Tote Bags Make Life Fun! The Philosophy Behind ROOTOTE's Long-Standing Craftsmanship

From casual to business settings, tote bags are used in a wide range of scenarios. A pioneer of tote bags in Japan is the brand that emerged in 2001, the Japan-based tote bag specialist brand "ROOTOTE."
 
With their value proposition of a "Fun Outing!" and the "ROOPOCKET" inspired by a kangaroo’s pouch as part of their brand identity, ROOTOTE's tote bags are loved by many for their abundant and design-rich offerings that respect individual personalities and values.
 
This time, we had the opportunity to speak with Fujio Kamiya, the CEO of ROOTOTE CORPORATION, to learn about the brand’s origins, their philosophy of craftsmanship, and some iconic items that reflect these values.

Tote Bags Can Make Life Fun

ROOTOTE celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021. From the time when tote bags were not yet a common sight, the brand persisted in focusing on tote bags and grew to establish itself as a pioneer. Interestingly, tracing back Kamiya’s family history reveals that they used to run a sake brewery before the war.
 
With this unique background, Kamiya joined Super Planning, a design office founded by his brother in 1978. After the company started planning and selling original lifestyle goods, they launched the tote bag-exclusive brand ROOTOTE in 2001. It was incorporated in 2019 to become ROOTOTE CORPORATION as it stands today.
 
Why was the brand ROOTOTE born? We asked about its origins.
 
"While making various products, we shifted from the idea of 'making a lot of things to be used by many people' to 'making selected items continuously to be used by many people.' Among these products, we realized that tote bags are not only convenient but also have the role of making life enjoyable.