KYOTO — When you consider the amount of time that one of Japan’s most famous kimono makers spends on each garment, even the most celebrated Western couture houses start to look like fast fashion.

Chiso, founded in Kyoto in 1555, creates standard kimonos in three to four months, but it is not unusual for special orders to take 18 months or more. The company even spent 10 years helping to develop a dyeing technique for one special indigo kimono.

“Chiso expresses the essence of Japanese beauty,” said Hiragane Yuichi, director of the Arts and Crafts Association in Osaka, who used to train Chiso’s designers. “It is a company, but it isn’t just a business. It creates a culture of Japanese beauty.”

Managers say there are 20 to 25 steps to producing a kimono, from design to sales. “Our producing process starts from planning, and then designing, checking right after each process is done,” said Emi Kanasaki, manager of Sohya, Chiso’s modern kimono brand, which was founded in 2005.