Building Katana: From Japanese Craft to Global Glove Brand

When Katana entered the glove market, it set its ambitions high. With deep roots in Japanese craftsmanship, bold design sensibilities and international aspirations, the brand needed more than just a product. It needed identity, storytelling and strategic partnerships. AXI stepped in as the full-service partner, driving everything from brand architecture to cross-border negotiations, marketing execution to creative direction.

Trevor Bauer wearing a Katana glove

The Challenge

Katana was operating in a highly competitive market. Japanese glove brands, especially those that focus on design, street-wear crossover and global expansion face two key hurdles:

• Standing out domestically against heritage brands with strong legacies

• Breaking into international markets where local players dominate and global consumers expect narrative, culture and relevance
  Katana needed to define a clear voice, a powerful visual system, a content ecosystem and strategic alliances that would elevate it beyond niche status.
  AXI was engaged to own that transformation.

AXI’s Role: Full-Spectrum Brand & Growth Partner

From day one, AXI positioned Katana as a dynamic cultural bridge: Japanese quality and aesthetic meeting global street, performance and design sensibility. The suite of services AXI brought to the table included:

• Brand Identity & Visual Language – We defined Katana’s look & feel: from logo, typography, colour palette, packaging, to photography style that merges traditional Japanese craft cues with modern urban minimalism.

• Creative Content & Campaign Production – AXI produced high-quality photo and video campaigns, influencer collaborations, editorial features and social content designed for Japan and overseas markets.

• Digital Strategy & Community Building – We mapped Katana’s digital ecosystem: making Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and e-commerce channels work in concert. AXI strategized local and global follower growth, content cadence, hashtag strategy, and translated the brand’s story for cross-region relevance.

• Partnerships & Cross-Border Negotiations – Leveraging AXI’s network, Katana entered into collaborations with key retailers, pop-up activations in major cities, and influencer/creator partnerships across Asia and the West. AXI managed the negotiation, alignment of brand values, legal/regulatory support, localization and rollout.

• Go-to-Market & Growth Execution – From Japan launch events to global drops, from localized website launches to logistic/fulfillment support, AXI oversaw the process to ensure Katana’s expansion was smooth, consistent, and aligned with the brand identity.

Katana sponsors Drew VerHagen from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2025

The Impact

Thanks to AXI’s integrated approach, Katana achieved significant milestones in a short time:

• Rapid growth in global followers and social engagement. Katana now holds 4th place among Japanese glove brands in terms of follower numbers, a marker of its growing cultural relevance and digital traction.

• A diversified presence in multiple markets (Japan, Asia Pacific, North America and Europe) with aligned brand voice and design direction across regions.

• Strong creative output — campaigns that have been featured in regional digital magazines, influencer-led street looks, celebrity endorsements, and high-impact product drops.

• Strategic collaborations that elevated the brand’s status and brought in co-brands, limited edition releases and exclusive retail activations.

Building relationships with Baseball United

What This Means for AXI

This project exemplifies AXI’s strength in transforming brands with ambition into cultural assets. With Katana:

• We demonstrated our ability to manage end-to-end brand building, from strategy to execution.

• We showed how a brand rooted in Japan can transcend local appeal and resonate globally with the right blend of craft, story and network.

• We deepened our experience in the lifestyle / design / fashion-adjacent category — which complements our work in luxury, concierge experiences and creative services.

Looking Forward

Katana’s journey is far from over. As the brand continues to evolve, AXI remains a strategic partner. Upcoming phases include expanded direct-to-consumer experiences, immersive brand activations in key cities, deeper community engagement via creators and micro-influencers, and continued iteration of the content ecosystem to maintain relevance and momentum.