~The wisdom of the common people passed down from Edo to Ginza~
Japan has had a culture of wrapping since ancient times, as seen in the furoshiki culture. During the Edo period, Western culture was beginning to spread, and the common people of Edo tried all sorts of ingenuity to imitate the bags that had been brought over from across the sea. It is said that the origin of the "Azuma bag" was when furoshiki and hand towels were sewn together to create a bag with handles. "Azuma" is written as Azuma (east), and refers to "Edo" as seen from Kyoto. It was a bag made with the ingenuity of the common people of Edo and became popular, so it came to be called the "Azuma bag."
The creative partner for this Gekkoso Azuma bag is Kamawanu , a specialty hand towel store. We had many meetings with Takahashi, who was in charge of the design, discussing everything from the design to the selection of fabric. The Azuma bag, which tends to have a Japanese image, has been given a bold, modern design. Despite its simple construction, which can be handled by simply tying the triangles on both sides tightly, the bottom of the fabric is large and has a string to secure it in place, so the contents are stable even when the bag is carried in the hand. Its appearance gives the impression that it has evolved from a furoshiki.
The greatest feature of the Azuma bag is that it can be freely transformed into different shapes depending on the purpose. This is also a major feature of Japanese culture known as "Shitsurae." A Japanese-style room can be transformed into a dining room by placing a dining table in it, or into a bedroom by laying a futon in it. In the same way, the Azuma bag, which is filled with the wisdom of the Edo common people, can be transformed into a versatile bag that can be used for a variety of occasions, such as for small shopping trips, to carry lunch boxes, or as a bag-in-bag when traveling.
DETAILS
Portability
When there is nothing in it, it lies flat.
Even when folded to the size of a handkerchief, it's not very thick and fits easily in your pocket.
Storage capacity
Tie the handles long and hang it over your shoulder like a tote bag. Tie the attached string to prevent the contents from falling out.
A perfect gift for someone special
Put a wine bottle in it to create a stylish presentation when inviting guests. There's no need to learn how to wrap it, just put it in and tie it.
Great for lunches and picnics
If you reduce the size, it can be used as a lunch bag. It is bag-shaped and can fit a lunch box inside, making it easy and convenient for children to use.
As a blindfold
It's also good as a cover bag for a basket bag. It's made of soft fabric and has no fixed shape, so it's easy to match with various basket bags. Another attractive feature is that you can move all the contents of the bag as they are.
Mother's Bag
The fact that it can be washed is a great help for busy mothers. It is made simply by sewing two pieces of fabric together, so there is no need to worry about it losing its shape. It can also be used flexibly for sudden luggage or shopping. The eye-catching design will add color to your life.
*The overall impression will be the same, but the pattern may differ from the photo depending on where the fabric is cut.
Since our founding, Gekkoso has not provided any wrapping services such as paper bags for customers who purchase products in our stores. We have reused outdated exhibition information papers and paper bags provided by customers. Nowadays, we have to pay for those paper bags.
We at Gekkoso wanted to provide a shopping bag that could be used for a long time, so we developed it with the cooperation of Kamawanu. Azuma bags were born from the transformation of tenugui and furoshiki cloths as times changed. It is one of the Japanese tools that we want to treasure for a long time to come.
