For Kenichi Nakamura, the third-generation heir of a nearly century-old kimono business, the market for the traditional Japanese garment, currently a sixth of its peak, is full of hidden potential.
The 62-year-old president of Tokyo Yamaki Co. believes recycling is key to turning around the declining market, with the rapid growth of his Tansuya secondhand kimono chain, which opened in 1999 and is now the largest of its kind, serving as proof.
Success has not dulled his ambition. Nakamura said the company is aiming to become the industry leader in meeting the increasing demand among foreigners amid Japan's tourism boom and is expanding its storage business to eventually start kimono-sharing.