Currently, orders are limited to the black handbag, with shipments scheduled for August 2026 or later. - Reuters
TOKYO: A black tote bag that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was holding on her first day to enter the Prime Minister’s Office sparked a surge in orders once it went viral on social media as the “Sanae Bag”.
With a nine-month wait for shipment, a worker at the bag maker said they “feel honoured and humbled that it was chosen for such an important occasion”.
The prime minister’s favoured bag is the Grace Delight Tote, costing 136,400 yen (US$876), including taxes. The top-selling model is from 145-year-old bag manufacturer Hamano in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
About 20 artisans at a factory in Miyota, Nagano Prefecture, handle nearly every step from cutting to sewing by hand.
An image of Takaichi entering the office with this bag broadcast on Oct 21 after she was nominated as prime minister went viral on social media. Comments such as “(it has) a graceful design” or “simple yet elegant”, flooded in, leading to a surge in orders.
Currently, orders are limited to the black handbag, with shipments scheduled for August 2026 or later.
“We stick to meticulous craftsmanship,” Hamano’s spokesperson said. “We are delighted if it serves a purpose.”
The town of Miyota is also welcoming this unexpected surge in demand. Since 2020, the town has offered this bag as a return gift for the furusato nozei tax donation programme (a scheme which allows residents of Japan to make contributions to their hometown or to municipalities). Within only about a month since late October, the town received over 10 applications, which is equivalent to their usual annual total.
“We hope this gives people a chance to know about our town and how proud we are of the bags,” Mayor Hiroshi Kozono said. - The Japan News/ANN
