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“Kumanofude” is a brand that Kumanofude Cooperative (so called “Kumano Fude Kumiai”) registered as a group trademark in December 2004. 　A unification brand mark of "Kumanofude" (commonly named "K Mark") was made based on this.
A "K Mark" means that K represents “Kumanofude” and that 3 lines (in K) show the calligraphy brush (black), a makeup brush (red), and a painting brush (yellow). 　
It's easy to understand for a consumer that a brush with a “K Mark” brand mark is a brush made in Kumano Town, Hiroshima, Japan.

“K Mark” brand mark is registered not only in Japan, but also in the Madrid Protocol countries, such as the U.S.A., EU, China, Korea, Singapore, and Russia, and in the other countries, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, and UAE.

Each brand mark stamp ("K Mark" sticker) has an individual number, and a “K Mark” sticker is put on the handle of the “Kumanofude” brush or package of the “Kumanofude” brushes set product. The consumer can confirm the production history by "the stamp number."

Definition of "Kumanofude" is a brush produced by the provisions of the following (1) and (2).

(1)“Kumanofude” as one of the "Officially designated Traditional craft products." It is limited to calligraphy brushes ("Shodo fude") and india-ink painting brushes (Suibokuga fude) because it has been made for more than one hundred years. The materials and manufacturing process was established in "law (Densan Act). (If you want to know farther definition for this Officially designated Traditional craft product of Kumanofude in detail, please let us know in writing.)

(2) a brush (calligraphy brush, painting brush, makeup brush) made in Kumano, but not "Officially designated Traditional craft products.”
A tip of the brush is the most important functional part in a brush, so that the tip of the brush should be produced in Kumano Town, Hiroshima, Japan.
The hair of the tip should be made of natural animal hair, artificial hair, vegetable fiber, bird wing, or human baby hair.
The manufacturing plant should be located in Kumano Town, Hiroshima, Japan. In the case of outsourcing, the plant should be Kumano Town and /or an area around it.

Please find a formal "Kumanofude" with "K Mark" sticker on it!

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