はじめに
Thoughts and skills passed down from the founder of Yoshida Kaban
Kuniko Notani, a leather hand-sewing artisan and bag designer, is the second daughter of Yoshida Kichizo, the founder of one of Japan's leading bag manufacturers, Yoshida Kaban. Her passion for technology, born from her career as a hat designer, continues to be the driving force behind her earnest craftsmanship.
Currently, in order to spread the charm of handmade leather craft, she also holds a school at her atelier in Imado, Taito-ku, Tokyo, and teaches the technique as an instructor herself. He also gives hand-sewing demonstrations at the Porter Omotesando workshop on an irregular basis, and is working with the wish left by Mr. Yoshida before his death, "to spread the wonder and joy of leather hand-sewing to as many people as possible.
We visited Ms. Notani's atelier in Okuasakusa to hear about the fun and difficulty of hand-sewing and her thoughts on her activities. In the latter half of the interview, we will learn how to make a pochette using the "koma-awase stitch," a technique indispensable for making a three-dimensional bag like a trunk.
