KYOHO

What KYOHO does

KYOHO (株式会社京朋) is a privately held Japanese kimono and textile company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, that designs, manufactures, and sells traditional and contemporary furisode, obi, and related accessories. Formally re-established as a new corporate entity in September 2017, the company operates across an integrated stack combining in-house design, multi-technique dyeing production, brand management, and physical retail. Its manufacturing capability rests on traditional Japanese techniques — suminagashi (墨流し), hand-block printing (摺染), brush-dyeing (引き染め), stencil-dyeing (型染め), yuzen resist-dyeing (友禅), inkjet printing, and roketsu dyeing — supported by two wholly-owned production units: the Narutaki Creative Center (a renovated dyeing factory reopened in May 2019) and the inherited Sonobe Dyeing Division (薗部染工事業部), which holds archives of suminagashi work and provides OEM services.

The company's commercial model runs through three GTM motions operating in parallel: event-driven wholesale via recurring seasonal exhibitions (新朋展, March and September), channel-partner distribution via department stores such as Isetan Shinjuku and trading companies such as Fukuwa Shoji, and direct-to-consumer via the Kyoto-headquartered showroom (3F/4F) plus the consumer-facing WANOCA (わのか) salon brand. Revenue is generated across four streams: kimono and textile product sales (B2B wholesale to kimono retailers plus B2C direct), exhibition and event sales, brand licensing and collaboration products with named artists, and suminagashi experience services.

KYOHO manages a portfolio of more than ten proprietary kimono brands spanning a premium-to-accessible price ladder — anchored by the silk 'fururu' furisode line and '華彩' (Hanairo) synthetic-fiber line both produced with ikebana master Kariyazaki Shogo (仮屋崎省吾), and the contemporary '水玉椿' line designed with painter Kato Miki (加藤美紀). Other brands include てふてふ, ひいな, GLAMOUS, 華乱, こいこまち, Petit Buran, SIA, LiLiCA, hanriette, Kotona, and Hafuri. KYOHO also operates the WANOCA salon to promote kimono culture to broader audiences, hosts annual '納めの市' exhibitions, partners with Kyoto University of the Arts on student design programs, and participates in cultural events such as the Nijō Castle Cherry Blossom Festival and the World Land Exhibition at Tokyo Dome. Primary customer segments are women seeking formal kimono for coming-of-age ceremonies, weddings, and graduation; B2B kimono retailers; and cultural tourism visitors.

Name

KYOHO

Legal name

株式会社京朋

Website

https://kimono-kyoho.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KYOHO (株式会社京朋) is a Kyoto-based Japanese kimono company that designs, manufactures, and sells traditional and contemporary furisode across proprietary brands like fururu, 華彩, and 水玉椿. It serves B2B kimono retailers via seasonal exhibitions and B2C consumers through its Kyoto showroom, department stores, and cultural experience workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Kimono and Textile Product Sales: KYOHO designs, manufactures, and sells kimono (着物), formal furisode (振袖), casual kimono, obi (帯), and accessories through its own showroom, exhibition events, and wholesale channels. Revenue is generated from both retail sales to end consumers and wholesale distribution to other kimono retailers.
2. Exhibition and Event Revenue: The company organizes and hosts seasonal exhibition events (新朋展, 3月展) at its headquarters and external venues in Tokyo, where new products are presented to wholesale buyers. These events also serve as retail venues.
3. Brand Licensing and Collaboration Products: KYOHO collaborates with artists (e.g., 加藤美紀, 假屋崎省吾) and licenses intellectual property (e.g., 竹久夢二 designs) to create exclusive kimono brands, generating revenue through product sales under these licensed arrangements.
4. Suminagashi Experience Services: KYOHO offers suminagashi (ink marbling) experience workshops and demonstrations at the Narutaki Creative Center and at external venues (e.g., 手塚治虫記念館), generating service revenue and serving as brand awareness and customer engagement activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KYOHO plans, manufactures, and sells dyed and woven kimono products in Kyoto, Japan. It operates a portfolio of over 10 proprietary furisode and kimono brands—including artist collaborations—alongside its own dyeing production divisions, selling through exhibitions, its showroom, and wholesale to kimono retailers.

