Currently, for a limited time only, KOKOROSIHI Jingumae SHOP is exhibiting a daybed （MIGIWA FLAT） upholstered in Japan-made leather made from the raw hides of high quality black Wagyu cattle from Southern Kyushu.

Japan made leather produced in collaboration with Ryuko Sangyo Co. We hope to receive feedback from many customers through a limited exhibition at our (Tokyo)Jingumae shop.

Period: 3/1 (Fri.) - 5/6 (Mon., holiday)
Place of the event: KOKOROISHI Jingumae Shop
*No reservation is required to visit our store. Please feel free to stop by.

1F, 2-31-20 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

*We don't accept orders in Japan-made leather. It is for display only.
We will announce on our website when we start accepting orders.

～Our Story～

We asked Ryuko Sangyo why he started to develop black wagyu as a leather for sofas, although it has not been processed as a leather for sofas until now.

〜Why use Wagyu raw hides for leathersofa? ～

Cattle raised in Japan are roughly divided into Wagyu (for meat) and Holstein (for dairy cattle). More than 90% of Wagyu cattle are Black Wagyu, but also include crossbreds bred with dairy cattle. That crossbreed is the raw hide of good quality leather. However, the number of Holstein breeds is decreasing due to declining consumption of milk and other products. As a result, crossbreds are also on the decline, and the supply of high-quality raw hides is on the decrease.

Even though a lot of Japanese black cattle are raised in Japan, they have not been processed into high-quality leather until now. The reason for this is the fat called "sashi," or marbling, which is abundant in black Wagyu beef.Marbled fat is delicious and attractive for eating, but when tanning into leather, this fat makes the process very difficult.

Therefore, in order to somehow turn Wagyu, which can be supplied stably, into good quality leather, we took on the challenge of solving this problem in cooperation with tanneries (leather factories) that have the technology to do so. This has enabled us to achieve with this Wagyu leather a texture and a firm touch that cannot be achieved with Holsteins or crossbreds.

We have been using Wagyu leather for shoes, bags, small leather goods, and other products, but in order to let people know more about the texture of this leather, we researched leather for sofas that can be felt on the skin.

~The particulars and hardships of making leather for sofas~

I have been involved in products such as shoes, bags and small leather goods using black cowhide leather. For these products, cutting is often done in small parts, so yield was not an issue, but leather for sofas has large parts, so scratchy leather cannot be used.

For these products, yields were not considered a problem because cutting is often done in small parts, but leather for sofas has large parts, so leather with many scratches cannot be used. It is a difficult task to select raw hides that have few blemishes and are also robust. It was also difficult to maintain wear resistance and dyefastness while preserving the characteristics of Wagyu beef and not destroying its atmosphere.

～What is the best of Kuroge Wagyu Beef?～

The beauty of Wagyu leather is that it has a thicker silver surface (the dense part of the leather's surface) than Holstein, which gives it a leather-like texture and an atmosphere that develops as it ages. By asking tanners who understand the characteristics of Wagyu leather well to cooperate with us, we were able to achieve both the texture and durability that only Wagyu leather can offer. This leather will also develop a taste that only leather can develop over time as it is used for a long time, making it a sofa that can be enjoyed as it ages.