The Worldfolio: How Yuzawaya Shoji Is Taking Japanese Handicrafts Global Through Cosplay, E-Commerce and Creative Community
Japan has an extraordinarily long history in craftsmanship whether it is washi paper crafts, traditional textile arts, or the broader manufacturing sector. These crafts are highly valued and in strong demand around the world. To begin, could you explain what you consider to be the core strengths of Japanese craftsmanship, and how that shapes its international value? In that context, what would you identify as the fundamental advantages that continue to drive Japan’s craft-making forward? And how are those strengths reflected in both domestic and global markets?When we talk about Japan’s strengths, I believe they rest on four foundations: the use of high-quality materials, an uncompromising attention to detail, a long-standing culture of handcrafting, and very active communication among creators. These characteristics have earned deep trust globally Japanese precision and dedication to detail are respected everywhere, and our materials and methods have been recognized for their excellence for decades.In addition, Japan today has a vibrant creative ecosystem everything from traditional crafts to the cosplay community that we discussed earlier. That dynamism merges with our long craft tradition to create a distinctive competitive strength. For Japanese people, this intersection of creativity and craftsmanship is very natural, and for us as a company, engaging with that creative energy fosters trust and recognition within the broader community. Thank you. Japan is facing a major challenge due to an aging and shrinking population. Although Japan remains the world’s third-largest domestic market and continues to sustain many industries, demographic decline is creating significant pressure. Historically, Japan has been a nation known for high-quality and advanced technical skills, ranking among the top global economies. But today it must confront issues such as population decline and rapid aging. In this environment, how do you envision sustaining the market both domestically and internationally? Are there any specific initiatives you are pursuing?As you said, population decline in Japan is indeed a serious issue. However, the number of older adults is increasing, and in that sense we do not view the outlook for handicrafts pessimistically. Activities like crafting help maintain mental and cognitive health, so interest among seniors remains steady.Among younger generations, too, cosplay is extremely popular, and there is also this global trend toward what some call “digital detox” I’m not sure if that expression is common in the U.S. but as a reaction to digital saturation, young people are rediscovering handcrafting and knitting. So although Japan’s overall population is shrinking, we are not overly pessimistic about the handicraft sector. At the same time, we know the overseas market must grow. You may have seen our activities at international exhibitions. We intend to increase investment in these areas and strengthen our outreach overseas. So, creating with one’s hands serves both a practical and emotional role, and maintaining that role across generations is very important. Cosplay is extremely popular in Japan, and Japanese pop culture has spread around the world. Your company even runs a dedicated X (formerly Twitter) account for cosplay materials and products, which shows your commitment to this community. How has the cosplay market influenced your business?As I mentioned earlier, our dedicated X account allows us to directly engage with the cosplay community. Through that interaction, we receive immediate feedback what they’re looking for, what kinds of materials they need. This enables us to improve our product lineup continuously. For us, this two-way communication is extremely valuable and directly benefits our product-development strategy.Before cosplay became a major trend, our core customers were primarily traditional handicraft enthusiasts, people who worked with beads, embroidery, patchwork, and similar crafts. But as cosplay has gained international recognition, it has become one of our most important business pillars. Today, it’s essentially our fourth major business line, and it plays a growing role in our business model.In terms of community engagement, what differences do you see between demand from Japanese cosplayers and those overseas?That is a difficult question there are many differences. Overseas cosplayers gravitate heavily toward titles like Dragon Ball and other globally iconic works. In Japan, cosplay tends to focus more on contemporary anime that may be very specific to Japanese tastes.Another major difference is the range of body sizes. Overseas customers require materials in much wider width and larger sizes, which means that the fabrics and patterns they need differ significantly from what Japanese cosplayers tend to purchase. When I visited overseas shops such as those in California or Paris at the beginning of my career, I noticed immediately that Japanese consumers care intensely about small details, whereas overseas consumers often do not prioritize such precision to the same degree. Regarding overseas markets, are there specific partners you have in mind, such as influencers or content creators, and particular countries you want to prioritize?In the U.S. and France, cosplay communities are very active, and the events are held on a very large scale. So those two countries, America and parts of Europe, essentially are markets where we would like to form stronger communication channels. As for specific influencers, we are still in the early stages of