Shokodo is a long-established general martial arts equipment store founded in 1934. They have recently released a collaborative product with Phiten, a company beloved by top athletes worldwide. How did Shokodo come to develop this collaborative product? We interviewed Phiten to find out what went on behind the scenes of product development. (May 2017)

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Representative Director Takahito Matsumoto

Background of the company's founding

-Please tell us the background behind the founding of your company. President: "My grandfather was a craftsman at Matsukan Kogyo before going independent. I'm the third generation." —Is Matsukan Kogyo the original company? President : "That's right. He went on to set up his own business. My grandfather was born in the Meiji era and was a craftsman at Matsukan. He asked for the daughter of the family and married her, and then he set up his own business. He married the daughter of the main family and set up his own business." -I see. Where is your current manufacturing base? President : "We're currently based in China. Previously, we had our headquarters in Shibuya and a manufacturing base in Akita Prefecture. I grew up surrounded by craftsmen as a child and even went on company trips. We opened a factory in Akita Prefecture and operated it for about 30 years." -Before you set up your factory in Akita, were you manufacturing here (at the Shibuya main store)? President : "It's now a warehouse, but we used to manufacture our products in Honmachi, Shibuya Ward. That area is part of Shibuya's downtown area, and there are many craftsmen there." —Honmachi is a town of artisans. Are there still many artisans there? President : "There are still a lot of them today. There used to be a lot of craftsmen and subcontractors, such as string makers. There aren't any subcontractors anymore, but there are still a lot of carpenters and other craftsmen." —When did you move your manufacturing base to China? President : "It's been about 15 years. The factory is managed by a Korean who studied in Japan." --Korea is also a kendo powerhouse, with an estimated 500,000 kendo-holders. Is kendo still popular in Korea? President : "It may be that the popularity is declining compared to before. Many martial arts equipment stores have gone out of business. There used to be five or six martial arts equipment stores around the big athletics stadiums in Korea, but now there's maybe one left." --It is said that there are 1.7 million dan-ranked players in Japan, but we don't know the actual number.

All Japan Budo Equipment Cooperative Association

- President Matsumoto, you also serve as the chairman of the All Japan Budo Equipment Cooperative. Specifically, what is the purpose of this organization and what was the trigger for its establishment? President: "The predecessor of our organization is the All Japan Budo Equipment Association. It was founded in 1968 with the aim of developing martial arts, improving the status of the industry, and promoting friendship among members." —Did it start with the idea of ​​exchanging information? President : "That's right. We've been putting our efforts into promoting martial arts, but as a voluntary organization, we've found that our petitions to government agencies have been ignored. So we decided to incorporate, and about 10 years ago we formed a cooperative." What is the current main purpose of the operation? President : "Our main goal right now is safety. About 10 years ago, poor quality shinai, such as those that were too tapered or had splintered edges, started to appear on the market. We realized this was unacceptable, so we created the "SSP" standard. Safety is our number one priority." —Now that standards for bamboo swords have been established, will standards be created for protective gear as well? President: "There are standards." - I sometimes hear stories of people injuring their fingers when using gloves that don't contain much deer hair or cotton. Do such gloves still meet the standards? President : "It doesn't go into that much detail. The All Japan Kendo Federation (hereafter ANKF) does have a Medical Science Committee. One person from the union's Martial Arts Equipment Safety Promotion Office is present, and they are currently seeing issues with the elbows of the kote and the men's cushions being extremely short. This is dangerous, so they are working to standardize them. I think they will start with the kote, setting a minimum size of a certain number of centimeters." —Are short futons in fashion? President: "Because the striking part is short." —So because the striking part is short, it's difficult to score a point. President : "We are also working with the International Kendo Federation to spread kendo internationally. The All Japan Kendo Federation stores protective gear that is no longer in use at dojos across the country. The union brings craftsmen to the warehouse once a year and repairs anything that can be repaired on the spot. The All Japan Kendo Federation purchases the new armor, so we send both new and good second-hand items overseas." -So you're saying that it lowers the barrier to entry for people overseas. President : "There are people overseas who don't own protective gear. The International Kendo Federation invites 50 to 60 leading athletes from each country to the Gedatsu Dojo in Kitamoto, Saitama Prefecture, once a year in July for training. We bring our craftsmen with us and teach them simple repair methods over two days." Do you teach the players? President : "That's right. They can't do it on the spot, so we teach them simple first aid. The instructors learn it and then go home and teach it to the next generation." —So national team players from each country will be spreading the word. President : "We are also active at the world championships, which are held once every three years. We bring craftsmen from the union to repair the players' protective gear." —Do you repair the national team players' protective gear on the spot? President: "Yes, right there." --That's amazing. The national team players must be very impressed. President : "We can't let it interfere with the match, so it's quite difficult to replace the entire glove. So we do simple repairs, such as replacing the breast leather on the body and the strings." —So one of your goals is to promote kendo. President : "We also hold events at the Kyoto tournament. The All Japan Kendo Federation provides us with a booth every year, and this year we sent a shinai craftsman to give a shinai demonstration. We are raising awareness by demonstrating the work involved in carving and preparing the bamboo on the spot." -Your activities are quite diverse. President : "We're doing a lot of different things (laughs)"