Product overview

KYOHO is a traditional Japanese kimono company based in Kyoto that operates a multi-brand portfolio alongside manufacturing and creative facilities. The core business includes original furisode brands (てふてふ, GLAMOUS, ひいな, 華乱, Kotona, はふり, Petit Buran, こいこまち, SIA, LiLiCA, hanriette) and collaboration brands with prominent artists (水玉椿 with Kato Miki, fururu and 華彩 with Kariyazaki Shogo). Supporting operations include the 鳴滝クリエイティブセンター for traditional dyeing production and the 薗部染工事业部 for suminagashi techniques, while わのか salon extends reach to broader audiences. The company positions itself as connecting Kyoto's traditional craft heritage with contemporary design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• fururu: Real silk furisode brand produced in collaboration with ikebana master Kariyazaki Shogo, featuring elaborate floral designs with peony, cherry blossom, chrysanthemum, wisteria, maple, camellia, and bellflower motifs.
• 華彩 (Hanairo)
• てふてふ (Tefutefu)
• ひいな (Hiina)
• こいこまち
• Kotona
• はふり (Hafuri)
• Petit Buran
• 華乱 (Oiran)
• GLAMOUS
• 水玉椿 (Mizutama Tsubaki)
• わのか (Wanoka)

Products and services

• fururu A premium real-silk (正絹) furisode (long-sleeved formal kimono) brand produced in collaboration with ikebana master Kariyazaki Shogo, featuring elaborate floral designs. Aimed at young women for coming-of-age and formal occasions.
• 華彩 (Hanairo) A second-line synthetic-fiber furisode brand under Kariyazaki Shogo's supervision, targeting younger customers with vibrant, pop, and more accessible designs.
• 水玉椿 (Mizutama Tsubaki) A collaboration kimono brand created with contemporary painter Kato Miki, featuring polka-dot and camellia patterns inspired by Taisho-era aesthetics. Featured at Isetan Shinjuku.
• てふてふ (Tefutefu) A furisode brand combining cute classical patterns with current trend colors, pursuing elegant classical beauty.
• GLAMOUS A cool, mature furisode brand incorporating Japanese aesthetic elements.
• ひいな (Hiina) A long-selling furisode brand featuring elegant, gorgeous, substantial classical patterns; regarded as a 'king of classical styles.'
• 華乱 (Oiran) An energetic furisode brand featuring large classical patterns with eye-catching, vivid colors.
• Kotona A kimono brand under the KYOHO portfolio.
• ふふり (Hafuri) A kimono brand under the KYOHO portfolio.
• Petit Buran A kimono brand under the KYOHO portfolio.
• こいこまち (Koikomachi) An original kimono brand born in Koiyama-cho, Kyoto, at the foot of Nishiki Market.
• SIA ~紫彩~ A gold-colored (金彩) furisode brand featuring purple and colorful designs.
• LiLiCA A furisode brand under the KYOHO portfolio.
• hanriette A furisode brand under the KYOHO portfolio.
• 薗部染工事業部 (Sonobe Dyeing Division) — OEM Dyeing Services A dyeing production division that inherited operations from Sonobe, specializing in suminagashi (floating-ink) dyeing and offering OEM/contract dyeing services to partners and other manufacturers.
• Suminagashi Experience Workshops Hands-on ink-marbling (suminagashi) experience workshops and demonstrations offered at the Narutaki Creative Center and external venues such as the Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum, aimed at cultural-tourism and experience seekers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Collaboration with over 10 prominent artists and craftsmen including 假屋崎省吾 (華道家), 加藤美紀 (美人画画家), multiple dyeing masters
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 伊勢丹新宿店 (Isetan Shinjuku)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 July 2021KYOHO's 水玉椿 brand obi (sashes) were sold through the '大正ロマン百貨店 DX' event held at Isetan Shinjuku's main building 6F exhibition space and online store. This partnership provided retail distribution and brand visibility through a major Tokyo department store.
• 手塚治虫記念館 (Osamu Tezuka Memorial Museum)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2018KYOHO conducts suminagashi (ink marbling) experience workshops and demonstrations at the 手塚治虫記念館 in Takarazuka. The museum hosts regular events where KYOHO's master artisan (藤本先生) demonstrates the traditional technique and visitors create their own hand towels.
• 福和商事株式会社 (Fukuwa Shoji Co., Ltd.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor福和商事 hosts KYOHO's regular Tokyo exhibitions (新朋展) at their NF Building venue in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. This is an ongoing, recurring partnership for the company's primary Tokyo B2B sales channel.
• 加藤美紀 (Miki Kato)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary female painter (美人画) who co-created the 水玉椿 (Mizutama Tsubaki) kimono brand with KYOHO. Kato designs the textile patterns for the brand, bringing her art into traditional kimono. The collaboration includes designs such as MIZUTAMA, HIKARI, and KOKORO. The brand was featured at Isetan Shinjuku and gained media coverage in Japaaan magazine.
• 假屋崎省吾 (Shogo Kariyazaki)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster ikebana artist (華道家) who produces exclusive kimono brands for KYOHO, including the premium 正絹 furisode brand 'fururu' and the second-line synthetic furisode brand '華彩'. Kariyazaki's 35th anniversary was commemorated with special exhibitions at multiple venues including Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi and グランド・エンパイア・ホテル福岡. KYOHO also co-sponsored the '華道歴35周年 假屋崎省吾の世界展'.
• 京都芸術大学 キャラクターデザイン学科 (Kyoto University of the Arts, Character Design Dept.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year collaboration where students design furisode and hanhaba-obi patterns, with winning designs displayed at KYOHO's special exhibition venue. The program aims to attract young talent to the kimono industry. In 2024, 16 students from 2nd and 3rd year participated in the competition.
• 丸池藤井株式会社 (Maruike Fujii Co., Ltd.)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKYOHO holds exhibitions at 丸池藤井ビル (Maruike Fujii Building) in Kyoto for events including 新朋展 and 3月展. The venue at 山伏山町540 serves as a recurring external exhibition space for the company's major product launches.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Yamato (やまと): Major nationwide kimono specialty retailer with a multi-brand portfolio serving formal and casual segments. Comparable to KYOHO on multi-brand portfolio breadth and kimono retail distribution, but operates at much larger scale via store networks rather than KYOHO's exhibition-led model.
• Ichikura Holdings / ICHIKO (一蔵): Listed kimono retail chain operating ICHIKO and other kimono brands across Japan. Comparable to KYOHO on multi-brand kimono positioning and furisode focus, but distributes through retail chain storefronts at national scale versus KYOHO's regional exhibition GTM.
• Ginza Kinuya (銀座きぬや): Long-established Tokyo kimono specialty retailer known for premium furisode and formal kimono. Comparable to KYOHO on premium furisode carry and Tokyo B2B/wholesale reach, though with a single-store legacy retail format rather than KYOHO's diversified multi-brand house structure.
• Sagami Holdings (さが美): Kimono retail operator with multi-brand kimono portfolio and B2B distribution across Japan. Comparable to KYOHO on multi-brand kimono business and B2B exhibition/wholesale channels, but at broader retail-chain scale.

