kiten.KYOTO by Kato Ken Flag Shop​

For over seventy years in Kyoto, the heritage atelier Kato Ken Flag Shop has devoted itself to making flags, banners, and Japan’s famous noren—the traditional Japanese fabric dividers that hang at the country’s most luxurious shops, restaurants, and ryokan inns. Drawing on the materials, techniques, and craftsmanship honed across generations, they now introduce their new brand: kiten.KYOTO.​​

Each piece is made from select textiles originally developed for durability and beauty. Fabrics with a depth, texture, and hand‑dyed character found only in long‑established Kyoto workshops. These materials are reimagined into aprons and everyday items that bring ease and a quiet sense of elevation to daily life.​

Experience the enduring quality and artisan spirit of Kyoto—made to last a lifetime.​

Map of Japan with Kyoto Prefecture highlighted.

Crafting our Clients’ Pride

Founded in Kyoto in 1950, Kato Ken Flag Shop has long given shape to our clients’ pride through the making of flags, banners, and noren curtains. Each piece we create becomes a symbol—an emblem of identity, of history, and of hopes carried into the future.

Blending Kyoto’s traditional dyeing techniques with a modern sensibility, we work with carefully selected materials and finish every item with meticulous attention. When a client’s vision takes form in this way, it becomes a singular expression of pride—something with the power to resonate deeply with all who see it.

Guided by the “essence of dyeing” and the spirit of our craftsmen, we create a sense of pride together with our clients. This is our mission: to preserve culture and carry it forward to the next generation.

kiten.: Supporting Everyday Life and New Beginnings

“kiten.” is a lifestyle brand created by the Kato Ken Flag Shop, designed to sit gently alongside the work of everyday life. Carrying forward our belief in ‘craft that supports one’s work,’ we offer thoughtfully made items—both quietly useful and subtly uplifting—crafted with genuine technique to suit today’s diverse lifestyles while honoring the timeless rhythms of daily living.

The name “kiten.” comes from two ideas: first, from two characters in the word yorisou (“to be close, to support”): 寄 (ki) and 添 (ten), and second, the word kiten (起点), also means “a point of beginning.” It reflects our wish to stand beside our customers and support the small new beginnings in their everyday lives.

Crafting Hata

For nearly a thousand years in Japan, hata—ceremonial banners and flags—have served as powerful symbols of identity, pride, and belonging, from temples and guilds to communities and organizations. We continue this tradition by shaping the ideal flags that become the symbols of each group, beginning from the color of the threads to the very way the fabric is woven.

Within every piece lies the refined artistry of Nishijin weaving—Kyoto’s centuries‑old textile tradition known for its intricate patterns and luminous, pre‑dyed silk—alongside masterful embroidery and dyeing techniques.

Crafting Noren

Noren are traditional Japanese fabric dividers, typically hung at shop entrances, doorways, or inside homes. They serve both practical and symbolic roles: offering a sense of privacy, softening light, marking a threshold, and often displaying the emblem or identity of the place they represent.

We create noren that serve as our clients’ symbols by using indigo‑dyeing techniques originally developed to render family crests with exceptional clarity and beauty. Because the ideal fabric and dyeing method vary depending on how the noren will be used and the design itself, we collaborate with highly skilled artisans in each specialty to ensure every piece is made to the highest standard.

Crafting Happi

Happi coats—traditional Japanese garments worn by craftsmen, shopkeepers, and festival teams—have long served as uniforms that express pride, belonging, and local identity. Historically, they were used in workshops and during community festivals, with bold crests and symbols that represented a family, guild, or neighborhood.

Because happi are garments meant to be worn and moved in, we select the ideal fabric for the season and setting, and we craft each piece using traditional dyeing techniques that allow every detail of the design to be expressed with clarity and character.

Before the Founding: From Mizuame to Dyeing

For generations, the family had run a mizuame (traditional sweet syrup) business, a key ingredient in Japanese confectionery. However, during the Second World War, rice—the essential raw material—became scarce, and the family was forced to give up their equipment and close the business. Later, Kenzo Kato, who had married into the family, decided to revive the household enterprise by drawing on the dyeing techniques cultivated in his own family home, setting his sights on establishing a flag‑making shop.

1950: The Founding of Kato Ken Flag Shop

The first‑generation owner, Kenzo Kato, founded Kato Ken Flag Shop, marking a clear departure from the family’s history in confectionery ingredients. He dedicated himself to mastering dyeing and noren production, beginning the company’s journey as a flag maker rooted in the local community.

The Second Generation: Deepening the Craft

Under the second‑generation owner, Takashi Kato, the workshop actively incorporated advanced weaving techniques, including Nishijin weaving. This allowed the shop to establish a production system capable of creating sophisticated, fully custom pieces that combined traditional dyeing with richly textured, high‑quality woven fabrics.

Today: 50,000 Pieces Supporting Tradition

Today, the workshop produces a full range of fully custom items—from flags and noren used in ceremonies and festivals, to temple and shrine curtains, shrine banners, happi coats, and even sumo kesho‑mawashi aprons and championship flags. The total number of pieces produced has surpassed 50,000, and thanks to the workshop’s precise historical research and technical expertise, it is frequently commissioned for film and television productions requiring accurate period settings.

The Third Generation: Launching the In-House Brand “kiten.”

Under the third‑generation owner, Tsuyoshi Kato, the new brand kiten. was launched. Drawing on the materials, techniques, and design sensibilities cultivated through decades of flag making, the brand reinterprets these traditions for contemporary lifestyles, offering practical items that sit gently alongside everyday life. The workshop continues to explore new forms of value for traditional craftsmanship.