Japanese leather craft
What is Bunko leather?
Bunko leather, or bunko-gawa, is white-tanned leather decorated with colorful patterns.
Where the name comes from
The craft is said to trace back to decorated boxes for letters and personal belongings. White leather covered the boxes and provided a surface for painted designs. Today you can find Bunko leather on items such as wallets and card cases.
How Asakusa Bunko makes it
Our artisans use Yuzen techniques developed for kimono. On white cowhide from Himeji, they stencil the patterns, paint details by hand and emboss the leather to bring out the design in relief.