuki : "That's right. We plan to expand to 10 stores by next month. Kensen is a business division run by me alone. I'm the only one in charge of washing and shipping." Image source: Daibutsu Cleaning homepage ( http://www.dai929.com/index.html ) -So you run the company all by yourself, President Tsuyuki! That's surprising. Tsuyuki : "Basically it's just me. I also have to think about promotion, so it's tough (laughs)." -Why did you start cleaning kendo equipment? Tsuyuki : "I think there are quite a few people who quit kendo because their armor smells bad . It's especially bothersome when you're young because you want to be popular. It's frustrating to think that the important kendo population is declining because of this. So, I thought I would step up as someone with knowledge of cleaning. I wanted to make cleaning kendo equipment a part of our culture ." -I think this is very meaningful. What does it mean to "make cleaning kendo equipment a part of our culture"? Tsuyuki : “In the past, there was no concept of washing kendo equipment . I want to make it a normal thing to do. Clean armor will help you concentrate on your practice, and your parents won't be put off by the smell. After I started kendo again, my wife started pointing out to my son and me, "You guys stink!" (laughs). I work at a dry cleaner's, so I started washing protective gear through my own trial and error process." -So it was your wife's comment that started it all. Tsuyuki : "I was washing my own and my son's protective gear, and someone told me, 'You're a dry cleaner, you should get a job!' (laughs) I thought that was a good idea, so I started washing the protective gear of my acquaintances." Image source: Musashibo Kensen *Click here for armor cleaning!

Pride as a professional cleaner

-Will washing your kendo equipment cause any damage? Tsuyuki : "Unless you rub a specific area roughly, it won't hurt. It will fade a little, though. The knowledge gained from cleaning comes in handy when it comes to reducing or eliminating fading. There are many different types of detergents, so we have to devise the right combinations. Amateurs can't do it." - Will washing kendo equipment help it last longer? Tsuyuki : There is a famous professor in the cleaning industry named Professor Mouri. He conducted an experiment using socks. The experiment was to see which socks would develop holes first: socks worn every day, or socks worn every day and then washed. The answer was that the socks worn every day developed holes first . -Why is that? Tsuyuki : "Sebum, sand, and dust get on the fibers, right? This dirt increases frictional resistance and damages the fibers. The more frequently you wash it, the less dirt there is. The less friction there is." -I see. So Professor Mouri's know-how is also being put to good use in cleaning armor! Tsuyuki : "He's still very much alive. I still get his advice. It's very difficult to keep indigo from fading. We are accumulating know-how while borrowing the wisdom of Professor Mouri." -That's something that other companies can't imitate. Tsuyuki : "When I'm curious about something, I want to ask an expert. I've traveled around the country to indigo dyeing factories, including Bushu (Saitama), Enshu (Shizuoka), and Awa Ai (Tokushima). There are so many things to learn, from the ingredients of indigo to the dyeing process." Image source: Musashibo Kensen -President Tsuyuki, you seem to be very enthusiastic about research. Tsuyuki : "The raw materials may be the same, but the color of indigo dye can be completely different depending on where it's dyed. I couldn't help but wonder about that, so I went to see it for myself. The craftsmen found it annoying, though (laughs)." -Did you notice anything when talking with the indigo dye artisans? Tsuyuki : "There are ways to prevent the indigo from fading, but they said they didn't want to change the process or dye more than necessary. We also realized that we need to work from the perspective of how to preserve the traditional Bushu indigo dyeing technique ." -If an amateur washes the armor, it seems like it will lose its original texture. Is it better not to wash your own kendo equipment? Tsuyuki : "That's not true. However, I think it's important to be careful about how you wash your equipment and the detergent you use. We're currently developing a detergent specifically for cleaning kendo equipment, and hope to make it available to the general public someday. If you're concerned about color fading, we'd be happy if you would have your equipment cleaned at Kensen." *Kendo armor detergent sample currently under development

Future outlook

Tsuyuki : " The idea is to make cleaning kendo equipment a part of our culture . People can either send their equipment to a kendo cleaning center or clean it themselves. I want to make cleaning kendo equipment a normal part of life. It would be the greatest joy if our activities could bear fruit and contribute to increasing the number of people practicing kendo. " —Thank you for today!

BUSHIZO's thoughts

I think it's wonderful that you want to contribute to the kendo industry by cleaning kendo equipment. I had a tendency to think that it was okay to hang out my kendo equipment outside to dry, but I realized that cleaning is a useful way to take good care of your armor and use it for a long time. Why not try Kensen, where you can have your kendo equipment cleaned by professional cleaner President Tsuyuki himself? Cleaning your armor is here!