Delivering joy and happiness to all
Our wish is to deliver happiness to all of whom we encounter, by creating new value through our unparalleled dedication to pearls. This is the aspiration we hold in our hearts when working with pearls. We focus our attention to the details that change with the season, weather, or time of day, placing priority on bringing out the best of each piece. We devote our attention to our pearls in belief that their unique beauty will bring joy and happiness to all.
The rich natural environment
Our Amakusa pearl farm is located in a cradle-like bay, surrounded by deep green hills and mountains. It is this rich natural environment that enables the generation of beautiful pearls. However, that is just part of the story. When the environment is appropriately looked after by us humans, nature will be enriched, and pearls will be formed in the ocean for us to enjoy as nature’s blessings. In appreciation of this gift, people will continue to take good care of the environment, all the while contributing to enhance nature’s richness. This continuous cycle sustained by pearls is the value that we want to deliver together with the beauty of our pearls.
Nature and art, crystallized
Pearls are formed and nurtured in the rich ocean bearing various features and characteristics. At KAKUDA PEARL, we have our own definition of what we call a “beautiful” pearl, and from our founding period, we use the expression “Rabbit eye”. Similar to the red eyes of a white rabbit, beautiful pearls not only possess a fresh juicy shine and transparency, but also a metallic sharpness.
The “non-processed pearls” are those that are beautiful the moment they are removed from the oysters and needs no further artificial processing. They are gifts of nature created through fortuitous coincidence which would never be possible only with the art of culturing and processing alone.
Quality and trust
Pearls harvested at the pearl farms are brought to our processing workshop of our Headquarters in Ise to enhance their beauty.
Each pearl is observed carefully to find the angle that best brings out its potential, and after spending considerable time removing organic substance found between the layers of nacre, they are polished to enhance their beautiful luster.
The trust in KAKUDA’s pearls have been built and supported by our skilled workers who engage in this process for long quiet hours at the workshop with care, dedication, and patience.
Rediscovering beauty
The “natural grey” is a color inspired by a request from a German buyer.
The inspiration allowed us to recognize the beautiful grey color originally possessed by the pearl when removed from the shell, and a necklace in that very color was created in 1980. Today, this is a product that is loved around the globe.
Pearls display an amazingly wide array of colors. By selecting and combining specific colors of the spectrum, unique characteristics of the pearl can be highlighted. Having the eyes to discern beauty, plus the skills of careful sorting and selection, are the contributing elements to create new value.
The importance of connecting our efforts
It takes a length of four years and 3,000 works-by-hand to make a pearl necklace.
Continuous time and effort is spent together with the love and passion for pearls, which is why we can deliver truly beautiful pearls with pride and confidence.
We also feel the strong necessity and importance to convey our aspirations and what we pride in, to steadily continue our pursuit of this beautiful cycle of pearls toward the future.
HISTORY
A group-wide effort for high quality pearls
The KAKUDA group is a family-operated business of three generations.
Having foresight, Kazo Kakuda, founder of the KAKUDA group, developed a large scale pearl farm in Amakusa of Kumamoto prefecture. Soon after the war he successfully started culturing White Lip pearls in Australia, utilizing the knowhow acquired in Amami Oshima.
A sales network was established between the Western countries in the 1930’s, and initially allowed only one customer per country to avoid over competition. This policy of aiming for joint prosperity with our customers had been held for many years. The history of strong trust between the company and our customers has continued, and with some customers we have built a relationship that has lasted more than 80 years.
Today, in addition to placing importance on the spirit of foresight and trust, we strive to contribute to the pearl industry in which we have taken part of for around 90 years. Our company is proactively engaged in industry-wide initiatives through the Japan Pearl Exporters Association (currently serving as Vice Chairman), the Japan Pearl Promotion Society (currently Director), the Mie prefecture Pearl Promotion Council (currently Chairman), etc.
