Tanukikoji Shopping Street is one of the oldest shopping streets in Hokkaido. If you go further through the bustling streets of 1-chome to 7-chome, where many people come and go every day, you will reach 8-chome, where you can feel a laid-back atmosphere.

Located in one corner of the area, blending in with the quiet street, is Kusaka Bag Store, run by the representative Koji Kusaka and his wife Hiroko. The store is filled with high-quality bags and leather accessories that are made with the utmost care so that they can be used for a long time.

We visited Kusaka-san and had a long talk with him about the hidden charm behind the doors.

Upon opening the warm wooden door, you are greeted by elegant and beautiful leather goods and accessories that show the meticulous workmanship at a glance. Inside the store, there are products made by artists and craftsmen with ties to Sapporo, centering on Kusaka-san's brand "Kusaka Koushi."

These related artists and craftsmen are also students who learned how to make bags in the "Bag Class" that Kusaka-san teaches. It is a space filled with attention to detail, with "things that they like and think are good" and "things that they want to convey the appeal of" carefully arranged one by one.

Attracted by the appeal of difficult materials

"I thought it was an interesting material."

Kusaka enrolled in the Department of Art within the Faculty of Humanities at a university in Tokyo because he wanted to study design, and there he became deeply interested in contemporary art.

While working on creating objects and installations (a contemporary art form that uses the entire space), he started to pay attention to the material "leather" after using leather as part of an object.

At the same time, he was staying in Karuizawa for a part-time job and happened to come across a shop that made products out of leather. He recalled that witnessing the "high degree of freedom in manufacturing" there "was what sparked my interest."

"Unlike fabric, the cut parts don't fray, so at first I thought it was easy to work with. But due to a lack of knowledge and skill, leather didn't respond the way I wanted it to... The more I learned about the material, the more I thought it was difficult, but interesting."

Kusaka-san fell in love with the quality of leather, which changes the more it is used, and became absorbed in it. Since he has always loved bags, it was a natural progression for him to come up with the idea of "making bags myself."

Techniques learned from "old things"

At the time, it was difficult to find a place that taught how to make bags, so for a time he attended a vocational school for shoes, a related field.

"I particularly like old, traditional bags like those found in Britain. However, I didn't have any training or education in making bags, so you could say that 'old things are my teacher.'" says Kusaka.

He would find old leather products here and there, dismantle them, and learn about their structure... By repeating this process, he acquired knowledge and skills on his own.

"Making things that I would want to use myself" and "It would be wonderful if the person I love had something like this" are the thoughts he has for those important people in his life. These are the thoughts that underlie his bag making and he says he still holds onto them to this day.

Decision to relocate due to requests to see the facility up close

Although he considered continuing his activities in Tokyo, he decided to return to his hometown of Hokkaido due to various circumstances. In 1995, he began full-scale activities in a town near Sapporo.

By holding exhibitions and displaying items at galleries in Sapporo, they gradually created more opportunities for their products to reach customers and directly convey the value of their leather products. Thanks to connections made by people who attended their events, they were able to utilize an abandoned school, and the scope of their activities is steadily expanding.

In the midst of all this, we received many comments from people who made the effort to visit us from the Sapporo area saying, "It would be nice if we could see more of it in Sapporo..." So we decided to move our base to Sapporo. After relocating, we have now set up our current store.

In the workshop set up inside the store, Kusaka and his wife Hiroko each take full responsibility for creating one item, using traditional techniques and methods.

"If there's something that bothers you, like 'I should have done it this way,' even if there's nothing wrong with the product and others don't notice, you're the only one who knows. I try not to create things that leave me with regrets like that."

The leather products of "Kusaka Koushi" are made by carefully and meticulously stacking each step. The delicate and beautiful lines and forms that are realized by paying attention to every detail are embodied by Kusaka's conviction and sincerity as a craftsman.

In 2019, the company launched the brand "KOROBOTCH," which offers "something a little fun" rooted in everyday life as a "model for a simple lifestyle."

Among the items that stand out are leather goods that are perfect as gifts or souvenirs, such as "Leather Baby Bear Ku-chan" and "Leather Polar Bear," leather versions of the "wooden carved bears" that many people think of as souvenirs from Hokkaido.

This is a new type of souvenir that you can wet with water and mold into any shape you like. Its adorableness will make your heart flutter every time you make eye contact with it, and it's sure to bring some healing to your busy daily life.

Delivering what we believe to be "good"

"Nearly 30 years have passed since I started my own manufacturing business, but there are still people who have been using my products for many years since the early days, so I guess I've achieved my initial vision of 'having people use them for a long time.'"

"Leather bags are heavy, and there are many lighter and more affordable options out there. But I still want to keep making leather products that motivate me and help me express my true self."

While updating their products, they continue to deliver what they believe to be "good" to those who want it. Behind the doors of "Kusaka Bag Store" lies a love for materials and manufacturing that is close to the user, something that will never change even as times change.

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くさかカバン店（日下公司） 
電話番号：011-210-7388
住所：北海道札幌市中央区南3条西8丁目 7−3 
アクセス：地下鉄南北線・東西線・東豊線「大通駅」 より徒歩10分程度  
　　　　　地下鉄南北線「すすきの駅」より徒歩10分程度 
HP： https://kusaka.net/ 
SNS： https://www.instagram.com/kusakakaban10/ 
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