Since its founding in 1894 in Nihonbashi Ningyōchō, Sankatsu Co., Ltd. has inherited the yukata dyeing techniques, stencils, and even the tools of the Edo period.

This is not merely about manufacturing, but about the “culture of dyeing and yukata designs” that beautifully colored the daily life of Japan.

The over 20,000 stencils in Sankatsu’s collection were meticulously carved—one stroke at a time, as if breathing life into the patterns—by artisans from the Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras.

These designs represent the aesthetic sensibility that adorned Edo’s summers and are a memory of Japanese lifestyle culture.

Sankatsu is now expanding beyond yukata production to create new products based on these patterns as Japanese designs.

Sankatsu has made “cultural sustainability,” not just environmental care, a core theme of its craftsmanship.

Sankatsu’s Main Initiatives:

• Succession of Traditional Techniques
  Protecting narrow-width dyeing techniques like Chūsen and Nagaita Chūgata and maintaining continuous cooperation with production regions.
• Preservation and Public Access to Cultural Assets (Over 20,000 stencils)
  Ensuring the cultural inheritance for future generations through the operation of the Sankatsu Yukata Museum.
• Systems for Cherishing Good
  Working with production regions to promote modern long-life design.

The Sankatsu Yukata Museum, located on the 1st and B1 floors of the head office, exhibits yukata stencils, bolts, materials from Meiji through Reiwa, and the works of Living
It is the only public “yukata” museum in Japan and is a space where visitors can appreciate the significance of the patterns and the beauty of the artisans’ handiwork.

Working alongside the production regions and the artisans, Sankatsu aims to bring the beauty nurtured by Japanese handiwork into future lifestyles.