SAMGHA brand secures funding to support Buddhist cultural heritage through apparel

The design brand ‘SAMGHA’ has secured approximately 3 million yen in funding to support the preservation of Buddhist culture and the economic stability of regional temples in Japan. The funding includes a 2 million yen loan from the Japan Finance Corporation and a subsidy of up to 1 million yen for small business sustainability.

Developed through a collaboration between Web-Design. LINK LLC and Jinja Bukkyaku Online Co., Ltd., the brand creates apparel using high-definition digital reproductions of authentic historical artifacts, such as sutras and Buddhist paintings, rather than generic Japanese-style patterns. The project utilizes AI and design processing to convert intricate historical texts into high-quality printing materials.

A portion of the sales revenue is donated back to the participating temples, creating a circular model intended to support the maintenance of cultural properties in rural areas facing depopulation and aging populations. The new funds will be used for product development, marketing, and expanding the brand's reach through domestic and cross-border e-commerce.