Japanese beaded bags : Its History　and Features

Maybe ,some families of Japan have their beaded bags at home.　An elegant bead bag that grandmother had, or a small bead bag that mothers used at the time of Shichigosan (A ceremony to celebrate the growth of children).
Recently, such  beaded bags have come to attract attention. Because they find the Japanese aesthetic sense, and the traditions and techniques derived from Japanese embroidery .
The fashion of bead bags has been around 1955. With the post-war reconstruction and kimono boom, they have come to afford new bags . Another reason is the advancement of women into society. In addition, beaded bags made them looks good in the same way when they wear Western  clothes and Kimono. With these reasons ,they have become popular mainly in urban areas.

Traditionally, Japanese people used bags, So-called Shingen bags and Furoshiki. However, these were just "Bags to carry", not accessories. The only exception is a foreign-made bead bag in a purse-like shape which came to import after Meiji era. However, it was a very expensive item and was out of reach of the general public. The beaded bag was introduced after Pacific War when the lifestyle of Japanese people have changed, and the number of chair-style weddings and party held at hotels has increased. The traditional weddings held in tatami rooms was out of fashion especially in urban areas.

So who made it appear? When I wrote my book, "Japanese Beaded bags and Beadswork: An Introduction to Their Background" ,I  conducted a survey on manufacturers. There, I was able to meet "Hirata Fukuromono Kogei Co., Ltd.", which has a store in Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Hirata Bag Crafts Co., Ltd. They began manufacturing beaded bags early after the war and had many craftsmen. Production is still ongoing. It was also found that a few years after the publication of the book, "Kurenaikai", which presides over the embroidery class, was making bead bags. It seems that there were manufacturers all over Japan other than these groups.
However, even if you look inside the old bead bag, there are few tags that identify the manufacturing company, and it is difficult to know the actual state of manufacturing at that time in detail.
With the cooperation of Hirata Fukuromono Kogei Co., Ltd., we interviewed a craftsman living in Shizuoka prefecture for the publication of "Japanese Beaded bags and Beadswork :A n Introduction to Their Background". In the process, I realized there is the big difference between Japanese beaded bag and Western one.
I had collected beaded bags "because the colors and patterns are beautiful". In the process of investigation, I gained so many knowledge.
The bead bag that blossomed after the war was not a copy of Western techniques, but a unique development that draws on the tradition of Japanese embroidery. In addition, the design of the kimono and obi is inherited as it is.

The future of Japanese bead bags

What happened to the Japanese bead bag after that?
Since the Showa era, 50 years have passed, bead bags from Southeast Asia have arrived in Japan. Most of these products are inferior to Japanese bead bags in terms of color, pattern, design and technique, but they have spread throughout Japan at their low prices. In addition, from around 1985, the boom of brand bags such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton occurred, and these bags took the position of Japanese beaded bags as formal bags . In this way, Japanese bead bags were made by only a few craftsmen.
Also, as I proceeded with the investigation, I noticed the problem of "insufficient successors" that every industry has. The number of craftsmen is low and they are aging. In addition, I learned from Hirata Bag Crafts that the number of machines and caps required to manufacture bead bags has decreased. It was also here that "everything is cut off when the middle of the process is cut off", which is seen in Nishijin kimono and obi manufacturing.

【Author】Keiko Nitanai(Director of  The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association)

【reference】"Japanese Beaded bags and Beadswork: An Introduction to Their Background"Keiko Nitanai (Seibundo-Shinkousha publishing company)

【Notice】]The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association holds exhibitions and classrooms. From May 27th to 30th, 2021.We will hold a bead bag and bead embroidery exhibition [brilliance of beads]. Please take a look at the real thing at the venue.

【Information】 The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association is organized to pass on this Showa tradition and manufacturing technique to future generations.
The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association also introduces the charm of Japanese bead bags in the video. Please see here as well.

The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association movie :The Charm of Beaded Bags   https://youtu.be/eIFta0iTbEs
https://showakimono.jimdofree.com/ The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association home page
https://www.facebook.com/showakimono/　The Institute Showa Kimono Lovers Association FB