The transformation of sewing boxes since the Heisei era has often been a topic of discussion on social media, particularly with the characters "Little Bobdog" and "Home Economics Dragon," which hold a special place in the hearts of those in their 30s and 40s.
But why were these two characters chosen as part of home economics teaching materials, and what has made them beloved for so many years? Today, the evolution of sewing boxes serves as a subject illustrating generational gaps, yet the historical background is not widely known.
We spoke with Yasuhiro Kawanaka from
Sunward Co., Ltd. about the history and changes that sewing boxes have undergone since the Heisei period.
PROFILE
Yasuhiro Kawanaka
Sunward Co., Ltd.
Sales Representative
The Sewing Box, Once Unremarkable, Began to Shine in the 2000s
Regarding how each character was adopted for sewing boxes, Kawanaka shared: "Until then, Sunward had been producing characters like Little Bobdog and other fancy characters. We had already been working with textbook manufacturers for home economics, so originally, Little Bobdog was adopted for the sewing box.