Up to 20% OFF on all Hakama and Sashiko accessories

Summer settled in and if the monsoon season ran for longer than usual, we are now reaching high temperatures in Japan which, according to experts, might set new records, above 40°C (104°F).
The number of COVID-19 cases is rising as well in Japan, as in many countries around the world, which is also worrying for the short and mid-term future of martial art practice.
Here at Seido, we haven't had any case, nor any situation in which we could have had one, but we are strictly complying with the government and expert advice, masks, social distancing, hand washing, and everything that can be done to protect us and our relatives. Please stay safe, take all the measures you can to protect yourself and your loved ones.

For the last part of our summer discounts, we offer you up to 20% off on all Hakama and Sashiko Accessories. Our Hakama workshops are still suffering from a drastic reduction of orders due to the situation so we decided to do another special discount to support them as we did a few months ago. This time, we're not specifically calling for the community help, as the workshop is somewhat surviving, but all government assistance for small businesses is set to end in September, so the workshop will certainly appreciate getting some orders before getting in a tough situation again. If you're looking for a new Hakama for your Aikido, Iaido, or Kendo practice, don't look further. All our Hakama are 100% made in Japan, and we got you covered with a wide range of models: Keiko (training), lightweight, semi-heavy, Cashmere touch, etc. No matter what you need, you'll find the perfect product.

And if you want to complete your Budoka outfit, we also offer a discount on our Sashiko accessories, including our new series of high-end Sashiko bags (Backpack & Tote Bags), our two famous Sashiko Bag for Dogi & Hakama as well as face-covering Masks. This is the same logic as for our Hakama workshop, we're trying to help with a tough situation. Our Dogi workshop has the chance to also be producing bags and other sashiko products, not directly related to Budo practice, so we hope this can help compensate.

This offer will end on August 31st at 11 am (Japan Time).

O'Bon 2020

Every year in August the O'Bon festival is held in Japan. It is a Buddhist festival in which we honor the spirits of the ancestors, and even if many celebrations are canceled due to the pandemic situation, many Japanese will go back to their hometown to celebrate with their family.

This year, Seido can't really afford to take a week off, so we'll be at work and operate as usual, preparing the new season (with a strong hope that things will get a little better soon).
On the other hand, our craftsmen will take some days off from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th. During this time, the workshops will be completely closed so we will not be able to provide quotations for custom made items or to provide accurate production times. In addition, all custom made orders placed before and during O'bon will be naturally delayed by about a week if their production time includes the O'Bon period.
This delay is taken into account in the estimations of the shipping dates that are displayed on all products, as well as in your cart before checkout. However, we expect no additional delay due to O'bon (although things stay a little uncertain because of the covid situation).

Mid-August report

• We were gladly surprised to see that our midsummer discount regarding the Iaito was a giant success and despite a low start in terms of sales, July was, in the end, a pretty good month. We would like to thank you again for that! We are passing through this crisis together and, with your continuous support, we can support the last traditional workshops and help them to carry on their legacy!
• On the Youtube side, we will soon release an exclusive two-part interview with Master André Cognard, 8th dan, heir of Hirokazu Kobayashi and the current head of the Kobayashi Aikido group (originated in France). Stay tuned, it's coming very soon.
• At the beginning of the month, Usami sensei of the Toyukai association organized an event especially for Seido and for a French TV program. This event was presented by Shizuka Toshiyuki sensei, director at the society for the preservation of Japanese art swords (NBTHK). The main topic was the History of the Japanese Katana, from Kamakura to Bakumatsu, with 6 blades to illustrate each major era. An extended version of the  lecture is coming on Seido's YouTube channel this winter!

That's it for this month, please take care, enjoy our content, and enjoy the discounts!