Protecting Japan's Treasures: 4 Bridal Brands That Cherish Artisans♡

Things made by craftsmen might be expensive. Still, here are the reasons I want to buy them.

☑ Ethical consumption

☑ Environmentally conscious consumption

☑ Fair trade

This has been in the spotlight for some time now.

But.

In today's Japan, where mass production, mass consumption, and inexpensive imports from overseas dominate the market,

☑︎ Even if I hear “low profit and high volume is not good” or “let’s choose domestic products,” it’s still hard to relate...

☑︎ When someone says, “This is a product that insists on craftsmanship,” I don’t know if it holds value...

(If that’s the case, I’d rather buy something cheap...)

Many people probably feel this way.

When told, “It’s expensive because it’s handmade = it has value,” I think it’s the consumers who should determine its value, and it’s not something the producers should say?!

“Well, if machines can produce the same quality at a lower cost, then please do that! I want to save money!” kind of sentiment.

(I completely understand that line of thinking!!)

I used to think the same way: “If craftsmen are making it, it doesn’t matter. If similar items can be mass-produced cheaply, then aren’t machines the best?!”

However, I've recently come to realize that the existence of craftsmen and the products created by them are incredibly important for Japan. Let me explain why.

Protecting craftsmen = Protecting myself♡

First, I believe that protecting craftsmen means protecting Japan and the world, and ultimately, protecting one’s own life.

Because that is about “recognizing the way of working as a craftsman” and “acknowledging the lifestyle of a craftsman.”

The concept of diversity, where anyone can live happily, coincides with “protecting craftsmen.”

Someone who is skilled with their hands and was born in a town of textiles becomes a craftsman who weaves kimono.

Isn’t it fine if there are many such people on Earth?

If...

As mechanization progresses rapidly, and if only machine-made (foreign-made) products circulate...

Craftsmen won’t be able to survive, right...?!

The reason products like kimono, rings, and watches are expensive is that they incur labor costs.

Craftsmen create these items and sell them to make a living.

Humans are slower and incur more costs compared to machines.

(But that’s where their sensibility shines!)

Therefore, it’s only natural that products made by craftsmen will be more expensive compared to those made by machines.

Additionally, there is a principle that the fewer items available for sale, the higher their prices tend to be; so, if the products sold by craftsmen don’t sell, their unit price will continue to rise.

If you were a craftsman?

If sales are declining, it’s only natural to want to increase the revenue from each sale to make a living...

But if the price is too high, it won’t sell.

If it doesn’t sell, it can’t be produced.

Thus, the products made by craftsmen and the way of life of craftsmen will decrease due to machines... This is a global issue, not just in Japan.

It’s incredible to think that the impact of the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s is still affecting us today in the Reiwa era.

Four Bridal Companies that Value Craftsmen＊

At Marry, I would like to focus on items made by hand in workshops.

In this article, I will highlight companies that are committed to craftsmanship ♩ All of these are wonderful companies and brands, so let me introduce them to you♡

@nagisa_marry

① NAKATA HANGER

Nakata Hanger is the only wooden hanger specialty store in Japan. It is a popular brand for return gifts as well.

To maintain clothes in their best condition when they come home.

The wood is polished to avoid damaging the fabric, and the curves are calculated to prevent distortion. The three-dimensional hangers are described by the staff as having “a beauty that can be considered somewhat enchanting.”♡

“The beauty that lies beyond the pursuit of functionality” is a kind of aesthetic.

In their own factory in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, craftsmen manually cut and polish the wood.

They have a philosophy of not procuring wood supplied through unplanned deforestation.

To maintain rich forests, they only use wood that has been managed under rules for planned afforestation and logging.

(It’s said that forests managed with planned logging are actually better for tree growth! For more details, please visit Nakata Hanger’s website.)

➡︎ Nakata Hanger's commitment to craftsmanship

② CUCURU

CUCURU, a specialist store for bridal kimonos, including white and colored uchikake, exists with the mission of connecting the feelings of kimono craftsmen and brides who may be gone in the near future.

They are committed to handling only kimonos which are “produced by craftsmen using high-quality, traditional techniques,” eschewing mass production, and they operate with a strong desire to pass on the craftsmanship to the future.

To spread the charm of bridal kimonos, they create original accessories and kimonos using their unique sensibility, among other initiatives.

