Yokohama Canvas Bags: A brand that transmits the spirit of the port city of Yokohama to the present and future through bag making.

Manufacturing
Creating things
Craftsman's Landscape

This issue's location
[Job Title] Bag Maker
[Craftsman Name] Yokohama Canvas Bags, Yukio Suzuki
[Location] Yokohama, Bankokubashi Bridge

Carefully, thoroughly, and with heartfelt intention.
This section introduces manufacturing sites that utilize handcrafted techniques.
This time, we'll be using a special vinylon material that is used in ships and other applications.
Made with domestically produced cotton canvas and a focus on materials, Yokohama area code
Even with the "045" brand signature
Heading to the familiar "Yokohama Canvas Bags" shop.

Simple and functional things are beautiful. "Yokohama Canvas Bags" perfectly embody this idea. Unnecessary decorations are omitted, and the focus is on the materials and parts. The main materials used are two types: Vinylon ship canvas, which is used on ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and domestically produced cotton canvas, which has a history of successful export overseas since the early Showa period. "We wanted to create a bag unlike any other, so we focused on materials unique to the port city of Yokohama. We want to deliver high-quality products rather than mass consumption, with ultimate outdoor specifications," says Mr. Suzuki. Durable and high-quality materials, details that consider the user's feelings such as easy-to-grip handles, and a design that reflects an aesthetic sense. Be sure to pick up a "Yokohama Original" at the shop adjacent to the workshop at the foot of Bankoku Bridge.

Located just a two-minute walk from Bashamichi Station on the Minatomirai Line, Yokohama Hanpu Kaban has its workshop at the foot of Bankoku Bridge, a well-known spot for its spectacular Yokohama night views. Next door is a shop that has been renovated from a space previously used as a workshop.

Yukio Suzuki, who previously worked for an apparel company, founded "Yokohama Canvas Bags" in 2013 with the idea of "making things myself" and "creating something unique to Yokohama that can't be found anywhere else." During his time at the apparel company, Suzuki witnessed how a single design could be mass-produced in the hundreds of thousands in China and other countries. When starting his own brand, he decided to focus on "high-quality manufacturing that can be used for a long time, rather than mass consumption."

Upon entering the workshop, a variety of items immediately catch the eye: the main canvas fabric, colorful threads, zippers and other parts, and sample bags. Despite it being early in the morning, Mr. Suzuki and the workshop staff had already begun working diligently, cutting fabric and sewing.

Holes are punched in sturdy vinylon canvas, and parts are attached to them. Through these numerous manual processes, a single bag is completed.

The photo below shows the process of beveling the edges of the leather handles. We heard from a staff member at a store that carries "Yokohama Canvas Bags" that "female customers have complained that the edges of the leather handles are rubbing against their hands," so we immediately made a correction. Since then, this beveling process has been added.

From a production standpoint, it would be possible to produce more products without chamfering the edges. However, Mr. Suzuki continues this chamfering process because of his belief in "creating something better that will satisfy the user." "I am very grateful when people point out the flaws. Nobody praises the good parts because they are taken for granted (laughs), but I think that's okay." Mr. Suzuki, who believes that Japanese people are good at devising ways to make things better, said that he had finished chamfering 600 pieces the day before the interview. With two directions on each side, that means he chamfered a total of 1,200 pieces... an extra step to make things better... and he spends a lot of time on it.

This is a press machine that uses heat of approximately 120 degrees Celsius to imprint the brand's signature "045" and other details onto leather. This kind of painstaking work is repeatedly performed on each and every handle of a bag that you use casually.

We also asked about the materials that Yokohama Canvas Bags values. "When we started this brand, we thought about what would be characteristic of Yokohama. Yokohama is a port city, and in the past, there were shipbuilding factories there. That's where we came across the two materials we use now, 'Morino Ship Canvas' and 'Takeyari Cotton Canvas'."

The first, "Morino Ship Canvas," is from Morino Canvas & Ship Equipment Co., Ltd., which was founded in Yokohama in 1914 (Taisho 3) as a ship equipment processing business specializing in canvas and ropes. It is Morino Canvas & Ship Equipment Co., Ltd.'s original Vinylon ship canvas No. 4, which is used on ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and other vessels. The other, "Takeyari Canvas," is from Takeyari Co., Ltd., which was founded in 1888 (Meiji 21). Long ago, there was a company in Yokohama called Yokohama Canvas Co., Ltd., which, in the Showa era, focused on overseas markets and succeeded in exporting Japanese-made cotton canvas to various countries around the world, including Manchuria, China, Africa, and Australia. High-quality Japanese-made cotton canvas was exported from Yokohama to the world... and the main canvas production factory involved in that was Takeyari Textile Factory (now Takeyari Co., Ltd.) in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. (From the Yokohama Canvas Bags website, "Material & Parts")

In particular, there were concerns about using vinylon material. Although it is a material with excellent salt resistance, flame resistance, and light resistance that is also resistant to ultraviolet rays, is such a material really suitable for making bags? ... "Those properties themselves are not necessary for bags used for everyday use. But when we decided to create an original product that is unique to Yokohama and can only be found here, we wanted to pursue the ultimate outdoor specifications that are not found in the everyday life of the port city of Yokohama. So we decided to take the plunge and use this material," says Suzuki.

While Ms. Suzuki's main focus these days is design and production, she's also skilled at sewing. She carefully sews together strong materials while pressing the pedal with her foot.

"There are many ready-made canvas bags out there. But the products we make have a story behind them: 'Yokohama Canvas.' We stand in our workshop every day with confidence in that identity, hoping that those who use our products will experience even greater comfort and joy in owning them."

I also had the opportunity to visit the shop next to the workshop. Given that Yokohama is a tourist destination and the number of foreign visitors has been increasing, the shop's decorations went beyond just "Yokohama" themes, incorporating a broader definition of "Japanese" taste throughout. For example, there was this noren (traditional Japanese curtain) in front of the cash register. The crest-like mark is the brand's signature "045 (045)".

A sewing machine is placed next to the cash register, allowing customers to get a glimpse into the world of Japanese manufacturing while browsing the products in the store.

Furthermore, the shop also features a small, three-tatami-mat-sized creative tea room called "Hawai-an." Based on the concept of "NO BORDER," it is meant to be a peaceful and welcoming place, and will be used not only for tea ceremonies but also for exhibitions and sales of artists' works.

With the upcoming holiday season approaching, we have a wide variety of tote bags, body bags, and backpacks perfect for leisure and travel. In this location blessed with the sea breeze from Yokohama Port, we hope you'll find the perfect "Yokohama original" bag for you.