From Apples, Bamboo, & Hinoki to Leather: Nagai Yoriito's Bio-Vegan Leather Series

The vegan leather business is gradually expanding in Japan. However, domestic production is still underdeveloped. Within this context, Nagai Yoriito Co., Ltd. has launched the Bio-Vegan Leather Series.

This vegan leather uses materials such as apples, bamboo, and hinoki, which have not been given much attention before. This time, we spoke with Isao Kashiwagi from the Overseas Business Division of Nagai Yoriito Co., Ltd. about the purpose and development background.

From Sewing Thread to Vegan Leather Business

Nagai Yoriito Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Nagai Yoriito) has been manufacturing and selling high-strength sewing threads since its establishment in 1918. The high-strength polyester thread "Vinimo" has been used in factories producing school bags and luxury leather goods for many years. Additionally, they have numerous transactions with customers both domestically and internationally in the automotive interior and industrial material sewing thread sectors.

This time, it was overseas media that drew Nagai Yoriito's attention to the new vegan leather business. According to the media, while various sustainable initiatives are being undertaken towards achieving the SDGs, only a few companies in Japan manufacture and sell vegan leather goods such as accessories and bags, and the barriers to importing vegan leather materials from overseas remain high, Kashiwagi recalls.

In such a situation, Nagai Yoriito first focused on establishing a distribution system for vegan leather. Subsequently, in 2021, they began importing cactus leather "DESSERTO" from Mexico’s ADRIANO DI MARTI, stockpiling it at a domestic factory, and setting up a system for cutting and shipping it in 1m units. DESSERTO has a vast track record of use in wallets, bags, fashion belts, and other items from global brands, and this effort has been well received by many customers in Japan, making vegan leather feel more familiar.

Inspired by this positive response, Nagai Yoriito sought the next step: upcycling plant-derived raw materials domestically. With the cooperation of KYOWA TECHLIFE CO., LTD., diverse raw materials were experimented with, and from the perspectives of social issue resolution, quality characteristics, and stable supply, they settled on apple ("Aplena"), bamboo ("Bamblena"), and hinoki wood powder ("HINOKI"), launching these as the "Bio-Vegan Leather Series."