Ajiro Bag

Product Description : Why is it so EXPENSIVE?

Product Story

General Product Information

This bag is made of bamboo, a traditional Japanese craft!
It is a stable, horizontal box-shaped bag that is small enough to hold a wallet, cell phone, notebook, favorite book, etc. The gusset is thin, so it is not bulky and gives a neat impression. The
gusset is thin, so it is not bulky and gives a neat impression when you carry it. 4 corners are reinforced with rattan braid and carefully finished.
It is available in a variety of colors, so choose your favorite!

 Product History

When did these crafts start to craft?：600 years ago / 1400AD / Muromachi period in Japan

It is said that the origin of bamboo baskets dates back to the time when the Emperor stopped by Beppu and discovered the abundance of high-quality bamboo and made baskets. Beppu is known as the best hot spring resort in Japan, and baskets for guests to use during their stay and kitchenware made of bamboo were brought back as souvenirs which resulted in spreading awareness and spurring production.

Craftsman Story

Craftsman Profile

Masato Takae / Bamboo Studio Onse
In 1985, he quit his job and built a log house in search of a natural lifestyle. While he was living there, he learned about bamboo craft, the only traditional craft in Oita Prefecture. He decided to become a craftsman at the time. He has been a craftsman for 38 years, and continues to produce a wide range of products, doing everything by himself from splitting the bamboo to the final process.

Craftsman Passion

"The importance of experiencing everything from A to Z on my own"
I used to be a business person at a company. As soon as I quit my job, I built my own house by myself. By going through the entire process, I understood the importance of each step and the implications of each step. This experience has been applied to the current bamboo crafts, and I am able to grasp the role and meaning of each process and do it carefully. I want people to experience works filled with charm that cannot be made by machines.

Achievement

Selected, Japan Folk Crafts Competition
Designated as a traditional craftsman in 2000
Selected, National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Japan
He has received many other awards for their work.

Your Contribution to Craftsman

Customer Voice

Due to the market structure (link for full articles are attached bottom), craftsman have not known who the customer is and how customer reacts to their work. We made a “Message to Craftsman” box at purchase page. We will deliver all message to every craftsman. Our review will be also shared to craftsman so please leave your comment and evaluation on review section!

Income for Craftsman: Craftsman get only less than 10% of selling price?

As written above, craftsman have not controlled last phase of sales channel that resulting in selling price is set by third-party without craftsman’s recognition. There are some cases that only less than 10% of selling price is given to craftsman. We promise with our customer / craftsman that we offer the fair trade with craftsmen in our contract!

We made an article about above problem and our challenge. Please have a read from below link.
Current state of the Crafts Market / Benefits brought by Suigenkyo

Measurement

Width：32cm
Depth：10.5cm
Height：18.5cm
Weight：400g

Material & Caution

Materials

Bamboo
Rattan
Cotton

Caution

Individual Difference

Each piece is handmade, so there are individual differences even in the same series. We hope that you will understand the change by handmade.

Delivery Date

Please note that it will take about 6 months for delivery if we do not have the item in stock.

Manufacturing Process

We have not uploaded this craftsman’s video yet, please discover another craftsman’s video from the below link.

YouTube