studying the landscape. But we certainly hope to collaborate with creators as we move forward. Turning to your online store, it seems your global audience has been growing. Which countries show the strongest demand, and what kinds of materials are particularly popular?Interest is quite broad, but materials unique to Japan such as mizuhiki cords and tsumami-zaiku fabric-folding supplies are especially well received. These are not mass-market items, but they resonate strongly with overseas customers who appreciate traditional Japanese decorative arts. I understand your company handles approximately 100,000 SKUs, which is extraordinary. You offer not only niche items but also low-volume products, ensuring customers can find virtually anything they need. In managing such a huge range, how do you use digital tools for inventory management?As a basic principle, we intend to continue maintaining our extensive 50,000–100,000 SKU offering. We want to make sure that customers can find everything they need for creative work. However, data analysis also tells us that we must reduce inventory for items with diminishing demand. So we are constantly balancing efficiency with the desire to maintain variety.As we analyze data point-of-sale information, online search behavior, and social-media trends we track seasonal patterns, sudden spikes in interest, or items that unexpectedly go viral. Based on that, we adjust inventory levels accordingly.More recently, we have begun integrating AI tools to review historical data and optimize stock depth by season. This helps us stabilize our inventory while still preserving variety, though striking that balance is always challenging. Let me ask something more conceptual. For younger generations Gen Z and Millennials if a sock develops a hole, many will simply buy a new pair at a fast-fashion store. But older generations used to repair items. My mother, for example, would darn socks using a special darning tool. Today, that culture has largely disappeared. Is there a way for your company to help inspire the next generation to value longevity and the act of repairing or making things? What are your thoughts?It’s a difficult question. Before joining the company, I myself did very little handcrafting. But once I tried making things sewing, knitting I was genuinely moved by the joy and sense of accomplishment. Of course, if you value efficiency alone, you could simply buy inexpensive clothes at a fast-fashion retailer. But the emotional experience of creating something with your own hands is completely different, and it cannot be replaced.We want to share that experience with younger generations. To do this, we have two main programs: workshops held in our stores and our Yuzawaya Art Academy. The in-store workshops offer simple projects something that takes ten, fifteen, or thirty minutes so beginners can have an easy entry point. The Academy is for people who want to go deeper and learn more advanced, demanding techniques. Through these two channels, we aim to pass on the value of handcrafting to future generations.Thank you. Along similar lines, you also offer classes for inbound tourists, and I understand you often welcome visitors in your stores. Do you currently have programs specifically designed for international customers?At the moment, because of language barriers, we are not yet able to fully offer workshops tailored to inbound tourists. But we are working on solutions creating instructional videos and developing staff who can communicate in English or other languages. We hope to eventually provide dedicated programs for international visitors. After the pandemic, e-commerce changed dramatically. Many consumers now prefer online shopping. Your company operates both your own e-commerce platform and stores on marketplaces such as Amazon or Rakuten, alongside a large physical-store network. You also recently renewed your membership program. How do you envision balancing physical retail and e-commerce going forward? Will the focus shift?In Japan, physical stores still account for the majority of our sales. We also have many regions where we have not yet opened stores, so there is still room to expand our brick-and-mortar presence domestically. That said, e-commerce will certainly continue to grow in Japan currently it still represents a smaller market share compared with other countries, but we expect it to expand steadily. Therefore, our plan is to strengthen both.Internationally, however, our strategy is different. Overseas, opening physical stores is not our immediate priority. Instead, we aim to expand awareness through social media and invest heavily in e-commerce. For markets such as the U.S., Europe, and throughout Asia, we believe digital outreach is the most effective way to introduce Japanese materials and culture. Thank you for answering so many questions. One final question: Your company will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2030, if my calculation is correct. By that time, where do you hope to position the company? And what kind of leader do you aspire to be?First, in Japan we aim to remain the number-one company in our field. Globally, we want to become a pioneer that brings Japanese handicraft culture to the world an organization that leads the international dissemination of Japan’s creative traditions.As for myself, I want to continue improving so that I can live up to that mission. I want to strengthen my skills, including my English, and grow into a leader capable of guiding the company on a global stage. My answer may be imperfect, but that is sincerely how I feel. For more information, please see their website: https://world.yuzawaya.shop/en
