KURODA: Leather Gloves from Japan's Glove Capital
Where are Japan's gloves made? You might picture a cold northern region. In fact, Japan's glove capital is Higashikagawa in warm Kagawa Prefecture, which makes about 90% of the country's gloves. We visited KURODA, which has made leather gloves here for more than 40 years.
We spoke with Mr. Tanatsugu, the president, and Mr. Satake, head of corporate planning. Slip on a KURODA glove and it seems to wrap your hand gently, with elegantly slender fingers and refined design.
How a glove town was born
The story begins in the Meiji era with two men. A local monk fell in love, eloped to Osaka, and began making knitted fabric, then gloves, calling on young relatives to help, among them his cousin Tatsukichi Tanatsugu. When the monk died young, Tatsukichi returned home and rooted glove making in the area. "This region had only salt, sugarcane and farming, and it was poor. Gloves spread as cottage work between farming seasons."
Tatsukichi was Mr. Tanatsugu's great-grandfather. "As a kid I hated it," he laughs. "Everyone expected me to go into gloves, and it seemed like hard work with long hours." He took an unrelated job after school, but wanting to work in his hometown, he joined KURODA and spent years in sales. At 44, the founder suddenly told him: "You're president from April." It was not lineage but his own years of work that earned him the role.
"Do what others don't"
KURODA was built by its founder, now chairman, Mr. Kuroda. "He's something of a maverick in the industry. His philosophy is to do what others don't." In 1986, with just over ten employees, KURODA opened a factory in Shanghai, very early for a Japanese company. Japanese technicians spent months training staff, and quality rose dramatically; today the Chinese factory handles about 80% of overseas production. India followed in 2011, bringing challenges from religious festivals that meant a full team was rarely present, to three years just to build the factory. "Looking back, it was fun. We'd go over, argue in broken English, and come home," he laughs. "We never use trading companies. We negotiate everything ourselves." A factory in Myanmar opened in 2017; trainees now come to Japan for a year to learn and take their skills home.
What makes Japanese making special
KURODA's overseas factories are its own, trained in its techniques, so their quality matches its Japanese production. So what sets Japanese-made gloves apart? "Japanese craftsmen think a little differently," says Mr. Tanatsugu. "Making a golf glove, they'll think about what matters when you actually play. Japanese consumers are demanding, so craftsmen naturally refine the details."
The pursuit of comfort
Above all, KURODA pursues how a glove feels on your hand. Beyond linings like cashmere, the secret is in the leather. "We weigh every imported hide, soften and stretch it, and re-process it ourselves. That one step is what sets us apart. Glove leather must be soft and fit closely, so the fibers have to be loosened. Skip this and a glove loses its shape."
Made by hand, step by step
A craftsman places a cutting die on each pre-stretched hide, reading its creases to avoid waste, and a press cuts the pieces. Thumbs are sewn in, then each finger is stitched with great care. "Gloves are worn on your hands, so every detail shows. It's much harder than sewing clothes," says a young craftsperson fresh from fashion school. Finally, heated metal forms are slipped inside each glove to shape it, leaving it smooth and perfect.
Gloves means KURODA
For years, KURODA has made gloves for famous brands under their names. "We can make things, but our name doesn't get out. Ultimately, I want 'gloves' to mean KURODA." The company is now focusing on its own brand. This visit changed how we see overseas production, and reminded us of the strengths of Japanese making. Our thanks to Mr. Tanatsugu and Mr. Satake.
