Edo Bag "Gassai-bukuro" to the World. #April Dream

Our company, Plaisir Co., Ltd., supports April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day for announcing dreams, and through this press release, we would like to share the dream of Plaisir Co., Ltd., a manufacturer and wholesaler of fabric bags. We manufacture and wholesale handmade fabric handbags crafted by artisans, striving to pass on this traditional technique to the next generation.

◆ Background of the "Dream"

The bag industry, including fabric handbags as Japanese accessories, has a long history dating back to the Edo period. However, due to the aging of artisans, the shift to overseas production, and the shrinking market for Japanese traditional attire, this culture faces a crisis of survival. The "Gassai-bukuro," a unique Japanese bag cherished since the Edo period as a bag that can hold "everything and anything," is now largely unknown, and the number of artisans who make them is steadily decreasing. We are concerned that the "Gassai-bukuro culture" itself may disappear from the market.

As a pioneer who created the classic Japanese bag "Rikyu Bag" about 50 years ago, our company will continue to strive to convey artisan culture and bag culture.

◆ Plaisir's Current Initiatives

Since 2016, our company has been reinterpreting and experimenting with the "Gassai-bukuro" to develop it as a bag that can be used with both Japanese and Western attire. Currently, we offer Gassai-bukuro related products under the brand name "Shichisan," named after Shichisan Umezawa, the founder's father and a craftsman who created handbags that won a gold medal at the 1937 Paris Exposition.

We produce and sell various styles of products such as "Gassai Tote," "Edo Tesage," and "Shichisan Kake," and many people, both domestically and internationally, including inbound tourists, have come to know and love the "Gassai-bukuro."

◆ Plaisir's Future Initiatives

Drawstring and handbag styles of "Gassai-bukuro" tend to be less accepted in foreign countries from a security perspective. However, by offering "Gassai-bukuro" in a shoulder bag style, we believe we can propose it as a functional and stylish item that adapts to the lifestyles of various countries while still conveying Japanese culture.

For example, imagining a future where locals in Berlin, Germany, walk briskly through the city with a "Shichisan Kake" slung over their shoulder.

We will work towards realizing such a future where this scene becomes commonplace. Furthermore, we dream of a world where young people in Japan naturally emerge, wishing to become artisans who create "that Shichisan Kake," not just one or two, but countless individuals.

Plaisir Co., Ltd.

https://www.plaisir-bag.com/

Keywords: April Dream, Edo Bag, Gassai-bukuro, Tokyo, Handmade, Drawstring bag, Handbag, Shoulder bag, Made in Japan, Bag