My Story

It begins when I first touch the leather. In that moment I see in my mind the image of the piece of work I am to create. Apart from the fact that it has to be a bag, I give myself absolute freedom and no restrictions to my work. It has to function as something to carry things around in. It cannot be just an object or curio to admire, but something people can put into practical use to put things in and carry with them.

For the leather I use, I seek out only those specimens that move my heart and resonate with me. They come from every corner of the world, and include customized leather that I have specially made for my work.

Situated in Kamakurayama, Agasajo is conceptualized as a space that unifies the artist’s atelier with a place where one can look at and enjoy the pieces being created there. I am Megumi Tokunaga, the resident artist, and am greatly fond of the daylight and wind one can experience here. This serves no doubt as the primary source of my inspiration and the driving force behind the works I create.

What I do everyday comprises of giving concrete shape to the images that appear in my mind. Like a painter, I actually have no firm idea of just how all those pieces will come together until the work is finished. But after I make my last stitch and the bag is completed, I christen it using a name card that gives it its very own name and identity. The way I make the stitches differ with each work; there is no one set method I follow. But I take great care to produce each bag so that they are sturdy and made to last a lifetime.

Just as every individual is unique, no two bags I create are exactly the same. Each one is original and different, similar to the daylight and wind that constantly change from day to day… Above all, though, that feeling of being gently embraced by one’s own serenity… Such a feeling of tranquility is what I hope my bags will allow you to experience as well.