“Can we finish leather with natural dyes?”

In 2003, the persimmon tanning project started.

It was a time when mass production and mass consumption were popular all over the world.
As the harmful effects of air pollution and water pollution began to be emphasized,
“What can we do as a brand in the leather industry?”
The days I kept asking questions.


“We should be able to make leather that can be used with more care, using natural materials that have no impact on the environment.”


We searched for a tanner who specializes in vegetable dyeing and natural dyes, and after repeated trial production with suppliers, we created the leather that is dyed with persimmon.

The wood grain-like pattern is hand-dyed.
Above all, it is difficult to create this brush pattern, making it unique in the industry.

The source of the dye is persimmon juice, which is made by squeezing the juice from unripe persimmons that are harvested while they are still green and fermenting and aging them.
We use every bit of the fruit, including the skin and stems, and let it mature over many years, just like wine.

BROOKLYN MUSEUM's persimmon tanned leather is
Rather than soaking the leather directly in persimmon juice liquid, we use inherited craftsmanship to create a pattern that looks like wood grain with brush grains as wide as the palm of your hand.

The process involves applying persimmon juice (fermented astringent persimmon juice) to each piece of tanned leather with a brush and exposing it to sunlight eight times. The number of dyeing cycles is determined and adjusted depending on the condition of the hide and the temperature and humidity on the day of dyeing.
By carefully repeating this process, the shading of the brush strokes becomes a pattern, creating a uniquely Japanese brown color, ``Japan Brown.''

Because the layers are applied by hand, each piece of leather has a unique look and is created so that no two pieces are alike. That is the real pleasure of persimmon tanning, and each product can be enjoyed as a one-of-a-kind item.
The aging process, which leaves brush marks and changes in color deeply, matched well, and it attracted many leather lovers.

However, the tannery who had supported us from the beginning went out of business due to a lack of successors. BROOKLYN MUSEUM took over all the persimmon tanned leather that was in the tannery and was able to continue producing it, but it was only a matter of time before it was used up.

“We can’t afford to lose persimmon tanning.”

Persimmon juice dyeing is not only a traditional technique, but also has many fans not only in Japan but also overseas.
I kept contacting various tanner suppliers to see if there was a tanner that could somehow reproduce this brushstroke, but time just kept passing by.


At that time, I came across Shinsei Leather Industry.
We are the only tanner in Japan certified by LWG (Leather Working Group).

Through repeated discussions among leather lovers, pouring our passion into the technology, and continuing to try, we were finally able to revive it.
The leather is made without relying on chemicals, from dyeing to tanning to finishing, making it a leather that can be returned to the earth.

A color that harmonizes orange and brown.
Persimmon tanning dyeing, which creates a wood grain-like appearance on leather, has also been referred to as ``dying of the sun.''


Light, soft, dyed,
Its expression changes with the sunlight,
Growing into a strong yet gentle material.


Craftsmanship and pride.
This is leather that fascinates the world.