Project connecting the next generation with culture launches April 2026
Tetsu Nishiyama joins as creative director
HUMAN MADE Inc. (Head Office: 2-24-9 Kamiōsaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO / COO: Rei Matsunuma) will launch Buffer in April 2026, welcoming Tetsu Nishiyama, a driving force in Tokyo street culture since the 1990s, as the new brand’s creative director.
Buffer values the margins between eras, generations and cultures, connecting the next generation with culture through its creations. The brand’s name not only reflects the buffer linking different generations and values, but regaining the blank space required to stop and spend time in a leisurely manner, particularly in a world where speed and efficiency take precedence.
The youth culture experienced by creative director Tetsu Nishiyama in Tokyo from the 1980s to 2000s provides the basis for new forms of expression that connect past and present, embracing the distance and misalignment between generations and values in a positive manner. Buffer aims to create space for people to stop and gather their thoughts and feelings in an ever-accelerating world. Through the products it creates, Buffer will present new outlooks on the passing of time and values.
HUMAN MADE Inc.’s involvement with this project aligns with its purpose of “Cultivate Culture,” nurturing culture sparkled by human inspiration and craft, aiming to grow it into Japan’s next iconic creative industry following manga, anime, and games.
Profile: Tetsu Nishiyama
Creative Director
1974: Born in Tokyo
1993: Starts silkscreen print brand Forty Percent Against Rights with friends
1996: Starts WTAPS as an authentic apparel brand
2014: Launches lifestyle brand Descendant
2024: Starts online media Stump with the editorial aim of connecting with the next generation
2026: Launches T-shirt label Buffer
Official Instagram：@Tetsu_Nishiyama
The Buffer Community
The Buffer mascot is a pink rabbit, rather than a white one. As a guide, its role is to lead the new generation into the depths of culture. In the same way that seniors pass on valuable lessons to their younger counterparts after school, Buffer is a place for learning and discovery built on warm relationships. It’s a place where hobbies are discussed like a club and things are occasionally made together. Buffer values this kind of community. Rather than being constrained by time, there is a respect for the values and sensibilities born from spending time leisurely with others, nurturing a discerning eye for historical context and lifestyle. With this in mind, items will be presented to inspire creativity in the next generation.
Product Overview
Products will feature graphic designs by a wide variety of illustrators and artists, whose individual expressions convey the diversity and richness of culture. Pricing will be based on standards from the ‘80s and ‘90s with the aim of being affordable for high school-aged customers. The debut collection, featuring graphic T-shirts and other goods, will be released in April 2026.
Brand Overview
Buffer aims to pass on the history and context of ‘80s and ‘90s US culture to the next generation, just like after-school gatherings of seniors and juniors. The brand also seeks to nurture a discerning eye for lifestyle and provide a source of creative inspiration, delivering authentic products at ‘80s and ‘90s prices to allow anyone to access the world of culture. Buffer also aims to support the creativity of the future, serving as a buffer that links generations and connects the next generation with culture.
Official @buffer.jp
<Enquiries>
For enquiries about this release, please contact the following email address.
Buffer PR ( bufferpr@humanmade.co.jp )