President's Message
What is "MICHITSUGU" Ltd?
Our company was founded in 2008 under the trade name "Niten Ichiryu Sohonpo（二天一流総本舗）" in Chiba Funabashi, Japan, where is my home town .
In July 2011, we changed to a company form and established the joint-stock company "Michitsugu（道継）".
Our company name comes from the name of the president of the company I worked for before I started my own business, and from my father's name, which has the character "道（Michi）＝Road" in it, which is very relevant to me.
I also think that Japan is a wealthy and safe country because of the efforts of my father and the baby-boomers, including the president, who worked hard during the high-growth period.
Therefore, I named our company " Michitsugu" in the hope that we will continue to develop the "road" they built and "継（Tsugu）＝connect" it on to future generations.
Longing shoes
The reason why I decided to make leather products goes back to my days in high school. At that time, vintage items were popular, and among them were the leather boots I really wanted. I bought those boots, and despite being made 100 years ago, they were still unbroken. I said to myself, "The creator of these boots is already dead, how can I wear them without breaking them? I want to make boots that are in the history of people, just as he did!"
After graduating from high school, I went to a fashion school and got a job at a shoe manufacturer. There, I designed shoes with Germans and actually went to Germany to learn measurement technology. At that time I learn to speak German (Lol).
The town I visited in Germany had a very different atmosphere from Japan, and there were things in the town that didn't exist in the capital. Furthermore, the company that I visited hosted an event in the town, and it seemed that the company was creating the town itself. I thought about that and said, "I also want to make something unique just like the company has done in this town, I want to create community development like that company." After returning to Japan, I left the company and founded the current Niten Ichi-ryu Sohonpo.
Now, I'm not only making shoes and leather products but also I hold workshops for community development, and engage in various events such as with school teachers and at coffee shops.
I'm still chasing those boots from when I was in high school...
_edited.png)
This is my longing leather boots
"The first pair of shoes I made"
I want to introduce a pair of shoes that I'm deeply fond of. These shoes were the first pair of shoes I made, back when I was still a company employee. I wanted leather shoes that matched formal clothes, but could also be worn casually. Because I couldn't find the leather shoes as a ready-made product, I decided "well, I'll make it myself then".
The shoes are the body lines themselves, and when you go out, I believe they become part of your body. Because of this, shoes must have both excellent functionality and design. Achieving this is difficult, but it is the challenge I want to explore. As long as shoes are fashion, they will change forever...
My dream is to continue making shoes that suit each customer while adapting to changes.
I attended a seminar lecture on shoes and feet and designed the exact shoes I made. I crafted these shoes so that I couldn't resist wearing them every single day (lol).
It's been a long time since I made those shoes, and I have replaced the sole and repainted them. Despite their age, I'm still using those same shoes even today, showing that well-made leather products can be used for a long time if they are properly maintained.
My future goals
I am committed to domestic production and products that are useful to our customers.
I would like to build the shopping arcade of the future while creating channels through which we can sell our products all over the world!!!
Masaki Inoue, President, Michitsugu Ltd.
