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 株式会社翼武道具 - Tsubasa Budogu Co., Ltd.
Creative & innovative Kendo equipment designed & crafted with care and expertise, and a selection of the most clever and high performance Budogu products out there, mainly from our partnerships and connections with japanese workshops, international factories, makers, providers and individual artisans.
Our vision is to share the love and passion we have for Kendo and the well made Kendogu while supplying the Kendo community with original, interesting and useful products, assuring the customer's peace of mind when choosing us due to the professional care we put from the start of the manufacturing process up to the shipping and even after. We will be always open to assist, to offer guidance and maintenance tips. We want to close the gap between international and japanese Kendo community (not only by sharing the knowledge about the products but also with events, such as training camps, tours, and more), as well as debunking some myths or things about Bogu and Kendogu that must gotten lost-in-translation.
We provide assistance in 3 languages: English, Español and 日本語. And our work style is the result of what we thought to be the best of the japanese way and the western way without the tediousness and inefficient parts. Our original line of products are made also with a worldwide perception or a more broad approach instead of an "only what is good for one specific group, country or ethnicity", transcending for example the trend of "selling only what is popular inside Japan".
We serve & deliver worldwide from Japan, but we have some strategic alliances abroad too, particularly in Latin-america, to give a closer service and sometimes even shipping free products.
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Tsubasa Brand is a line of innovative Kendo Bogu models made in Japan, which in a sense could have been only one "all purpose and all mighty" model, with the greatest value for its price, but after a lot of study, trial and errors, we found that some little changes substantially impacted the performance and the cost (thus the price) of the prototype design, which led us to create 5 versions of what we thought to be the best Bogu model.
The Tsubasa Brand Bogu series concept consists in offering a clever cut and effective design, to make the "only one Bogu set is enough for everything" statement possible, but also to make the user love wearing it due to the balance in durability, protection, comfort and apearance, which is the result of making the best use of the techniques and skills of the already experienced artisan out there, utilizing a selection of materials that do the job, but leaving the posibility of customizing or enhacing them if the customer feels like it.
We consider this line of products to be on top of the standard machine stitched Bogu in general, since it requires not only good materials and skillfully artisans to craft these pieces of art, but also the expert work of designing which comes from the combination of Kendo and Kendogu knowledge and the proper method of making Bogu and its materials, without forgetting the customer's budget.
Nowadays is easy to find affordable options which are good enough to practice Kendo, and we offer this kind of products too (Tsubasa Budogu's entry level models). However, for those who want to invest on something we think is way better, while supporting the professionals behind each design and each stitch, as well as the study, originality and work behind Tsubasa Brand, we cannot recommend it enough!
 Tsubasa Brand Models can actually be enough as your only Bogu Set for everything (and save you some cash), instead of the tendency of buying a cheap training set besides a the set for competition and, lets not forget, another set for examination. Although we adhere to the idea of increasing the life (durability) of a gear by interchanging the pair of Kote, or your whole set, for another one every week or so, but we also believe the same Kendo equipment, uniform and Shinai should be used a certain amount of time at minimum, to grasp the sensation, otherwise, if you keep changing the balance and weight of your equipment often (in every practice) is not only challenging but also urges your Kendo to change and adapt to the differences you get with each equipment, which could interrupt the learning process you might be experiencing at a certain moment.
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What do you mean with innovative (in the Kendogu world)?
As in the case of the art of Kendo itself (and other Budo as well), many fixed ideas have ruled what is the "correct" way of doing things in the name of protecting the tradition, which is actually a good thing. However, sometimes these ideas may limit the expansion and adaptation (or update) of the art to the actual times we live in, which in some cases may be not so good. In regards to this matter, many individuals and groups have already started to move tenaciously on their own, with more freedom, particularly younger generations thanks to the access to internet, smartphones and social media which has been the platform where new ideas and new connections through networking are being launched everyday. So, straight to the point: to innovate in this traditional world and industry we need to understand first, respect and then integrate that tradition to be able to go beyond it. In Budo terms, Shu-Ha-Ri ("follow the rules, break the rules, transcend the rules"). Objectively speaking, innovation in this sense would mean to try new Kendogu designs, materials and way of doing things without fear, but only after becoming resolved with the origins and the essence of Bogu and Kendogu's craftsmanship.
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Why choosing Tsubasa Budogu (over the hundreds of Budo-shops out there)?
We think the actual market has come to a point were many shops offer descent quality products for an affordable price, which may be enough for beginners and general customers. But, as passionate as we are about Kendogu, we want to go a little further and offer products of an entire different league of quality and value, without unnecessary inflation of the prices. Due to the complexity of our most creative and innovative products, we know they can be too premium for many customers and their budget, which is why we also included more affordable options (not only for beginners) in our line-up. However, in the long run, we strongly recommend to invest on higher quality equipments which will last longer and in better condition (which can be repaired if necessary, instead of buying another whole cheap Bogu). You can benefit with the cost-effective models for sure, even so, you may get a nice surprise finding out how appealing the more original made in Japan models are. We called them Tsubasa Brand. And in case you are one of those Bogu-maniacs, a collector or just somebody who loves Kendogu (as we do!), this would be the series of Bogu models to look forward to.
