April 27, – June 30, 2024

In the era when traditional Japanese attire was predominant, various pouches were used to carry such items as valuables, kaishi (double-folded traditional Japanese paper) and fine-cut tobacco. From the Edo period to the early Showa era, pouches for paper or tobacco were the most typical kinds of pouches.
These items were not only necessary to carry around on a daily basis, but also important as accessories that could be tucked into one's pocket or hung from the waist, enabling them to be discreetly glimpsed while in use. Among these items, tobacco pouches, with their many component parts, offered ample room for ingenuity, and those made with elaborate decorations were particularly numerous. Furthermore, when the Sword Abolition Order was issued in the 9th year of Meiji (1876), the craftsmen who had previously made sword fittings began to apply their skills to everyday items, including pouches, and the high level of craftmanship that they demonstrated led to a golden age of artistry in craftwork.
On the other hand, amidst the process of modernization that was modeled on the West, there was a demand for a change in the function and form of the pouches that had accompanied Japanese traditional attire. This led to a shift towards Western-style handbags and other accessories.
Bunjin IDO (1874-1923), a pouch merchant in Nihombashi who sensed this trend, wrote the first comprehensive history of pouches 105 years ago in Taisho 8 (1919), titled Nihon Fukuromono-shi (History of Japanese Pouches). This book is a large work consisting of 886 pages that was extensively researched and organized in an era without the Internet or similar resources. Although Bunjin himself was only a humble pouch merchant, the publication of his book enlisted the collaboration of prominent people from various fields, including Ogai MORI, Kentaro KANEKO, and Sazanami IWAYA. This shows the high cultural value attributed to pouches at that time.
In this exhibition, we will introduce the changes in pouches and bags that took place in response to the times and the craftsmen and pouch merchants who were involved in this process, in line with the contents of Nihon Fukuromono-shi (History of Japanese Pouches). Through this exhibition, we hope to highlight the purpose and beauty of pouches, and the work of the craftsmen and pouch merchants who continued to meet the needs of the changing times.

[General admission fees]

General (Adults and university students)
individual:100yen

Children and pupils of primary, juniorhigh, and high schools
individual:50yen

Visitors over 65 years old
individual:50yen

※Free admission for up to 1 accompanying person with disabilities upon presentation of a disability certificate (Mirairo ID is acceptable).

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  Tobacco Pouch

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  Gilt Leather Handbag
  (YAMAMOTO Collection)