Among their meticulously crafted kimonos are rare fabrics that can only be woven a few centimeters a day, even with skilled techniques.

Kimonos made with meticulous effort are truly wonderful. You can see plenty of them on their Instagram, so please check it out♡

➡︎ Here is CUCURU's Instagram＊

③ Star Jewelry

Did you know that all of Star Jewelry’s rings are handmade by craftsmen in the workshop?

Many might have thought, “They are a big brand, so I never considered that...! Isn’t it made in a factory overseas?!”

Star Jewelry’s bridal rings are all handmade in their own domestic factory, which is quite rare among Japanese jewelry brands.

Since its founding in 1946, Star Jewelry has had a workshop above its flagship store in Yokohama, where they had many discerning foreign customers.

Being able to meet the challenging orders from overseas was possible because the workshop was right there, allowing them to closely collaborate with dedicated craftsmen.

Because they consider the interaction between customers and craftsmen as central to their brand, all craftsmen are employees of Star Jewelry.

The production of prototypes and finishing processes is not outsourced to other factories; thus, they can offer services like finishing and stone setting for bridal rings with a lifetime guarantee.

➡︎ Learn more about Star Jewelry's commitment to craftsmanship here＊

④ Merry Marry

Merry Marry is a brand specialized in mermaid dresses and slender dresses located near Gotanda Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

I heard a wonderful story from the owner, so I will paste it exactly as it is.

*******

Merry Marry offers dresses focusing on Made in Japan.

Nowadays, I think there are fewer places in Japan that make dresses.

There are very few people who can sew dresses. Even among those who can sew, there are hardly any young people; most are elderly.

The oldest sewing staff in Merry Marry's atelier is an 80-year-old veteran. That person is faster than anyone, even compared to younger staff, and the finishes are beautiful, serving as a model for craftsmen.

We are supported by these veteran staff members.

When customers decide on their dress at Merry Marry, we take their photo and place it in front of the sewing machine. While sewing the dress, we look at their face in the photo and sew, infusing each stitch with the thought, “I want them to be happy.”

Such feelings, which are invisible behind the scenes, lead to meticulous craftsmanship, resulting in beautiful silhouettes and stunning dresses.

There may be many products that are attractively priced due to mass production, but we are committed to the old-fashioned way of making adjustments to suit each customer’s body shape so that everyone’s dream can come true.

The design theme for the dresses is natural yet modern, simple but impactful.

Although we specialize in mermaid lines and slender dresses, while sexy and stylish dresses like imported ones are lovely, we strive to maintain a sense of elegance.

Trends in dress design change, and new designs arise, but what we do is not new at all.

We simply find the best features of the customer’s style and create dresses tailored to them, but it’s sad that this ordinary effort is becoming difficult in Japan.

Most customers who order dresses have never placed custom orders before, including their regular clothing, but they are amazed at how beautiful and comfortable dresses can be when they are tailored to their size.

I want future brides to know the beauty of Made in Japan dresses created by Japanese craftsmen.

Merry Marry’s dresses fit the customer’s body rather than customers adjusting their bodies to fit the dress.

*******

Valuing craftsmen means protecting one’s own life♡

When my child says, “I want to be a kimono craftsman!” I want to say, “That’s great! The future for kimono craftsmen is bright!” rather than discouraging them with, “You can’t make a living that way…”

And I genuinely hope that this is not a lie, but a reality.

With the advancement of AI and mechanization, labor costs are seen as unnecessary, reducible expenses. Human craftsmanship is gradually becoming estranged from our lives and is becoming a luxury.

I don’t mean to completely reject all mechanization or computerization at all! (I love computers and the internet, too.)

However, I fear that the existence and items that could be called “treasures” that have been around will fade away and disappear due to my consumer choices.

Behind every product, there are always people who make and sell it.

Whether or not each of us as consumers chooses what to buy while imagining the “faces of the people involved” beyond the products seems to influence the future of Japan and the nature of the society we live in.

There are various people in the world. I believe it’s good to choose our consumption behavior with the aim of creating a society where everyone can be happy.

This ultimately connects to supporting the idea of “turning what you love into a job,” which we often hear these days.

From now on, I will try to be mindful of the background of the products a bit when I buy things.... I intend to make that a habit.