From Kamakura to the World: The Japanese Brand Rewriting the Rules of Apparel
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 | 12:45 – 1:45 PM (Lunch will be provided)
Room 540, Geffen Hall, Columbia Business School
Featuring: Nanako Sadasue, President and CEO, Maker's Shirt Kamakura Co., Ltd.; President and CEO, Kamakura Shirts New York Co., Ltd.
Moderator: Ryoko Ogino, Managing Director; Co-Founder, Japanese Management Leadership Program, CJEB
Hosted by: Center on Japanese Economy and Business and Japanese Business Association, Columbia Business School
Notes: This event is limited to current Columbia University ID holders, Columbia alums, and CJEB affiliates, and is part of CJEB’s Japanese Management Leadership Program.
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What you'll learn:
- The background of Kamakura Shirts and the company’s goal to globalize
- The value of a fully domestic “Made in Japan” supply chain—from cotton cultivation through final sewing
- The strategy behind a no-promotion model—and its impact on brand equity, pricing integrity, and inventory management
Biography:
Nanako Sadasue was born in Kamakura. She joined Shonan Shinkin Bank in 1995. She joined Maker's Shirt Kamakura Co., Ltd., a company operated by her parents. Since then, she has been involved in web business, store property negotiations, and the development of business systems (including accounting and internal infrastructure). She began working on overseas e-commerce operations in 2013.
In 2012, she spearheaded preparations for the New York store opening, overseeing everything from real estate contracts and interior design to visa arrangements and the implementation of inventory management as well as POS register integration systems. In 2019, she led the opening of the first store in China, located in Shanghai. In 2020, she was appointed President & CEO of Maker's Shirt Kamakura Co., Ltd. Although the New York store was closed at the end of 2020, she re-entered the New York market in 2024 and became President & CEO of Kamakura Shirts New York Co., Ltd.