Traditional Leather Crafting Unique to Himeji: A History of Leather in the Region

Tell us about the beginnings of your company.

Toda: "First, in 1905, "Himeji Leather Factory (姫路製革所)" was established. At that time, Japan was promoting national policies of strengthening the country and encouraging industrial growth, and the purpose of this leather factory was to conduct modern leather making as a national policy.

Given that Himeji City had a long history of leather production, it was established there. Later, in 1911, 'Sanyo Hikaku Co., Ltd. (山陽皮革株式会社)' was founded as a private company.

Initially, it was established to produce leather goods for military use domestically, as part of a national policy. However, after the war, the focus shifted to creating products that met civilian needs, such as bags and shoes.

The company name was changed to 'Sanyo Leather Co., Ltd. (株式会社山陽, although the Japanese name no longer retains the word hikaku meaning 'leather')' in 1977. With changing societal trends and the end of the high-growth economic period, we wanted to embrace various possibilities and challenges, which prompted the name change."

What methods are used to produce leather at your company?

Toda: "Our company produces leather using three methods: 'vegetable tannin tanning,' 'chrome tanning,' and 'white leather tanning.' Tanning is the process of turning hide into leather, preventing it from rotting. Let's have Shiota explain the details."

Shiota: "For vegetable tannin tanning, we use 'tannin,' a polyphenol compound found in trees. For chrome tanning, we use a chemical agent called 'chrome tanning agent.'

Globally, only about 20-30% of leather is tanned using vegetable tannin. Moreover, our company conducts vegetable tannin tanning using pits known as pit tanks. Only a few companies in Japan are still using this method.

Our white leather originated from 'Himeji white tanning leather,' a traditional method unique to Himeji, known for its history of leather crafting. It is a very precious tanning method, making it difficult to produce in large quantities. Currently, we perform white tanning only upon customer request."

Is it difficult to perform vegetable tannin tanning using pit tanks?

Shiota: "It takes about a month for the tannin to penetrate the hide. It varies depending on the breed of cattle as well as individual differences.

Additionally, the penetration varies with the temperature and water temperature, so in winter, we have to employ techniques like warming the liquid in the pit tank while tanning."