About Japanache: Our Story

From Kumamoto to Sydney Uni

Richard grew up in Sydney, then moved to Japan in the early 1990s, living in Kumamoto and Osaka for several years. After returning to Australia, he undertook honours research, where he met Naomi at Sydney University in 2001. The couple married in 2003 at a Shinto shrine in Naomi's hometown of Niihama, Ehime — the same region the business now sources its futons from.

Finding the Niche

After returning to Australia, Richard and Naomi travelled the country searching for genuine Japanese homeware stores — and found almost none. What started as a personal frustration turned into an idea: a family business built around bringing authentic, Japanese-made goods to Australia.

In 2005, Richard and Naomi travelled to Japan on a feasibility trip and met the operator of the country's largest dealer-only auction house. Convinced there was something real here, he purchased a full 20ft shipping container of fabrics and antiques straight from the auction floor.

The Weekend That Changed Everything

At the time, the couple was living in Bundanoon, in the Southern Highlands of NSW. With nowhere else to show the collection, they cleared out their own furniture, filled the house with their newly imported Japanese antiques and art, and put up 36 hand-made signs at every entry point into and major roundabout in the Southern Highlands.

Over one weekend, 450 people came through their home.

That response was all the confirmation they needed. They rented a small 200 sq ft space in the Mittagong Antiques Centre while searching for a permanent home, and in 2007, opened their first store on Cavendish Street, Mittagong.

A Suitcase Full of Futon

Their futon supply chain began with a stroke of fate. An Aussie man walked into their Mittagong shop with his Japanese wife and a suitcase — inside was a traditional futon, made by her family, who had been crafting them for generations in Shikoku. He asked if they'd be interested in selling them.

They visited the factory on their next trip to Japan, and have imported the futons by the container-load ever since.

A Personal Reason to Believe in the Product

Long before Japanese futons became part of the Japanache range, Richard experienced their benefit firsthand. After injuring his back landscaping, he spent 18 months in weekly treatments with limited relief. Switching to a traditional Japanese futon made a real difference — and that experience is the reason Japanache sells futons at all. Since then, the same story has echoed back through the anecdotal feedback of Japanache's own customers.

Growing Beyond Mittagong

The business thrived — but its regional location limited how far it could grow. In 2013, the young family of four relocated with two cars, two kids, two dogs, a trailer and five 20ft containers to the Gold Coast, opening in Southport, where they stayed for a decade before moving to their current home in Burleigh Heads.

Sourcing With Purpose

Being a small, family-run business themselves, that kind of connection matters to them. Richard's personal contacts in Kumamoto allow the business to source tatami directly at wholesale prices. Their son Charlie now lives in Japan and helps with sourcing on the ground.

Japanache holds a Japanese Antique Dealer's License, and prioritises genuine Japanese-made products above all else. Where an authentic Japanese-made version doesn't exist — such as with kotatsu tables or zaisu chairs — they source from Japanese companies that import them, rather than settling for imitations made elsewhere.