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Interview with Daisuke Ogawa, the designer of poussette purses

"I want to help people live peaceful lives by using something that only I can do."


Poussette (Poussette) Daisuke Ogawa

Daisuke Ogawa of poussette creates "clasps" that combine beautiful forms and ease of use that are imbued with Japanese tradition with his own unique sensibility.

Perhaps due to his outstanding sense and frank personality, he has been interviewed for over 100 TV programs. He is now the most famous purse maker in Kyoto.

This time, we visited their atelier and shop in Ichijoji, Kyoto, which they relocated and reopened this March and which serves as their base of operations.

During the interview, we were surrounded by her beloved Singer sewing machine, which stands out among the many colorful purses, and lots of fabrics waiting to be breathed new life into them. As we interviewed her, we were entranced by the skill of her hands as she worked on her creations.

I feel that Ogawa's aesthetic is embodied in his style, which is natural and relaxed, yet still smart.


At the shop, customers can choose their own fabric and then make a purse right in front of them.

"It's what they call a traditional Japanese restaurant style (laughs). I think that if people understand what it means to make something, and that it takes so much effort and care to make it, they will develop a deeper attachment to and interest in the things they use."

Ogawa-san says that for a craftsman, a sewing machine is like a part of his body. At first, he used an industrial sewing machine, but he couldn't shake the "unfamiliar" feeling, so he decided to use an analog sewing machine.
"When I was visiting an antique shop owned by a friend, I came across this sewing machine the moment it was unloaded from a truck. It was made in Scotland in 1925. I had it overhauled over the course of two weeks, and now it's my perfect companion."


"Later, by chance, I came across the same type of Singer sewing machine, and when I looked at the serial number, I realized it was made in the same year in the same factory. We are both 91-year-old sisters who are still working today (laughs)."
Currently, he produces purses using two identical sewing machines.


The exposed concrete exterior of this modern atelier/shop is located in Ichijoji, which is also known as the epicenter of Kyoto culture.

Was this connection brought about by my great-grandmother's purse?


--You're originally from Tochigi Prefecture. Looking at your profile, it seems like you've had quite a few twists and turns before you started creating Gamaguchi purses.

Yes, there was (laughs). I went to two universities, one for foreign languages ​​and one for law, but dropped out of both (laughs).

To be honest, I had been undecided since I was in high school and started thinking about further education. Since I was a child, I have had a strong interest in words and liked thinking about things logically, so one of my options was to work in a way that would help people by using words.

In the midst of all this, I chose a university with an incredibly interesting linguistics professor who made me really want to join his seminar class...but as soon as I enrolled, I found out that he had retired and I could no longer join his seminar class (laughs).

I went back to my original intention of wanting to go to a university in Kyoto and started over with the entrance exams.

--Why are you interested in Kyoto?

When I was in junior high school, I came into contact with the classics for the first time and was shocked.

Whether it was "The Pillow Book" or "Tsurezuregusa," I was surprised to find that they unfolded a world that was completely different to my everyday life, having grown up deep in the mountains of Tochigi.

When I realized that this was Japan's original worldview, I always thought that the only way to understand Japan was to dive into the world of classics, that is, to go to Kyoto.

─And so, my wish came true and I went to a university in Kyoto.

In Kyoto, I applied to the Faculty of Law and an arts university, and was accepted to both, but once again I had some worries.

As for law, my uncle was a prosecutor so the law was close to me, and I was attracted to the idea of ​​a job that would allow me to help people using the logically organized language of the law.

On the other hand, I also loved art, and I thought it would be great if I could use words and pictures to create a warm world where laws were unnecessary, so I considered attending an arts university so I could learn to illustrate a picture book.

In the end, due to pocket money circumstances (lol), I went on to law school.

--But then another turning point came.

I was very happy to be in Kyoto.

But I found the criminal law classes at university difficult. We looked at past crimes and the sentences they imposed, and every day was like a Tuesday suspense drama, with the A, B and C criminals always doing something wrong (laughs).

I was so fed up with this murky world that I started to think I would be better suited to a job that helps people live a life where they don't feel that way.