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 A few words from the Founder
Reiwa 5 July 27
A life devoted to Kendo is meaningless if the concepts underlying each practice are not shared. It took me a while to grasp that learning Budo is not a solitary endeavor, especially in these times when greater collaboration is required to foster stronger human interactions. I feel that now is the moment to look for new ways to coexist in a healthier way and to build a caring and supportive community. Budo is tough and difficult, yet it has the unquestionable capacity to enrich our lives by uniting the hearts of many individuals from all origins, forging communities not only in Japan but around the world, transcending any boundaries. It also teaches us to appreciate our differences, varied points of view, and postures in life, not to avoid conflict but to overcome it with solutions in a constructive and positive manner.
If we consider Budo to be an activity for human development, we somehow understand this is a process that not only takes time, but also continues beyond any particular goal, is a constant polishment of the self. The same goes for the well made Kendo equipment. I consider it to be something precious, not just something spendable but a valuable craft that will accompany us on the journey we have decided to take. I wanted to use myself a Bogu that represents these ideas, that makes me feel proud, comfortable and protected while letting me do what I like to do the most, without concerns about protection or having a bad appearance. I believe Kendo equipment in general (not only the Bogu) can enhance or limit our Budo experience in a variety of ways. They at least should offer us enough motion range, flexibility, comfort and protection, to avoid the case of "I don't want to go to Keiko because it hurts too much!", which is usually a problem of the gear or equipment used, when the basic qualities mentioned before are absent.
After working in the Budogu industry, specifically in the Kendogu field at one of the top Budo firms and Kendo workshops in Japan, I found myself unfulfilled and one of the main reasons I started my own Budogu company here in Japan was this ongoing need of creative discovery. Even though many aspects of my life and my personal Kendo journey were going well at that time, I still felt hollow. This was probably due to my lack of enthusiasm and the limited opportunities I had to develop new ideas or things I wanted to try out. At a certain point, I was beginning to feel burned out due to overwork, that seemed less and less meaningful each day, in an environment that felt further removed from Budo and Kendo, so after a while of struggling I made the decision to become independent. The idea that I needed to "spread my wings" eventually led to the name, logo, and company motto of this company, which is to realize that you already possess the wings you needed to accomplish your goals, soar to new altitudes; have the "ability" to fly over to many locations, including geographical locations that we were unable to visit due to the recent pandemic.
The most important aspect of our mission is to assist others in realizing "they always had wings" to achieve greatness and to rise above any circumstance, to watch it from above calmly, to grasp the big picture and be able to learn, particularly during difficult times, to then persevere and act diligently towards the pursuit of one's dreams and goals. And you can only pay attention to these ideas if your equipment is not a nuisance. I hope to apply this knowledge to myself, and if possible, to share this philosophy with others as well, especially with my family.
 About Tsubasa Budogu's owner & CEO Hirai Miranda Tomas
Our Founder had Renshi 6 Dan in Kendo at the moment of establishment, with 35 years old and 22 years of Keiko and some experience in other Budo as well (particularly Iaido and Jodo). He was born and raised in Chile but after graduating high-school he came to Japan to study the language, Budo and japanese culture at the International Budo University for 2 years, increasing his already vast results in national competitions and participation at international tournaments as a national team member. After graduating university back in Chile, he worked as a therapist, a teacher in a technical school and as a Kendo instructor at a Kendo club (A.M.K) in Santiago city while carrying on his own training. He continued to travel around many countries thanks to Kendo, and in 2019 he finally came back to Japan, this time to work and live indefinitely here.
After 4 years of working at a famous Budogu company (first at the headquarters at Kumamoto, followed by 3 years of learning and working alongside the artisans at the biggest japanese Kendo workshop located in Miyazaki where he was transferred to), and at the same time getting married and being part of the foundation of a non profit organization to promote Kendo in the region (Sakura Yukenkai), he finally moved with his family to Fukuoka where Tsubasa Budogu was established.
Thanks to the Budo related work in Japan, he manages to continue his Kendo journey, developing even further in many areas such as Kendo instructor for young kids, Shinpan due to participation in many japanese tournaments as well as Shiai skills, when participating as a competitor instead of referee. Many connections and good relationships started to flourish (Kō-Ken-Chi-Ai) through the practice of Kendo itself, and some of them solidified into partnerships, collaborations and business opportunities that support and help Tsubasa Budogu to be a very synergetic company.
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