It's Hatoyama Town, Hiki District, Saitama Prefecture.
Going back one year, to February 10, 2022.
Through an introduction from someone I've known for a long time (hereafter referred to as K-san),
I learned about a certain bag brand.
Looking at their website and Instagram,
I got an impression of urban sophistication,
but also a sense of relaxed, warm atmosphere.
I heard that they have a workshop in Hatoyama Town, a green and lush town
close to Ogawa Town in Saitama Prefecture,
and that the husband and wife handle all processes themselves, from design to cutting and sewing.
Not Tokyo, not Toyooka,
but the unfamiliar place name of Hatoyama Town.
A bench-made production background,
where all processes from 1 to 10 are completed by themselves.
Not only what kind of products they make,
but also what kind of people make them piqued my interest,
and for a while, my imagination ran wild.
The brand name is
"SOUTHERN FIELD INDUSTRIES."
It's a brand centered on bags and leather goods made of canvas and leather,
created by the husband and wife, Manabu and Keiko Okada.
Then, around October of last year,
I finally got to visit their workshop.
Manabu-san picked me up by car at Higashi-Matsuyama Station on the Tobu Tojo Line, the nearest station.
His gentle demeanor and calm voice already revealed his kind personality.
On the way to the workshop, he kindly took a slight detour.
He drove through narrow paths that could be described as either alleys or private roads, showing me a peaceful landscape of fields.
Although there were no people around that day,
I could sense the traces of the people living in Hatoyama Town from the scene of straw drying
and the hand tools like hoes placed next to the shed.
K-san took pictures and murmured,
"It's rich, isn't it? It's wonderful."
His words struck me.
Soon after, we arrived at their home and workshop.
After hearing about the brand's history, we went into the workshop.
The sewing machine placed within reach,
the neatly arranged fabric waiting to be cut,
the cutting shears and work boots showing signs of use.
From the atmosphere, I could feel a "meticulous approach" to craftsmanship.
And I've assumed that this "meticulous approach" is probably because
the Okadas listen to their own voices, work at their own pace,
and go about their daily lives and crafting with a general idea of who they are making things for.
It's about raising the quality within their reach, without overextending themselves.
"Vegetables with visible producers" found at product exhibitions.
Knowing "who the producer is to the customer" provides a sense of security, big or small.
On the other hand, I've heard that "the producer knowing the customer's face" is
the true, healthy state of "face-to-face interaction."
The more familiar they are with the shops that carry their products and the customers beyond them,
the more familiar the faces that come to mind,
the more they naturally (unintentionally) strive for careful craftsmanship.
Roadside stations and farmers' markets that carry many local products,
Tofu-kobo Watanabe, a tofu shop that primarily uses local soybeans,
and Takayanagi Seimenjo, a noodle factory established in 1955, loved by local residents for a long time.
I thought about these things while they introduced me to local spots unique to Hatoyama Town.
Soon, "SOUTHERN FIELD INDUSTRIES" bags will be on display in stores.
At that time, the faces of the Okadas, K-san,
and several customers will surely come to my mind.
Little by little, little by little,
I hope to introduce the charm of SOUTHERN FIELD INDUSTRIES and the personality of Mr. Okada to everyone,
and indirectly introduce you all to Mr. Okada.
So that someday, the bags will be "visible to each other."
Until then.
