Recently, we had the opportunity to visit a tannery in Himeji, where the cowhide used in Bunkoya Oozeki products is carefully tanned.
I’m Kubo, a designer at Bunkoya Oozeki, and I’d like to share what I learned during the visit.
The leather is so perfectly flat and beautifully coated in white that it’s hard to believe it once covered a cow’s body.
How is this pure white cowhide—the very “origin” of our Bunkogawa craftsmanship—actually made?
Today, we’d like to share a behind‑the‑scenes report from our factory visit. 📝
In 2023, one of the buildings at this tannery was completely destroyed in a fire.
On the left side of the photo, there used to be a large three‑story steel‑frame building. It has since been cleared, leaving an empty lot.
The tannery has now moved its workspace to another building and continues its production there.
① Primary Tanning → Dyeing
Tanning involves many steps, but it begins with “primary tanning,” where tanning agents such as tannins or chromium are applied to the raw hide—after the hair has been removed—to give it properties like resistance to decay and heat.
Here is a piece of leather that has just finished chrome tanning.
Although chromium itself is deep green, the chemical reaction during tanning gives the hide a pale blue tone—hence the name “wet blue.”
Can you feel the weight and density of it?
The hides are still quite thick and full of moisture. From here, each piece is carefully inspected by skilled craftsmen, who check for scratches, dents, and other marks before sorting them according to their intended use.
📝 By the way…
Cattle known for their delicious meat—such as Japanese Black (Kuroge Wagyu)—apparently have hides that are also “delicious” to insects, resulting in more insect bites.
On the other hand, cows that are not considered premium meat cattle tend to have hides that are easier to work with for leather.
A surprising fact indeed…!
This is a large wooden drum‑type tank called a “taiko” .
It rotates continuously by electric power.
It is used for processes such as “secondary tanning,” where the hides—after primary tanning—are placed inside to be softened even further.
The drum is also used to add oils to the leather, as well as to mix in pigments for dyeing it red, blue, and other colors.
There are many different types of oils and pigments that are added together with the leather.
The taiko drum rotates for about eight hours—and it cannot be stopped midway❗
Because of this, the craftsmen begin their work at 5 a.m., and only around 2 p.m. are they finally able to take their lunch break.
It is truly an incredibly demanding job.
② Drying
After spending many hours in the tanning process, the leather is taken to the drying area.
Forklifts carry the hides one after another to the drying racks.
The space is incredibly large—almost the size of a gymnasium.
Just hanging these huge, water‑laden hides one by one looks like an enormous amount of work.
Despite their size, natural air‑drying is absolutely essential.
The more heat or artificial drying methods are used, the stiffer and more brittle the leather becomes, making it difficult to work with.
It’s a process heavily influenced by the weather, and managing it requires great care.
③ Processing → Finishing
Once the base leather has been prepared in this way, it undergoes additional processing depending on its intended use, gradually developing its own “character.”
As you walk through the factory, you see an array of leathers in many different colors and textures.
“They also have some rather primitive‑looking machines,” the craftsman said with a smile as he showed us a device called a “batter.”
Can you guess how this machine is used?
First, the leather is clamped onto the metal fitting at the end of the protruding rod.
Then, when the switch is turned on…
The rod began moving up and down at high speed, making an incredible noise as it whipped the leather around. 😱‼️
This batter machine is used when the leather tanned in the taiko drum needs to be softened even further.
Its strength is that it can make the leather very soft in a short amount of time, so it’s mainly used for garment leather.
This process is called “bata‑furi”—Shake it vigorously—literally named after the sound and the motion!
Next, a long, horizontally stretched machine appeared.
This is the spray coater, which applies pigments and color‑fixing agents to the surface of the leather.
For the white leather used on the surface of Bunkogawa items, a white paste is sprayed on.
For colored leathers—such as those used for the inside of wallets—the corresponding pigments are added and sprayed onto the surface.
In the saishiki (hand‑painting) process at Bunkoya Oozeki’s workshop, pigments are applied directly onto the leather with a brush.
To ensure that the paint does not repel or bead on the surface, the tannery carefully adjusts the formulation of the agents used during this coating stage.
A wide variety of chemical agents were stacked and stored there.
This is the “iron.”
It looks completely different from the irons we use in daily life, but its role is the same—using heat and pressure to flatten the leather.
Each piece of leather is passed under the massive heated roller to flatten it.
The roller reaches a temperature of around 100°C, so it’s far too hot to touch with bare hands—even for a moment.
The craftsmen also have to wipe the roller frequently with a cloth, and because they work so close to the heat, this task becomes especially tough during the summer.
Because leather comes from living animals, each hide naturally has its own characteristics, making consistent production extremely challenging.
Even so, the tannery works closely with us—listening carefully to our detailed requests and concerns—to produce white leather specifically suited for Bunkogawa.
Adjusting pigment ratios to achieve the ideal color, and managing processes that are easily affected by climate conditions, reminded me in many ways of our own saishiki (hand‑painting) and sabi‑ire (antique‑finish) work in Bunkogawa production.
And yet, the sheer scale of their operations, the breadth and depth of their technical skills, and the warmth of everyone we met left a deep impression on us.
It was truly an inspiring visit.
The white cowhide produced by the tannery goes through many more steps at the Bunkoya Oozeki workshop before it finally becomes Bunkogawa.
From there, each piece is carefully crafted into wallets and other items by skilled sewing artisans—only then does it finally reach your hands.
When you think about the countless hours and the many hands involved in creating each piece, I hope it brings an even deeper appreciation for the Bunkogawa item you own. 😊
We are truly grateful to all our customers and partners who have supported us throughout the year, allowing us to continue creating Bunkogawa.
Thank you sincerely for your continued trust in Bunkoya Oozeki.
We will keep crafting Bunkogawa pieces that bring a smile to everyone who holds them in their hands.
We look forward to your continued support in the coming year as well.
