Leather Goods Made out of Peanuts? Vegan Leather from Chiba Prefecture

In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the production and sale of vegan leather, largely due to various modern concerns. However, its manufacturing has been confined to foreign countries, making it a relatively underdeveloped sector in Japan. In the midst of this, a vegan leather crafted from an unconventional material has been launched in Japan.

The leather, released by Kashiwa Leather Co., Ltd., is a vegan leather made from peanuts. We spoke to Akifumi Iijima, the CEO of Kashiwa Leather Co., Ltd., about why he focused on peanuts and its manufacturing process.

Shifting from Authentic Leather to Vegan Leather

Established in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture in 2016, Kashiwa Leather Co., Ltd. not only operates as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), but also runs a leather manufacturing and sales shop, NUIZA Sewing Mon Kashiwa, with a workshop. The company is involved in the development and sales of original products.

Having developed their original pig leather (Kashiwa Leather) in 2017, the company also sells bags, wallets, and small leather goods made from unique leather (animals caught within Chiba Prefecture).

Iijima explains that they shifted their focus to vegan leather, specifically peanuts, for the following reasons: Vegan leather has been garnering global attention since around 2021, but these products were made overseas and then processed and sold in Japan.

Utilization of Special Products from Chiba

Iijima shared his thoughts: "Since it's Japan-made, why not create fabric from a material that hasn't been attempted by someone else?" As he researched materials, he learned that the thin skins of peanuts, Chiba's premiere crop, are almost entirely discarded during the manufacturing process. This led him to take an interest in this material for the production of vegan leather. Iijima obtained the cooperation of Kimura Peanut, a company in Chiba Prefecture that handles everything from peanut cultivation to processing and sales, which led to the production of vegan leather.

Vegan leather is made of peanuts and PVC (polyvinyl chloride), with the appropriate ratio being a 10% mix of peanut skins during the PVC to leather conversion process. Iijima reflects that his challenges during development included determining the correct proportion of peanut skins and adjusting the temperature. The finished leather has a solid texture, even from the perspective of Iijima, who has been involved in the manufacturing of genuine leather, and it emits a faint smell of peanuts immediately after being made. It is also more resistant to decay, pests, and water than real leather. Already, a number of customers who have handled the products have given positive feedback about the initiative.

Products Made from Japanese Vegan Leather

Iijima has shared that there are still several challenges remaining with the initiatives surrounding vegan leather originating from Japan. "Because the recognition of the initiative itself is low, I want more people to recognize and hold products made of this fabric," he commented.

Furthermore, because the project is still in its initial stages, it costs more than regular synthetic leather (PVC leather). However, they wish to improve this. Even at the current level, it's cheaper than foreign-made vegan leather, and Iijima believes in the potential growth of Japanese vegan leather.

Lastly, Iijima mentioned, "In the future, amid the increasing challenges of simply producing and selling leather goods, I want to express the uniqueness by highlighting vegan leather made from peanuts. This will showcase the story of our initiative, materials, and production process." We urge everyone to experience vegan leather as produced by a genuine leather company like this one.