Direct peers

• Ra Koubou (羅工房): Kyoto-based traditional textile atelier specialized in classic obi and silk weaving using historical patterns. Comparable to KYOHO's artisan-led dye/weave craft, Kyoto manufacturing base, and creator-driven brand positioning.
• Chiso (千總): Long-established Kyoto kimono maker operating multiple in-house brands (Chiso, Chiso Boutique) anchored in traditional Kyoto craft. Highly comparable to KYOHO on multi-brand strategy, Kyoto base, traditional kimono dyeing expertise, and high-end furisode focus.
• Tatsumura Textile (立村織物): Kyoto-based textile maker renowned for KOMO yuzen and Nishijin-ori traditions. Comparable to KYOHO on Kyoto base, traditional craft focus, in-house production capability, and brand-led positioning around artisanal dyeing and weaving.
• Misono Orimono (御園織物): Kyoto-based traditional kimono textile maker with a long heritage of silk production. Comparable to KYOHO on Kyoto base, traditional kimono silk/textile craft, in-house manufacturing emphasis, and artist/artisan-anchored brand heritage.
• Chikusen (竺仙): Asakusa-based traditional Japanese dyed-kimono maker with deep artisan heritage (Edoma-style hand dyeing). Directly comparable to KYOHO's dyed/woven kimono manufacturing, multi-brand portfolio, and traditional dyeing expertise, though Tokyo-based rather than Kyoto.
• Shimagame (志ま亀): Kyoto furisode specialty maker with a long heritage of traditional designs. Comparable to KYOHO's core furisode category focus, multi-brand structure (king-of-classics positioning), and Kyoto craft-oriented production model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kimonowanoca
• Instagraminstagram.com/kimono_wanoca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KYOHO