About
ABOUT ROKUBO
ROKUBO is a brand based in Hokkaido, Japan, creating products made from Ezo deer for everyday life, travel, and the outdoors.
We refuse to let a life be discarded and forgotten.
This is the value at the heart of ROKUBO.
We refuse to let a life be discarded and forgotten.
This is the value at the heart of ROKUBO.
In the mountains of Hokkaido, many Ezo deer are culled every year. We believe their lives should not be wasted.
In Japan, deer are classified as nuisance animals, and hundreds of thousands are culled each year.
More than 80% of them are discarded without being used.
Lives that could otherwise be used as food and as leather are simply thrown away.
Our work began with a desire to change that reality, even if only a little.
We create a cycle in which the meat is used as food and the hide is used as leather, so that one life can be valued as fully as possible.
Through leather goods, food products, and items made to be used for years in everyday life, we work to give that life lasting value.
Ezo deer leather is known for its soft, supple, and smooth feel.
Its fibers are extremely fine, making it light yet flexible, and the leather develops richer character the more it is used.
From hunting and processing to product making, we work closely with skilled craftspeople in Japan to finish each piece with care.
ROKUBO creates pieces that preserve the natural character of the material and remain close to you, both in everyday life and on your travels.
Leather for a Lifetime
The deer leather products we make are not meant to be replaced after just a few years.
They are made to be used freely every day, to grow in character over time, and one day to be passed down from parent to child, and beyond.
To us, something for a lifetime is not an item to be stored away with care.
It is something that can continue to be used in everyday life.
According to Shosoin Bulletin No. 28, deer leather items preserved in the Shosoin Repository of Todai-ji have retained much of their flexibility and color even after more than 1,300 years.
Among all the leather materials examined in the study, one difference stood out clearly:
deer leather remained soft, while all the others had hardened over time.
This is one of the reasons deer leather has long been regarded as a material that can last for generations.
Source: Imperial Household Agency website, 「Shosoin Bulletin No. 28」
What makes natural Ezo deer leather different?
Soft, light, yet strong
The greatest difference is this: it is incredibly soft, yet remarkably strong.
Rather than relying on stiffness for durability, Ezo deer leather has a structure of finely interwoven fibers that gives it both flexibility and strength.
e hand from the very beginning and remains easy to carry even over long periods.
And because it is light, the difference is especially noticeable when made into a bag.
Even when wet, it dries and returns to form
Another great advantage is how easily it dries when wet.
Deer leather is naturally breathable.
Many other leathers can stain or develop mold when soaked and require careful maintenance.
By contrast, even if deer leather gets wet in sudden rain, it can simply be left to dry naturally and return to its original feel.
And with continued use, the surface develops a deeper glow and richer character, while the texture becomes even more supple.
That is the beauty of natural Ezo deer leather: over time, it grows into a leather that becomes uniquely yours.