"SPECIAL STORIES" Yoshida&Co. and Akira Kurosawa's "Heaven and Hell"
2023.08.31
There is one movie that is indispensable when talking about the history of Yoshida&Co..
It is Akira Kurosawa's work "Heaven and Hell" released in 1963.
In this work, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, KICHIZO YOSHIDA, the founder of Yoshida&Co., was contracted to produce props for important scenes in the play.
Akira Kurosawa, Japan's leading film director. As a film director, he was so influential that he was called ``Kurosawa of the world''. Kurosawa was called a "perfectionist" because he never compromised in order to create better works. Even if it's a night view from a window that only appears in a few shots in a movie, when you find out that it doesn't show up well when you look through the camera, you spend a week working on lighting and creating a special effects-like shooting set. Even in the background that the audience casually overlooks, he is willing to spend time, effort, and money in order to shoot something that truly feels real. Through this accumulation, the realistic atmosphere of Kurosawa's films has been created.
On the other hand, KICHIZO YOSHIDA the founder of Yoshida&Co., was also a proud craftsman. At the young age of 12, he started making bags, and became independent at the age of 29. Immediately after the end of the war, when things were scarce, people thought, "I'll sell whatever I can sell to help my family finances." It seems that he had given it to the people who were evacuated. Kichizo, who had pride in being a craftsman, received a request to make a bag from the Kurosawa group, which was producing "Heaven and Hell".
"Heaven and Hell" depicts a tense human drama about the "child kidnapping case" that happened to Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), the managing director of a shoe company in Yokohama, and the detectives chasing the criminal. A suspense movie. Released in 1963, it was a huge hit. The symbolic scene of this work is the climax of the first half, ``the delivery of the ransom using the limited express Kodama''. In the past, a part of the train was rented and one cut was shot at a time, but Kurosawa rented out the whole train and took the plunge. A leather briefcase made by Yoshizo was used as an important prop in this scene. Kichizo, who was a bag craftsman, made it from scratch in order to store the 30 million yen ransom demanded by the kidnapper and drop it from the window of the limited express Kodama.
The surface of this briefcase is carved with a beautiful floral pattern created by outstanding craftsmanship*. In addition, although it is not shown in the movie, the interior has a zipper pocket. Kichizo made a bag that could actually be used, even if it was just a prop. You can get a glimpse of his pride as a bag craftsman.
*Carving is a leather craft technique in which a pattern is drawn on the leather and carved with cuts and engravings to create unevenness.
(The image above｜The interior of the bag made for the first release of “Heaven and Hell.”)
Three briefcases were produced at that time. Of these, two that were actually used were destroyed in the play, and the remaining one has been carefully stored. Currently, the briefcase is displayed in a glass case in Yoshida&Co. flagship store "PORTER TOKYO", which opened in March 2023, where you can directly see the craftsman's careful carving techniques. A dignified appearance steeped in history. You can feel the craftsmanship of KICHIZO YOSHIDA, who responded to the request of the master of film production. Please take a look at "PORTER TOKYO".
Click here for PORTER TOKYO
It is Akira Kurosawa's work "Heaven and Hell" released in 1963.
In this work, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, KICHIZO YOSHIDA, the founder of Yoshida&Co., was contracted to produce props for important scenes in the play.
Two men who do not allow any compromise
Akira Kurosawa, Japan's leading film director. As a film director, he was so influential that he was called ``Kurosawa of the world''. Kurosawa was called a "perfectionist" because he never compromised in order to create better works. Even if it's a night view from a window that only appears in a few shots in a movie, when you find out that it doesn't show up well when you look through the camera, you spend a week working on lighting and creating a special effects-like shooting set. Even in the background that the audience casually overlooks, he is willing to spend time, effort, and money in order to shoot something that truly feels real. Through this accumulation, the realistic atmosphere of Kurosawa's films has been created.
On the other hand, KICHIZO YOSHIDA the founder of Yoshida&Co., was also a proud craftsman. At the young age of 12, he started making bags, and became independent at the age of 29. Immediately after the end of the war, when things were scarce, people thought, "I'll sell whatever I can sell to help my family finances." It seems that he had given it to the people who were evacuated. Kichizo, who had pride in being a craftsman, received a request to make a bag from the Kurosawa group, which was producing "Heaven and Hell".
"Leather briefcase" used in an important scene of "Heaven and Hell"
"Heaven and Hell" depicts a tense human drama about the "child kidnapping case" that happened to Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), the managing director of a shoe company in Yokohama, and the detectives chasing the criminal. A suspense movie. Released in 1963, it was a huge hit. The symbolic scene of this work is the climax of the first half, ``the delivery of the ransom using the limited express Kodama''. In the past, a part of the train was rented and one cut was shot at a time, but Kurosawa rented out the whole train and took the plunge. A leather briefcase made by Yoshizo was used as an important prop in this scene. Kichizo, who was a bag craftsman, made it from scratch in order to store the 30 million yen ransom demanded by the kidnapper and drop it from the window of the limited express Kodama.
Pride as a bag craftsman
*Carving is a leather craft technique in which a pattern is drawn on the leather and carved with cuts and engravings to create unevenness.
(The image above｜The interior of the bag made for the first release of “Heaven and Hell.”)The only existing bag for "Heaven and Hell" is "PORTER TOKYO"
Three briefcases were produced at that time. Of these, two that were actually used were destroyed in the play, and the remaining one has been carefully stored. Currently, the briefcase is displayed in a glass case in Yoshida&Co. flagship store "PORTER TOKYO", which opened in March 2023, where you can directly see the craftsman's careful carving techniques. A dignified appearance steeped in history. You can feel the craftsmanship of KICHIZO YOSHIDA, who responded to the request of the master of film production. Please take a look at "PORTER TOKYO".
Click here for PORTER TOKYO