Phiten product development background

—Please tell us about the background to the development of the collaborative products with Phiten. President : "I'm a big fan of Phiten. What's great about Phiten is that they only use loyal users of their products in their advertising. Top athletes use Phiten products themselves, so we ask them to use them. That's a great thing about a company." —What do you think of the swordsmen wearing the Phiten uniform? President : "They say it can withstand long training sessions, and also that it helps your arms move forward better. My Iai master also says that when you wear a juban, your arms move forward more smoothly." —Even Iai masters can wear it. President : "Many iaido practitioners use knee protectors along with their undergarments. As for kendo uniforms, the executive director of the dojo federation said, 'This stuff doesn't work, but people still wear it.' Does that mean it's effective, Sensei? (laughs)" —You don't want to admit it (laughs). The president said, "I see, you just have to choose something." By the way, it took two years to create this lining." —So it was after much trial and error that it was finally released. President : "Synthetic fibers tend to stick to your body, don't they? If they become difficult to wear, it's all for nothing, so we worked hard to prevent that. We also felt it was our company's duty to use genuine indigo dye and to focus on creating garments with texture and softness." -Please tell us about the two years of development. Did you have Phiten make a prototype and then have the president try it on? Did you go through this process several times? President : "That's right. We also had customers who practice a lot try it out and gave us feedback. Appearance is also important, so we decided to go with silver." -It seems you worked hard to ensure both effectiveness and comfort. What prompted you to develop it? President : "It was a coincidence that we met. I've had neck problems for a while, so I've been using Phiten products regularly. Phiten's headquarters are in Kyoto, and they always come to the Kyoto convention. We presented our product at the Kyoto convention four years ago." —People overseas might especially appreciate it. President: "We just can't communicate (laughs)" —We'll do our best to sell it. President: "Then please come and interview us in Kyoto."

