What is Heiwa Matsuri?

Heiwa Matsuri was born out of respect for the “Sapeurs.”

The Sapeurs are active in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — among the world’s poorest nations, where conflict continues to this day.

They dress in colorful, high-end suits, and live by the belief: “We never fight, because we never want to stain our clothes.” Through this, they send a message of world peace.

Moved by their activity, we wanted to send a message of “peace” from Japan as well — and so Heiwa Matsuri was born.

We adopted the concept: “The Attire of Peace = Kimono,” “We never stain kimono, so we never fight.”

We designed this project so that people across Japan — and eventually the world — could wear kimono as a symbol of peace, and send a message of “peace” to the world.

Interview with the Founder

Read the Founder’s Message & Profile →

What Heiwa Matsuri Aims to Achieve

By making Heiwa Matsuri an annual event held around the world, we create opportunities for people everywhere to think about “peace.”

We aim to make September 21, the International Day of Peace, a public holiday, and to make “HEIWA” a universal word. We are working, as quickly as possible, to create a day that people all over the world look forward to.