Although I gave up on art school, I continued to study graphic design on my own, so I took my work to an interview and was hired as a web designer for a company that manufactures and sells coin purses.

--This is where you first encounter purses.

Before that, something fateful happened: just when I was wondering whether I should pursue a career outside of law, my great-grandmother passed away.

At the time of the funeral, my grandmother brought out a purse that my great-grandmother had loved to wear to place in the coffin.

I just couldn't bring myself to put it in the coffin, so I brought it home as a keepsake. When I had the opportunity to work with a purse company, I looked at the purse again and thought about it.

In the world of law where I'm studying now, crimes happen every day, but I don't think my great-grandmother would go and kill someone with this purse (laughs).

Rather, it is something that you spend your days peacefully thinking about what you will make tomorrow for your family, and what you will do for them. I thought that making purses is about making things that fit into that peaceful lifestyle.

That's when I thought, "Maybe clasps are a good idea." Looking back now, I think it was my great-grandmother who gave me that connection.



Ogawa-san still treasures this purse, a keepsake from her great-grandmother. "It's well-made and well-used, so it has a nice character."

Ogawa creates a wide variety of purses. He does everything by himself, from purchasing the fabric, making the patterns, to sewing.


The purse is finished up to the stage where the metal fittings are attached.


The outer and inner lining of the purse are different, and the combination of these materials is also a showcase of Ogawa's sensibility.


The fabrics used are rare imported and deadstock items, and come from a wide variety of origins, materials, and tastes.

--So that's where you learned the know-how of making purses.

Although I joined the company as a web designer, it was a small company, so I would operate the sewing machine in my free time and I was also allowed to attend planning meetings for new products.

It was quite fun, but all of the ideas I came up with were rejected due to cost and other constraints.

I gradually became frustrated, so I soon left the company and joined Ryohin Keikaku to reexamine what I really wanted to make and the origins of manufacturing.

However, two years after joining the company, the shopping facility where the store was located was closed, so I left the company. As a result, I thought of making purses as an option to start something independent.

I had felt a connection to this project because of my great-grandmother, and I had not been able to make the things I wanted at my previous workplace, so I took this as an opportunity and decided to set my own conditions and give it a try.

I decided to gather materials and make purses within the amount of my "pocket money" I had set aside, and set up a stall at a craft market. If the sales fell short of the allowance I had initially set aside, I would accept that making purses was not my role.

--This was around the time when handmade markets started to gain attention in Kyoto.

The Chionji Temple Handicraft Market was starting to become famous, but I decided to make my debut at the handicraft market held at Myorenji Temple in Kyoto.

Although the event was much less well-known, had fewer exhibitors and visitors, the stall fee was 300 yen cheaper than at Chion-ji Temple (laughs).

I made as many purses as I could and set up a stall. They all sold out.

Then, next time I made a little more and set up a stall, and I sold more, my pocket money increased, I was able to make more using my favorite fabrics and materials, and I sold more...and I kept repeating that process, until I get to where I am today.

Next year will mark exactly 10 years since I started making purses.




Handmade markets allow direct communication between makers and users. This is where talented makers can take flight. This photo shows the Kamigamo Shrine Handmade Market in May 2008 (Ogawa is on the left). Through the handmade markets held at shrines and temples in Kyoto City, Ogawa was blessed with many encounters that led to his current success.

--You've really skipped over that now (laughs). I'd also like to ask you about what happened in those 10 years.

No, really, it's all a series of fortunate encounters.

Looking back, I think that choosing Myorenji as my first location was a big turning point in paving my own path.

I also met Mr. Tabata from Craft Cafe. After that, I started opening stores at Chion-ji Temple and Kamigamo Shrine, and through an introduction from someone I met at Chion-ji Temple, I met the landlord of "Ajiki Alley", who said to me, "If a room becomes available, please come."

Since we started living and working in Ajiki Alley, we have been given more interviews and I think more people are becoming aware of us.

- At one point you moved your base to Onomichi, right?

When I was traveling alone in Onomichi, I met people and while talking to them, they told me that Kyoto is a great place because there are many shops and artists who prefer to use traditional townhouses, and because it attracts people.