And to the Kyoto Tournament

Phiten, Mr. Yoshimune

-You are also working with Shokodo on the merchandise sales. Yoshimune : "That's right. It's basically a collaboration, so we sometimes come to promote our products. We also sell our own products, not just kendo products." - Phiten is known for its baseball and golf, but kendo is a relatively minor martial art. What made you decide to get involved in it? Yoshimune : "Many of our products are equipped with Phiten technology, which has the effect of helping to relax the mind and body, so they can be used in any sport. Our advantage is that our products can be used in all sports, whether major or minor. Our company's concept is to spread Phiten in a variety of areas, without being limited to any particular sport or martial art." -Is your company's strength the technological ability to dissolve titanium in water? Yoshimune: "It's a technology called Aqua Titanium." —Please tell me more. Yoshimune : "Not just titanium, but Phiten's technology allows us to dissolve a variety of metals in water. We use different metals depending on the characteristics of the product. The most popular material is Aqua Titanium, which is a unique technology. It is used in a variety of places." -You have also obtained many patents. Yoshimune : "We have patented a technology that dissolves not only titanium but various other metals in water." -You have many overseas branches, but does Japan still account for the largest proportion of your sales? Yoshimune : "Yes, the overwhelming majority of sales are domestic. Even overseas, where we have bases, we are seeing sales. Many Asian people buy our products when they visit Japan." -You also have directly managed stores. Are they available overseas? Yoshimune : "We sell our products overseas through our own stores and distributors, but most of our sales are in Japan." I read an interview with your company's president and was surprised to see that he wanted to increase sales in his renovation and living space creation businesses. So you're also developing businesses related to housing. Yoshimune : "We're applying it to the walls as a kind of renovation. Our Phiten rooms are fully equipped with Phiten technology, including the walls, water, and bath water." -When you say Phiten is used in water, does that mean that titanium is dissolved in all the water that flows through it? Yoshimune : "That's right. There are various types of water, such as Aqua Gold, which has gold dissolved in it. It's like a water purifier, and the water passes through a filter equipped with Phiten technology during the filtering process, turning the purified water into Phiten water." —Can't it be dissolved into wallpaper? Yoshimune : "I think it was something like adding it to paint or spraying it on." Is the purpose to create a relaxing effect? Yoshimune : "That's right. We promote everything related to food, clothing, and shelter. Phiten supports the health of everyone with the slogan 'Everything for the sake of health.'" -I read an article that said professional baseball players were wearing Phiten and it became really popular. Yoshimune : "That's right. There were a lot of baseball players from the beginning."

Phiten × About the product

-I heard it took about two years to develop the judo uniform. Was it difficult to apply your company's technology? Yoshimune : "We provide the materials. For example, we have regular supporters, but they are not specialized for kendo. We took that into consideration and tailored them to suit kendo, which took time. It's not that our technology doesn't suit any sport, but rather that it takes time to create a product that is tailored to the people we collaborate with." —How long have Phiten and Shokodo been making kendo products together? Yoshimune : "About four years." -How do sales compare to your expectations? Yoshimune : "That's right. Until now, we weren't well known in the kendo world, but awareness of our uniforms, hakama, and supporter products is increasing. We participate in the Kyoto tournament every year, and last year we had people come and buy things. Not only are our sales increasing, but awareness is also increasing." Yoshimune: "The lining of this uniform is made of Aqua Titanium material." —Is this the silver part? Yoshimune : "That's right. For example, with tape, you relax mainly in the area where it's applied, but with a judo uniform, the tape is applied all over the body, so the effect of Aqua Titanium is felt all over. The more surface area that comes into contact with the body, the greater the relaxing effect, so it's a product that is very easy to feel the effects of. As you mentioned, we discussed the comfort, weight, and material feel with Shokodo when creating it." - Shokodo provided the martial arts expertise. Yoshimune : "Since we don't have any kendo or iaido techniques, we talk to Shokodo about the products we make. As we are a manufacturer of health and sports products, it's difficult to hear the detailed opinions of our customers, but Shokodo picks them up. We will continue to work with Shokodo to develop products that will please kendo practitioners." -It seems that this product is a condensed version of the knowledge of both parties. Thank you for your time today. Click here to see the product page of Shokodo, the company we interviewed this time! interviewer ◎Bushizo Co., Ltd. Representative Director: Go Uejima Born in Sendai in 1987. While in the Sendai High School Kendo Club, he studied under Mitsunobu Sato and made it to the top eight of the Inter-High School Championships. After graduating from university, he worked as the business development manager for a restaurant chain with 200 stores across the U.S. He worked in sales at a foreign internet advertising company and as the head of the sales department and president's office at Innova Co., Ltd., before founding Bushizo Inc. in January 2017. ◎Bushizo Co., Ltd. Director Yusuke Kudo Born in Hokkaido in 1984. Graduated from Rikkyo University's Faculty of Law. While in school, he launched a free magazine and provided marketing support for an apparel brand. In 2008, he joined Yahoo Japan Corporation, where he worked in sales of advertising products such as search advertising and display advertising. In January 2017, he founded Bushizo Inc. He began practicing kendo at the age of six and continues to practice it to this day.