About Us

Saori Hirabayashi-Ngo founded Saosho based on the foundation of her own Japanese heritage and multicultural upbringing.  Her mission is to pass down Japanese craftsmanship for generations to come by bridging Japan to the world.  Saosho currently offers consulting services with a focus on fashion and lifestyle products made in Japan.

Our Founder Story

Born in Japan and educated in the US, UK, Portugal, and Japan, I often found myself experiencing the beauty of Japanese culture as a native Japanese but at the same time with an outside perspective. My passion for beauty and style led me to a career in the fashion industry spanning over 17 years, working in the US and Japan, specializing in Merchandising and Visual Merchandising. After relocating back to Tokyo with my husband, I rediscovered my appreciation for products that are “made in Japan”. At the same time, I realized that they were often under-represented in the rest of the world due to language barriers or simply because there was no one there to connect the two. Saosho was created with a strong desire not only to offer beautiful Japanese products globally but to empower craftsman to continue their work beyond their lifetime.