Naoshichi Houiten (直七法衣店) is a shop in Kyoto that designs, makes and sells Buddhist robes (houi), kesa and temple goods. It was founded in 1920 by Kawakatsu Naojirō and is now run by the fourth generation, Kawakatsu Kengō, who writes this site. Our customers include temples in Japan and abroad.
Who are we?
Naoshichi Houiten (直七法衣店) is a shop in Kyoto that designs, makes and sells Buddhist robes, kesa and goods for temples, and supports temple management. “Houiten” means “vestment shop”. Our main customers are temples in Japan and abroad.
The shop was founded in 1920 (Taishō 9) by Kawakatsu Naojirō, the first “Naoshichi”. It passed to Kawakatsu Junfu (second generation, 1958), Kawakatsu Kuniaki (third generation, 1987) and Kawakatsu Kengō (fourth generation, 2018). The name “Naoshichi” has been handed down with the shop.
How do we work?
We try not to rest on accumulated knowledge or inherited tradition, and to keep facing things with a beginner’s mind. Why is it worn? What is it used for? To avoid being carried along by convention or fashion, we study the historical and Buddhist background and keep asking questions until the essence of the thing is clear. Then we make the robe without compromise: carefully chosen materials, high-quality sewing and design that reflects the time. Our principle is simple: to make things that people will want to hand to the next generation.
A good robe is not always the most expensive one. We try to advise on the right one for your budget, school, season and the number of times you will wear it, and we tell you if something is not right for you.
Who writes Re:kasaya?
Kengo Kawakatsu (known as “Naoshichi”), fourth-generation owner of Naoshichi Houiten. He calls himself a “houi kesa concierge”: someone who shares useful information about robes and kesa and helps solve problems around them. He also runs Naoshichi University (直七大学), an online Buddhism course series of over 400 sessions since March 2020, and the General Incorporated Association Naoshichi, which works with the spirit that “the kesa is the Buddhist teaching itself” to hand craftspeople and religion to the next generation.
Where are we?
Naoshichi Houiten, Fukumoto-cho 425, Nishinotōin-dōri Shichijō-agaru, Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto 600-8320, Japan. Telephone +81 75-371-5747. Open 9:00–18:00; closed on irregular days. Visits by appointment let us show you more items. For overseas inquiries see how to order from outside Japan.
Our online store (mostly in Japanese): naoshichi-kyoto.com. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and X.