Key Facts
• July 9, 2025: Fernandes received bankruptcy decision from Tokyo District Court.
• Debt: Approximately 730 million yen; 60 creditors involved.
• Peak sales: 4 billion yen annually in 1999; dropped to 166 million yen in 2022.
• 2024: Business operations ceased; bankruptcy initially filed and withdrawn.
• June 2025: Bankruptcy refiled after financial struggles.
• Products: Electric guitars, basses, amplifiers; manufacturing outsourced.
• Export markets: Included the U.S.; also operated a craftsman training school.
• Trademark: Partial rights transferred to another company.
• Tomoyasu Hotei: Collaborated on original model in 1985; expressed gratitude and sadness over closure.
Summary
Fernandes, a Japanese electric guitar brand known for its use by renowned artists like Tomoyasu Hotei and former X JAPAN member Hide, has declared bankruptcy. The company, based in Toda City, Saitama, faced financial struggles due to rising competition and the growth of the secondhand market. Once achieving annual sales of 4 billion yen in 1999, revenues plummeted to 166 million yen by 2022, with a final loss of 24 million yen. After ceasing operations in 2024 and withdrawing an initial bankruptcy filing, Fernandes refiled in June 2025. The company, which outsourced manufacturing and exported globally, also operated a craftsman training school. Some of its trademarks have been transferred to other companies. Hotei, who collaborated with Fernandes on a custom model in 1985, expressed his gratitude and sorrow over the brand’s closure.
