To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page.
This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies.
Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Courtesy of Taichiro Takamatsu Taichiro Takamatsu adjusts a dress on a female model to the last detail in Toyama in October 2023.
The Japan News
6:00 JST, March 29, 2025
Taichiro Takamatsu, a tailor from Toyama, won the Ronnie Prize, the highest award in the 4th Japan Traditional Craft Revitalization Contest in February. The main reasons he was awarded the prize were his enthusiasm and potential to collaborate with various other traditional craftspeople for revitalization.
The 41-year-old tailor has been aspiring to become a world-class artisan for 21 years, planning to create his own haute couture brand with the skills he learned at top European maisons in his youth.
When he received the trophy at the award ceremony on Feb. 19 in Minato Ward, Tokyo, he said, “I never thought I would win the award.” His facial expression showed a sense of fulfillment and a touch of bewilderment.
The Japan News Taichiro Takamatsu, who won the Ronnie Prize, gives a speech at the awards ceremony of the 4th Japan Traditional Craft Revitalization Contest in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Feb.19.
Born in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, he originally belonged to the basketball team at a physical education university in Kagoshima Prefecture and had aspirations of becoming a professional. However, he suffered a serious injury to a ligament in his right leg during a practice game and fell deep into despair.
When Takamatsu consulted his high school basketball team coach, he was told, “It’s important to choose a path that will make sense to you when you look back on it later.” In addition to his coach’s words, his sister’s recommendation, based on her experience as an art college graduate, also encouraged him to enroll in Tokyo Zokei University. This led him to give up his dream of becoming a professional basketball player once and for all.
Making dresses for a fashion show as a member of a university club sparked his interest in the fashion industry.
He moved to the United Kingdom in 2004 while still a university student, and he continued to hone his skills as a fashion designer even after graduating in 2009. He worked in Tokyo at a men’s fashion store as well as with famous European brands such as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Dior.
In April 2022, he became independent and started his own clothing production base in Toyama. “After having visited the city several times during my travels, I’ve become very fond of the richness of its surroundings,” he said.
When tailoring clothes, he is particular about “how beautiful or cool he can make the wearers look.” He does his best, always thinking of them. His techniques are constantly evolving, as he eagerly adopts different methods, such as macrame, the art of joining pieces of string together in knots to form decorative patterns. He also uses lacquered material.
When he reported the award to his master from his training days in Tokyo, the response was, “If you can continue your work for another 30 years, you’ll finally be a full-fledged tailor.” His master’s words left a lasting impression on him.
“I would like to collaborate with various traditional crafts to broaden my view of the world as a craftsman, aiming to create haute couture unique to Japan, and the Orient, to present to the world,” Takamatsu said.
Reiko Sudo, a textile designer and one of the judges of the contest, mentioned how the all-black outfits designed by Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto —called “the impact of black” at the Paris Collection in the 1980s — attracted worldwide attention. She said, “I have high expectations he [Takamatsu] will make an impact on the world.”
