"familiar" – A Pioneer in Baby & Kids' Products, Passionately Supported in Kobe

Founded in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, familiar, Ltd. has established a strong position as a brand for baby and kids' products. Although the brand is available nationwide, it has particularly dedicated fans in the Kansai region, and you often see people carrying Familiar's denim bags on the train and in the streets of Kobe.

"It's quite rare for a brand that is nationwide to have such a regional character," says Akari Sasaki from the company. This time, we asked about Familiar's journey, the reasons for its strong fanbase in the Kansai region, and the recent initiatives it has undertaken.

A Venture Co-founded by 4 Crafty Mothers

Can you tell us about the founding process?

Our company was founded in 1950 by four mothers who were friends. In the post-war period when resources were extremely scarce, emphasis was put on “how to sustain life,” and we focused our business on “children,” who would be the future workforce.

The founder, Atsuko Banno, along with three of her classmates, were all skilled in crafts. Originally, they lived a prosperous life and had abundant materials, which they began using to create products.

Initially, they rented two display cases at the "Motoya Shoe Store" in Kobe's Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street to sell their items. The word of mouth spread, leading to their entrepreneurial establishment. With a desire to "cherish a warm, family-like atmosphere," they named it "Familiar" (stylized "familiar").

Our company has over 70 years of history and is often perceived as conservative, but since its inception, we have been embracing new parenting methods from Europe and America and have rooted in a venture mindset, taking on various challenges.

As a pioneer in baby and kids' products, you have introduced various innovations, haven't you?

A notable initiative includes having all seams on the outside to avoid irritating a baby's skin and proposing white t-shirts, originally intended as undergarments, as outerwear.

When we started, there were only undergarments shaped like t-shirts for children's clothing. Therefore, we thought, "Let’s create clothing that looks cute when children wear just one piece, that fits into everyday life," leading to the birth of the "Ohanashi T-Shirt" (literally, "Story T-shirt") featuring bear prints on the front and back.

Designed to stimulate conversation between children and their parents through wearing, the Ohanashi T-Shirt's illustrations create a story. Since its release in 1952, it has remained a staple item.

Although it’s available nationwide, it seems to be particularly beloved in the Kansai region.

I believe the fact that it is a Kobe-origin brand is the reason for its popularity in the Kansai area. In particular, many people in Kobe incorporate it into their daily lives.

Also, I think there’s a strong image of students often using the brand. This might be because we create original "denim bags" as supplementary bags designated by schools.

By having the denim bag as a standard item carried daily to school, it becomes a familiar brand, and I think many continue to use Familiar's bags even as adults. In Kobe, it is common to see adult women carrying both high-end designer bags alongside Familiar's denim bags. It’s quite rare for a nationwide brand to have such a regional character.

We also have denim bags beyond those designated by schools. Familiar's major products introduce new designs twice a year for SS (Spring/Summer) and AW (Autumn/Winter).

In Kansai, there are many customers who collect denim bags. Some own historical designs that are no longer available, and others have premium items from when the Kobe flagship store opened. It brings us great joy to feel that Familiar's items are cherished along with our customers' memories.

Starting Diverse Approaches Centered on “Mono, Koto, Manabi”

Please tell us what has remained important since the founding.

Our company has a term called "愛情品質," which means “delivering truly good things with children in mind.” The attitude of creating products from a mother's perspective has been passed down since the company's inception.

Moreover, the design that never gets boring, the skin-friendly materials, high functionality, and resistance to deformation have remained unchanged. I think many of our customers who have been using our products for three generations feel this distinctiveness of Familiar.

The fact that Familiar's distinctiveness has not changed may be related to our manufacturing system. We do not engage in digital manufacturing and design analogously using the many materials available in-house.

We cut and arrange felt and fabric with scissors and make corrections where necessary. Once the design is finalized, we transfer the data to a computer. While the range of items has diversified, this analog manufacturing approach has remained consistent over the years.

Since 2015, your corporate philosophy has been “Creating Possibilities for Children.”

This was proposed by our President, Tadahiko Okazaki, leading to its incorporation into our corporate philosophy. Until that point, our focus was primarily on apparel, but this shift prompted various initiatives aimed at offering a richer lifestyle.

For example, we began our childcare business "familiar PRESCHOOL," the dining establishment at our flagship store in Kobe, "color of time," and our relaxation business "PEONY."

The focus of our initiatives is “Mono, Koto, Manabi” (which roughly translates to "objects, activities, learning"). Recently, we have also enhanced our experiential events. A representative initiative is a workshop where children can bring their drawings to life.

In April of this year, we held a workshop at Hankyu Umeda Main Store, where children collaborated one-on-one with Familiar designers to create one-of-a-kind clothing based on their artwork. Discussions were held on details like, “Should this ribbon be three-dimensional or flat?” “Is it okay to express this pattern with embroidery?” “How big should this decoration be?”

Additionally, we talk about the contexts in which the finished products will be used. For children who say, “I want to make a dress to wear at a recital,” we suggest, “It would be better to make it easy to move in.”

Becoming a More Beloved Brand Through Comprehensive Childcare Support

Recently, there have been many collaborations with other companies, right?

Yes, a single collaboration often leads to invitations from other organizations. One surprising collaboration was with Ikuta Shrine in Sannomiya, Kobe. When tourism sharply declined due to the pandemic, we discussed how we could work together to boost Kobe's tourism, resulting in the creation of charms, a book of stamps, and bags to hold the stamp books designed by Familiar.

What's important in collaboration is leveraging each other's strengths and creating new value. By working with organizations that have different strengths, we believe we can increase connections with new customers.

What are your future prospects?

We are enhancing items and services that can delight not only children but their families as well. Particularly, we are focusing on a childcare support service, "for the first 1000 days," aimed at pregnant women and mothers with children up to two years old.

The 1000 days from pregnancy until a child turns two represent a period of remarkable growth for the child and is a precious time for the family. We aim to cherish this period together with families, engaging not only in selling items but also organizing seminars for expectant mothers and events post-delivery.

For our existing customers, we want to ensure they continue to feel loved for many years to come; and for new customers, we aim to gain their support. We will continue to take on various challenges, aspiring to become a brand that families can enjoy throughout different life stages through comprehensive childcare support.