It All Started With A Pig

Buta the Kimono Pig sitting atop a mountain of fukuro obi in the Arashi House studio.

Sometimes, the beginnings of a dream aren’t grand. They don’t arrive with a business plan or a bank loan or a headline-worthy revelation. Sometimes, they arrive in the form of a pig. A soft, silk pig with a gentle snout and a story.

Arashi House began with Buta, a tiny pig crafted from kimono silk.

Buta wasn’t part of the plan. There was no plan, really—just the longing to take home something beautiful from Japan. A kimono. A beautiful heirloom of colour and craftsmanship. But when the price tag proved impossible to reach, what remained was disappointment. That familiar feeling of standing at the edge of something magical, and having to walk away.

And then there was Buta.

Found nestled in the corner of a quiet Kyoto boutique, Buta was stitched from real kimono silk—elegant, detailed, unmistakably Japanese. The price was small. The emotion it carried was enormous. In the hands of the person who bought it, Buta wasn’t just a plush toy. He was a quiet, unexpected spark of joy and a soft reminder that beauty can still be ours, even if it comes in a different form than we imagined.

Buta travelled home across oceans. He sat on bookshelves. He started conversations. He made people smile. And somewhere along the way, he planted the seed of an idea.

What if others, too, could experience the richness of traditional Japanese art in ways that were accessible, authentic, and deeply personal? What if heirloom-quality pieces didn’t need to live behind glass, or come with a museum-sized price tag?

What if beauty could be lived with, worn, and gifted? That idea grew into Arashi House.

Arashi House began not with the goal of selling products, but with the desire to share stories. Every kimono, every kokeshi doll, every hand-sewn kimono product, and every antique treasure we source, has a past—one tied to kimono artistry, to season's beauty, to the generational skills of Japan. They’re fragments of a lived history, transformed.

Just like Buta.

To this day, Buta remains the unofficial mascot of Arashi House. He’s still perched in the studio. Watching. Inspiring. Reminding us where we came from.

At Arashi House, we believe beauty should never feel out of reach. That even small surprises—soft ones, like silk pigs—can carry the weight of wonder. Our story began with a simple act of consolation, and grew into a celebration of heritage, care, and craftsmanship… and we’re just getting started.

Yours in silk and stories,

Team Arashi House