158 Kihitsu and Koyudo, are they the same?

Hi Everyone, 

I sometimes receive questions about Kihitsu who they are, from time to time. 

I want to explain what I know.

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Kihitsu has been a sales company for Koyudo since 2004. The president is Nakashima san. 

Koyudo was born in 1979, according to the company web page.

The chairman is Uematsu-san.

Kihitsu doesn’t make brushes or own any factory, but focus on sales. 

Who does make Kihitsu brushes?

• Koyudo does.

They sell Koyudo brands, as well as own Kihitsu brands. 

For example, Kihitsu has own BP’s and fupa with the Kihitsu logo.

BP’s

http://www.kihitsu.jp/?cn=500000&scg1001=&scg1002=&scg1004=&scg1005=100051&scg1008=&skwd=&ff=1&x=33&y=22

Fupa’s

http://www.kihitsu.jp/?cn=500000&scg1001=&scg1002=&scg1004=&scg1005=&scg1008=&skwd=%A5%D5%A1%BC%A5%D1&ff=1&x=0&y=0

Those Kihitsu brands are made by Koyudo, so they have the same quality. 

Prices are sometimes the same, sometimes different.

Kihitsu can take the liberty of setting the prices of Kihitsu products because those brushes are sold as ‘Kihitsu.’

I see some people collect ‘Koyudo Collection’ brushes and prefer Koyudo brands, but the qualities are the same.

——

Now Koyudo discontinued the fupa series and some of BP series. 

Kihitsu has some inventory of own fupa and BP’s.

For example, Kihitsu still has Fupa01. It is the same hair with a dark pink handle.

Fupa14

Some brushes are sold only as Koyudo.

‘Kumamon’ is a Kumamoto symbol, and it is like Kitty chan

(not a comparable with Kitty chan, but in the same manner that it is a protected name by patent law, so the Koyudo name can only printed to a brush, not a Kihitsu logo)

Here are some links you might find interesting.

Grey squirrel

http://www.kihitsu.jp/?cn=500000&scg1001=&scg1002=&scg1004=100032&scg1005=&scg1008=&skwd=&ff=1&x=39&y=24

Saikoho

http://www.kihitsu.jp/?cn=500000&scg1001=&scg1002=&scg1004=1022&scg1005=&scg1008=&skwd=&ff=1&x=42&y=24

Kolinsky

http://www.kihitsu.jp/?cn=500000

Thank you for reading!

Toshiya