The store, built in the early Showa period, has a pure white retro exterior and a striking deep navy blue signboard, giving it a somewhat classic atmosphere. The store's name, "OZIO," means "relaxed and carefree" in Italian.

OZIO Hakodate Main Store in Motomachi is the studio of Yasunori Nagamine, a bag designer from Hakodate. After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts, Nagamine, who had been active in Tokyo, decided that "manufacturing can be done anywhere," and moved from Tokyo with the desire to contribute to the revitalization of his hometown.

OZIO was born from the idea of "portable art"

Upon entering the store, among the products boldly printed with various animals, a panel of vivid flamingos catches your eye, just like an art gallery. When I asked the store manager and bag craftsman Teruyuki Honbe about it, he told me, "This painting of a flamingo wearing high heels is what inspired OZIO, and it has now become the brand's icon."

OZIO was born when Nagamine was holding a solo exhibition of animal paintings and wondered, "Can I turn illustrations of various animals into bags as portable art?"

You might think that the animal designs for OZIO are decided through discussion among the staff, but it turns out that they are all decided by Nagamine. "The ideas for how to express animals only exist in the designer's head. We are also looking forward to seeing what animal they will design for a leather product next," says Motobu.

The sketches of animals sometimes contain ideas that make you think "No way! Nagamine's playful mind is sublimated into the design of OZIO's leather products. Nagamine's playful mind is sublimated into the design of OZIO's leather products as animals full of charm.

New forms of leather products created with leather and print design

When you hear the phrase "designing leather products," many people may imagine leather craft, which involves combining and embroidering multiple pieces of leather. In the case of OZIO, it refers to treating a single piece of leather like a canvas and printing various patterns and illustrations of animals.

Printing on the leather is done using a technique called "silkscreen printing," which was also Nagamine's idea. It may seem simple, but Motobu-san told us, "No two pieces of leather are the same. Each piece has different fine wrinkles, oil content, dryness, and so on, so you need to carefully determine how the ink is absorbed. For example, if you use too much ink at once, it can damage the leather when it dries, making it unusable."

Each and every design part is created bit by bit... Sometimes delicately, sometimes boldly. The printing process is done with the utmost care, using multiple plates.

A simple form that combines design and sustainability

There is another key point in OZIO's product manufacturing: simplifying the shape of the product. While combining different materials and using many small parts can make a product look beautiful, it can also lead to problems such as fraying, breakage, and deformation. By simplifying the shape, it becomes easier to repair and you can enjoy the product for a longer period of time.

Because leather is a material that can be used semi-permanently with proper care using cream and oil, the creation of products that are durable and long-lasting can be said to match the sustainability required in modern times.

Using scraps to create leather crafts makes it even more fun and unique

OZIO creates unique leather products that combine art and sustainability. The leather craft experience, which is popular among tourists and is held at the "OZIO hand BAY store," gives a glimpse of their artistic and sustainable efforts.

One of the experience menus is the "Keychain Engraving Experience," which allows you to easily enjoy the engraving experience by adding 660 yen to the price of the keychain, and they recommend engraving on scraps rather than the actual keychain itself. The colorful ribbon-like leather scraps are made from scraps generated during the manufacturing process. By combining these with keychains modeled after various animals, you can enjoy an endless number of pairings.

According to Motobu, "The trick to getting a nice finish is to stamp on the leather in several small steps, rather than stamping with strong force in one go." When you hand the engraved leather to the staff, the scraps are quickly transformed into part of the keychain design. It's popular with people of all ages, both as a souvenir from your trip and as a keepsake for yourself.

Near the OZIO Hakodate main store, you will find the beautiful cobblestone street Nijukkenzaka, a group of churches, and the Red Brick Warehouses. Why not enjoy a carefree trip to Hakodate while walking around the city with a bag featuring vibrant silkscreened animal designs? The photo you take of yourself will surely be a work of art that embodies the OZIO mood.

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OZIO Hakodate Main Branch
Phone: 0138-23-1773
Address: 29-14 Motomachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Access: 3 minutes walk from Hakodate City Tram "Jujigai"
HP: https://oziodesign.com/
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/oziodesign/

OZIO hand BAY store
Phone: 090-2816-5511
Address: 11-5 BAY Hakodate, Toyokawacho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Access: 5 minutes walk from Hakodate City Tram "Jujigai"

OZIO YN store
Phone: 0138-86-5171
Address: 1F Siesta Hakodate, 24-1 Honmachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Access: 20 seconds from Hakodate City Tram "Goryokaku Park"

*For details on opening hours and holidays, please check the link above.