Our Fude brands
Artisan-made brushes
We're honored to connect Fude makeup brush lovers around the world with 10 Fude workshops from Japan.
Kumano
Chikuhodo
There is a principle that runs through the minds, hearts and hands of the fudeshi (brush makers) at Chikuhodo, one of Japan’s most prestigious makeup brush companies – “Hitori hitori no hinshitsu ishiki, minna de tsukamou tashikana shinrai”. The phrase roughly translates to “by paying great attention to the quality, we can gain trust,” and ensures that each bristle is hand-picked, each ferrule is tightly fastened, and each Chikuhodo makeup brush is designed for optimum use. With this strong sense of dedication to crafting beautiful and practical makeup brushes, Chikuhodo is regarded as one of the most sought-after makeup brush companies in the world.
Kumano
Koyudo
"If you want to be a full-fledged craftsman at Koyudo, it would take at least 10 years of experience," says Koyudo CEO, Takemi Tsuchiya, "But we have built a system that allows new comer to join the factory and start making brushes without years of training. We have split up the brush-making process into smaller steps so that it is easier to master one step. There are about 30 steps for calligraphy brushes, and 60 to 70 steps for makeup brushes."
Osaka
Bisyodo
Founded in Osaka in 1945, Bisyodo is a Fude specialist with expertise in bristles – the company is the source for many bristles for other brush makers in Japan. Bisyodo's access to, and understanding of, high-quality natural fibers has allowed them to become one of Japan’s most popular Fude brands, loved by professionals, beginners, and makeup enthusiasts alike. By nurturing and honoring the imagination and ideas at the core of the Fude craft, the company also engages ideas for the industry’s future development.
Kumano
Mizuho
Mizuho brushes are informed by a history of calligraphy brush-making in the Kumano region of Japan, a skill that dates back 1,300 years. Their ongoing pursuit of craftsmanship is founded in using age-old techniques combined with the continuous development of makeup brushes of outstanding quality. Each of their brushes is handmade and subject to strict quality control at all stages. The result is elegant brushes that you can rely on to perform.
Kumano
Kyureido
Kyureido is one of the longest-established and most respected brush-makers in Kumano, Japan. As well as their revered makeup brushes, the company also produces calligraphy brushes and painting brushes in the traditional ‘Kumano’ way. Gousetu Minato, a traditional Kumano brush craftsman, has carried on the craft at Kyureido since around 1965, and is still involved in the production of Kyureido's calligraphy brushes. In 2011, he received the Traditional Craft Industry Merit Award from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Kumano
Tanseido
Tanseido, founded more than 80 years ago, has accumulated an advanced standard of development and processing technologies in brush making, from initial brush conception, material selection and sourcing, through production in the Hiroshima town of Kumano. With their roots in manufacturing of calligraphy brushes, Tanseido now takes pride in crafting cosmetics brushes. The Tanseido name is recognized, the world-over, in the cosmetics industry and our brushes are highly evaluated for their best quality.
Kumano
Houkodou
Houkodou celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2020, making the company one of the oldest Fude producers in Japan. Located in Kumano, Japan’s premier region for Fude brushes, Houkodou is also one of the country’s most respected Fude makers. Although the company was established originally to create calligraphy brushes, due to the decline of calligraphy culture in Japan over the last 30 years, Houkodou expanded to include the production of cosmetic brushes. Attention to detail and quality control is at the heart of all their brushes, with no compromise for perfection.
Kawajiri
Koyomo
Koyomo brushes are made with aged goat bristles ('ko' means old, 'yomo' means goat) dating back to the 1970s. Extremely rare and difficult to obtain these days, Koyomo boasts the largest stock in the world. These bristles are revered for their particularly smooth texture, durability and luminescence.
Kumano
Nakamura Seisakusho
In the countryside of southern Kumano in Hiroshima prefecture, Nakamura Seisakusho was founded in the early Showa period (1953) as a manufacturer of metal fittings. Over the next two decades, the company learned the value of meticulous attention to detail in production, and of creating products that are reliable and durable – as well as attractive. In the 1970s, the company started to create makeup brushes, applying this understanding and proficiency.