探究するものづくり
ANGLE CRAFT EXPLORER FILE.
Traditional craftsmanship and new challenges
FILE.1 Haruo Ogawa (GNUOYP)
ANGLE CRAFT EXPLORER FILE. 1
Made in a small workshop in Mukojima,
The innovation of Tenmizo Gamaguchi
FILE.1 Haruo Ogawa (GNUOYP)
A lineage of craftsmen dating back over 100 years, still alive today
Mukojima, Sumida Ward, Tokyo. In this downtown area near the Sumida River, one craftsman quietly works with leather. Ogawa Haruki of GNUOYP (Nyepi) crafts his "Tenmizo" clasp wallets, with a refined form that seems to anticipate modern lifestyles. There is more to Ogawa's hands than just a love for leather goods. It is the pride and sense of responsibility of a family of leather craftsmen, whose great-grandmother was Shigeta Nao, the first craftsman to make handbags in Japan, and who has been in the family for three generations.
The Mother of Japanese Handbags: Nao Shigeta
During the Meiji era, Shigeta Nao moved to Tokyo from Tohoku, where she mastered the art of leather bag making in a male-dominated craftsmanship society, becoming Japan's first handbag craftsman. Even after losing everything in the Great Kanto Earthquake, she relied solely on the skills she had cultivated to support her family and rebuild. Her turbulent life was so fascinating that NHK considered adapting it into a drama (though "Oshin" was ultimately chosen).
Leather first took root in Japan before the Asuka period, when techniques were introduced by craftsmen called "Jukuhi Koma" and "Komabe" who came from the continent. In Japan's leather culture, which has a history of over 1,000 years, Shigeta Nao was an innovator who broke new ground.
Innovation called Tenmizo - Reconstruction of traditional techniques
"Tenmizo" is a wallet with an extremely sophisticated design that sets it apart from ordinary gamaguchi. It eliminates the protruding "genko" that is found in traditional gamaguchi, achieving a clean, rounded form. This beautiful clasp shape was once a favorite of Tokyo geisha as a floral business card holder, and is a modern revival of it.
Interestingly, gamaguchi purses are imported goods that were introduced from France during the Meiji period. They are said to have originated in 1871, when Yamashiroya Kazusuke, a government merchant, brought back gamaguchi wallets and bags that were all the rage in France during a European inspection tour, and imitated them and began selling them in Japan.
A mission to preserve rare craftsmanship for future generations
The metal fittings used in Ogawa's workshop are made of brass, which is rare these days. Each one is hand-finished, allowing you to enjoy the changes that occur over time, just like the leather. However, as far as Ogawa knows, there are only two 80-year-old craftsmen in the Kanto region who can wrap leather around the metal fittings, known as tenmizo, using the traditional method. As demand has decreased over time, the number of craftsmen has also drastically decreased.
An encounter with a skilled craftsman who had been making clasps for 50 years made it possible for Ogawa to make Tenmizo. Initially, the craftsman had no successor and said he would be finished, but after collaborating with Ogawa, a potential successor emerged. When Ogawa learned of this technique, which could be said to be in danger of extinction, he felt a strong sense of mission that he "didn't want it to end."
From pest to treasure: choosing wild deerskin
The leather Ogawa uses is not just any deerskin. It is a special material made from the skin of wild deer that have been exterminated as pests, and is carefully tanned in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture. "Rather than ending their lives as pests, I want to use them to help people" - this desire is what turns skin into leather.
The hide of a wild deer is engraved with unique features such as scratches and bullet holes. Ogawa does not hide these as imperfections, but rather makes use of them as the individuality of each individual piece. Because he cuts the parts himself while imagining the finished product, even wallets with the same design will have completely different looks. Even if someone on the street has the same wallet, it will undoubtedly be "yours alone."
Deerskin has been familiar to the Japanese since ancient times, and was already used for tools in the Yayoi period. Its softness and beautiful aging allow it to develop a unique texture as it adapts to the user's lifestyle.
The new standard in the cashless era
Despite its ultra-thin design, just 1cm thick, the Tenmizo wallet features a coin purse, card pockets (holds 10 cards), and a bill compartment, making it the perfect wallet for the cashless era. It opens wide with a single touch, allowing for excellent visibility of the contents. And best of all, the distinctive snap of the clasp when it opens and closes brings a little peace of mind to our digitalized daily lives.
Ogawa says, "I think Tenmizo's design fits perfectly with modern lifestyles, where cashless transactions are on the rise and people no longer carry many things."
The Japanese spirit in manufacturing
Angle's philosophy of "commitment to craftsmanship" resonates deeply with Ogawa's attitude. The passion of the craftsmanship that goes into each and every product, the love for the user, and the responsibility to the next generation—these are more than just business; they are the essence of Japanese craftsmanship culture.
Today, Ogawa continues to work with leather in his small workshop in Mukojima. With the blood inherited from his great-grandmother and the techniques entrusted to him by his artisans, he continues to create new traditions that live on in the modern age. The innovative Tenmizo wallet may be a beautiful bridge connecting the past and the future.
File 1 Haruo Ogawa (GNUOYP)
Born in Kuramae in 1974, Shigeta Nao is the daughter of a family of leather craftsmen who have been in the family for three generations, with his great-grandmother being Japan's first handbag craftsman. After dropping out of university, he trained in Milan, Italy, and founded the leather brand "GNUOYP" in 2010. He is an innovative craftsman who inherits the endangered Tenmizo purse technique in his Mukojima workshop, while also utilizing new materials such as wild deer leather and mushroom leather.