PRODUCTS
| 1931 | Kazo Kakuda initiated his own business of pearl culturing at Ago bay, Mie prefecture, forming the foundation of KAKUDA PEARL. |
|---|---|
| 1935 | Overseas business transactions begins. |
| 1938 | Business expands to European and North American markets. Sales channels between Italy, Germany, Sweden, France, United States, and Canada are established. |
| 1945 | Business resumed with the 2 kans of 9 and 10mm pearls protected during the war. |
| 1949 | Incorporated KAKUDA PEARL, Co., Ltd. |
| 1952 | Largest pearl farm in Japan acquired in Amakusa, Kumamoto prefecture for Akoya pearl culturing. Kyushu Shinju founded as a limited company. |
| 1960 | Expansion to Australia to culture White Lip Pearls. KAKUDA was the third among Japanese companies to begin pearl culturing outside of Japan. |
| 1962 | Construction of new headquarter building in current location of Honmachi, Ise city, Mie prefecture. |
| 1981 | Expansion to Indonesia to culture White Lip Pearls. |
| 1992 | Succeeds in hatchery breeding of White Lip Oysters at the Indonesia pearl farm. |
| 1900 | Opens retail shop at Oharai-machi street of the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu. |
| 1999 | Opening of Ise Pearl Pier Hotel. |
| 2004 | Begins regular participation in the Hong Kong Jewelry Shows, and expands sales to the Chinese and South East Asian markets. |
| 2015 | George Kakuda, current president, initiates the Pearl Proficiency Test project with the Japan Pearl Promotion Society. Becomes Vice Chairman of the Japan Pearl Exporters Association. |
| 2016 | Becomes Chairman of the Mie prefecture Pearl Promotion Council. Takes leading role in the successful project of enabling the adoption of pearl lapel pins to be worn at the Ise Shima G7 summit by head of states. |
Business name
KAKUDA PEARL Co., Ltd
Located
7-5 Honmachi, Ise city, Mie prefecture 516-0074
Contact
TEL 0596-28-0231
FAX 0596-27-1176
Capital
90 million yen
Representative
George Kakuda, President and CEO
Business: Pearl culturing, processing and sales
Business
Pearl culturing, processing and sales
Sales office
Kobe office, Kitano Hills room 201, 1-7-23 Yamamoto-dori, Chuo ward, Kobe city, Hyogo prefecture 650-0003
Employees
33 (as of April 2019)
Main banks
Mizuho bank, Mie bank, Shoko Chukin bank
Associated companies
Ise Pearl Pier Hotel, Tokai Sangyo,
ISE, Kyushu Shinju,
Asami Shinju, P.T. ARTA SAMUDRA
GREETINGS
Quality and trust
Kakuda Group started as in 1931. Our founder Kazo Kakuda marketed Japanese akoya cultured pearls to Europe and United States when the cultured pearls were emerging. He opened his first pearls farm in Mie prefecture in 1948, Kumamoto in 1952, Thursday Island of Australia in 1960, Raja Ampat of Indonesia in 1981.
From 1948 on, Kakuda is vertically integrating from pearl cultivation to pearl processing and necklace making in the group to provide the beauty of the pearl to the world. The company is based on the thorough pursuit of quality.
KAKUDA PEARL CO., LTD
CEOGeorge Kakuda
Career
1995
International Christian University
1995
Mikimoto
1997
Kakuda Pearl
2014
Kakuda Pearl CEO
Director, Japan Pearl Promotion Society (JPPS)
Chairman (Vice Chairman from 2019), JPPS Proficiency test for specialists
Lead the establishment of the JPPS Proficiency test for specialists as Chairman
Committee Member, JPPS Pearl Study committee
Actively engaged in forming the JPPS Pearl Standard 2013 Pearl Standard
Vice Chairman, Japan Pearl Exporters’ association
Leading promotion of Japanese akoya pearls to overseas markets
Chairman, Mie Prefecture Pearl Promotion Council
Lead the pearl lapel pin initiative for the Ise-Shima G7 summit
KAKUDA PEARL GALLEY
(retail shop)
Located33 Ujinakanokiri-machi, Ise city, Mie prefecture 5160025
ContactTEL 0596-20-8628, FAX 0596-20-8629
Operating hours9:30–17:30
Winter hours(Nov.16-Jan.15) 9:00-17:00
Closed on Tuesdays(closed on Wednesday if Tuesday is a national holiday)
