Established in 2017, HA KI MO NO is an organization that brings together Japanese brands which creates and produces shoes by sustainable and eco friendly way, combining tradition and innovation. The project is supported by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, GOJ.

12 brands have joined the project: Hiroshi Kida, H. Katsukawa, Haruta, Johnny & Jessy, Kanpekina, Kyoto Sasage, Lafeet, Miyagi Kogyo, Numero Uno, Regal, RFW and U.No.5.

Numero Uno is a label founded by Ittetsu Ohyama, which creates shoes with discarding materials and also produced special leather shoes made with blowfish (fugu). For his new collection, Ohyama used deerskin to resolve damage caused by wild deer in Japan and for this project he has collaborated with one of the most famous deerskin tanning area “Yoshino” in Nara prefecture. In addition, Ohyama invented indigo dyed deerskin leather, because the indigo makes material stronger, solving one of the biggest weak point of deerskin, not strong as Cowhide. His goal is to contribute managing the good balance of nature and fashion industry by designing the usage of natural material.

Kyoto Sasage is a shoes designer who decided to use inside her shoes Washi - one of the most famous Japanese traditional crafts - because it is breathable and antibacterial. This material made from plant resources and created with significantly less harm to the environment. “Washi will provide the best comfortable feeling when you wear with barefoot, I make leather sandal with washi, it is the best combination with leather by its appearance and feature,” said Sasage.

Japanese shoe designer Eiichi Katsukawa started to like shoes when he worked in the shoe repair department at the Japanese retailer Isetan, after he moved to Northampton to study shoe design & making at Tresham Institute footwear course, where he met Paul Harnden. Following his graduation he worked with Harnden in Brighton before returning to Tokyo. He established his brand in 2006 in Japan. Katsukawa was awarded “JLIA Leather Goods Award” of Japan in 2008, and he was invited as Pop Up Store designer to Pitti Uomo in Florence. Katsukawa makes hand made brogues shoes which are characterized by a particular leather that he’s named Nibe leather. In February 2016, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery acquired Katsukawa’s conceptual shoes “Return to the Soil” as first Asian shoe collection for the museum.

The shoes designer Hiroshi Kida is the founder of his eponymous brand. Hiroshi Kida creates shoes with ancient way, such as Blake, traditional Italian manufacturing method, consisting in sewing the upper, insole, and outsole at once. Under his company Studio Imago, Kida also has an other label named +SOLE(ADDITIONAL SOLE), an upcycling brand which new life to the Worn down footwear.

HA KI MO NO project
Itochu fashion system co.,ltd.
Hideaki Kawai - hideaki.kawai@ifs.co.jp