Onomichi has old houses, but they are falling into disrepair. Many people enjoy walking around the town, but there is no one to live in or use them.

It was a really wonderful place, so I wanted to help out somehow.

Fortunately, all I need for my job is a sewing machine and fabric, so I thought I could do something if I moved there first, and I bought a house and started living there.

However, after about a year and a half, the house was in a state that I could not repair with my pocket money, so I gave up on living there.

However, the house remains as it is today, and we continue to have contact with Onomichi by offering it for art exhibitions and taking part in events.




>Ogawa's other base, his studio in Onomichi. Although it became uninhabitable due to the heavy rains that occurred in the summer of 2016, it is currently used as a venue for holding exhibitions of works by Onomichi craftspeople (image provided by Ogawa).

I want to share my warm feelings

--It is truly through connections with people that your activities have expanded.

Nowadays, I enjoy meeting and visiting different people, regardless of whether it's for work or hobbies.

My creator name, "poussette," means "baby stroller" in French.

When I was thinking of a name that could express myself, I thought of the first car people ride in, a baby stroller, because I've always loved cars.

There are places you can go and worlds you can experience because of your car, but a stroller cannot move on its own. Only through a warm connection with the person pushing the stroller can you be taken to various worlds.

I chose this word because I think it's wonderful to be able to peek into a new world like that with other people.

Actually, this was the name I came up with when I started my creative endeavors as a student, before I discovered Gamaguchi, and the first thing I did was with music.


--What do you yourself want to share with people through your creative activities?

My top priority is to ask myself why I am living and who I am living for.

This may sound a bit serious, but at the end of the day, when you're in the bath or before you go to bed, when you reflect on "today," ask yourself who you met, who the purse was made for, and whether you were able to help someone.

If I can say "yes," I feel so fulfilled that I don't need to get up tomorrow.

There are times when things are difficult and tough, but I strongly desire to live each day with satisfaction.

Since we can't live today again, I want to live my life in a way that I have no regrets. And I want others to do the same, living each day of their lives with satisfaction.

I hope to be able to convey these things through the things I create.


--Are there any purses you would like to make in the future?

Nowadays, it's common for people to carry their wallets, certificates, driver's licenses, information media, and other possessions on their person. I would like to create something that can hold all of that together and be carried around safely.

The basis of my creations is the idea of ​​"living a life without carrying unnecessary things," so I want people to enjoy carrying around as little baggage as possible.

So, I want to create something that, just by wearing it, you have the bare necessities, you won't forget anything, and you won't feel anxious...that's the kind of thing I want to create.

I would like to create an item that breaks away from categories like "bag" or "wallet", something that is a container but doesn't feel like a container, a wallet but doesn't feel like a wallet, yet is still a necessary item for me.


This purse is made using a new type of leather that is currently being experimented with. This is tanned leather that changes over time.


>This is a two-piece wallet set made from cowhide produced in Himeji. We look forward to seeing more of this product in the future.

--That's interesting. Finally, what do you think is important when creating things?

From the first time I attended the handmade market, I was more pleased with the day I met customers who I thought would use my products for many years, rather than the amount of sales I made.

In the end, what's important to me is not whether my work makes money, but whether it helps people and whether it's work that only I can do.

Right now, I'm trying to convey my desire to help people live each day happily and without regrets through the everyday tool of a purse, but there is no one answer when it comes to making things.

I myself am always skeptical and keep searching for the answer. As long as I receive requests from customers, I think there is something I can continue to convey, but as the times and what is required change rapidly, I always give myself the homework of finding ways to propose something new. To do that, I need to keep working hard without slacking off.

--I hope that your thoughts will reach many more people. Thank you for today.


This October, Ogawa reached the memorable milestone of 15 years since she began her creative activities under the name poussette.

I was impressed by his sincerity in valuing each and every connection, no matter how famous he becomes, and his dedication to continuing to create with a strong desire to help people.

I hope you will experience the work and feel the message it conveys.

Click here for a list of poussette items

(Interview date: September 16, 2016 / Text: Writer Toyo Morimoto)


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