3 imagesKOBE LEATHER PRAIRIE GINZA Long Wallet NP55017
【送料無料】KOBE LEATHER（神戸レザー）長財布 「PRAIRIE GINZA」 NP55017
プレリーギンザ
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Kobe Leather
Japanese nameKOBE LEATHER
From Kobe-related cattle hides through Hyogo tanning, the 2019 cooperative joins traceability, samples, and design use.
Information last updated 120 days ago
3 images
3 imagesKOBE LEATHER PRAIRIE GINZA Business Card Holder NP55390
【送料無料】KOBE LEATHER（神戸レザー）名刺入 「PRAIRIE GINZA」 NP55390
プレリーギンザ
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3 imagesKOBE LEATHER PRAIRIE GINZA Card Case with Pass Window
【送料無料】KOBE LEATHER（神戸レザー）パス窓付カードケース 「PRAIRIE GINZA」 NP55660
プレリーギンザ
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Kobe Beef hides, tanned in Hyogo, become KOBE LEATHER
KOBE LEATHER starts in Kobe, Hyogo, with hides linked to Kobe Beef and a material path that runs through production, processing, and tanning in the prefecture. The Kobe Leather Cooperative, formed in 2019, exists to develop leather together, produce samples, and put local raw hides to practical use when they might otherwise go underused. Its most concrete promise is traceability: the path from cattle hide to finished material can be followed through the people and organizations involved.
A hide route rooted in Kobe and Hyogo
The name KOBE LEATHER sits on a specific Hyogo route. The cooperative is based in Kobe, and raw hide production through processing belongs to a Hyogo chain tied to hides related to Kobe Beef. That place connection is concrete: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, cattle distribution organizations, and leather processors form the route that gives the material its local shape.
The cooperative formed in 2019
The Kobe Leather Cooperative was established in 2019 to make effective use of Kobe Beef raw hides. Its work includes joint leather development, sample production, and PR activity. This gives KOBE LEATHER a practical recent frame: a Kobe-based organization gathers raw hides, tanning skill, sample making, and regional brand building into one material project.
Tajima cattle hides and traceability
At the material level, KOBE LEATHER is connected to hides from Tajima cattle that produce Kobe Beef. The hides are managed through a traceable route from cattle production to distribution, tanning, and processing. For designers and makers, that route means the leather carries more than surface grain: it carries a visible path from cattle, hide, and tannery work to the finished material.
Himeji and Tatsuno as tanning context
Hyogo's Himeji and Tatsuno area gives the material an important tanning context. The district accounts for about 70 percent of domestic leather distribution volume in Japan and is described as the country's largest tanning area. Tanning turns hide into leather, softening it and helping it last; the preparation before tanning also shapes the eventual hand, color, and surface expression.
SORA, UZU, KUMO, TSUYU, and RAI
KOBE LEATHER appears through finish names such as SORA, UZU, KUMO, TSUYU, and RAI. These material expressions give designers choices around natural texture, grain, shape retention, water-droplet resistance, and surface character. Softness, touch, and stronger color can also be adjusted for different product ideas and making contexts.
A name boundary that points back to material
The KOBE LEATHER name also became Japan's first regional collective trademark for a leather material. For a reader, the practical boundary is concrete: Kobe Beef-related hides, a Hyogo production-to-processing route, cooperative development, and traceability. The naming milestone matters because it points back to the material chain rather than away from it.
KOBE LEATHER has a clear recent shape: a Kobe cooperative founded in 2019, hides connected to Kobe Beef, Hyogo processing, and the tanning background of Himeji and Tatsuno. Its continuity is the visible route from Tajima cattle hide to leather finish, and from a local raw material to a traceable design material.
Compiled from public records and official sources; see the recognition links below. Details may change over time.
Recognition & registration
Where this product is officially registered, designated, or recognized in Japan.
Regional collective trademark
Registered as a Regional Collective Trademark with the Japan Patent Office.
Sources1
FAQ
What is Kobe Leather called in Japanese?
It is written as KOBE LEATHER in Japanese. Search Rakuten and other Japanese sites with that spelling — the English name will not bring up the listings.
What is Kobe Leather?
Kobe Leather is a leather material brand rooted in Kobe, Hyogo, and connected to hides related to Kobe Beef and Tajima cattle. The Kobe Leather Cooperative was established in 2019 for joint leather development, sample making, and PR, with traceability linking cattle, hides, Hyogo processing, and tanning.
What makes Kobe Leather distinct, and why is it a Hyogo specialty?
KOBE LEATHER became Japan's first regional collective trademark for a leather material. The Himeji-Tatsuno area accounts for about 70 percent of domestic leather distribution volume in Japan, and tanning turns hide into softer, longer-lasting leather. SORA, UZU, KUMO, TSUYU, and RAI are KOBE LEATHER finish names tied to choices in texture, grain, shape retention, water-droplet resistance, and surface character. Traceability links raw hides, production, distribution, tanning, and processing into a visible route.
How is Kobe Leather used or eaten?
The cooperative works with outside partners to develop the material into varied products and projects, including joint development and sample production. Traceability systems connect raw hide origin to processing, so the leather can be used in B2C goods where makers remain visible. Finishes can emphasize natural texture, grain, shape retention, water-droplet resistance, or surface expression, and the final leather can be adjusted for softness, texture, or stronger color.
How do you care for Kobe Leather?
Keep craft pieces out of direct sunlight, damp, and sharp temperature swings, and store them where they won't knock against anything. Wood, bamboo, lacquer, and paper don't tolerate water — wipe any moisture off immediately. Specific care notes are on the listing.
Is Kobe Leather a good gift or something to take home?
Most options are shelf-stable, boxed, and travel well, so they suit gifting or bringing home. Confirm the final storage and delivery terms on the Rakuten listing.
Where can I buy Kobe Leather?
On Rakuten: the shops listed here right now are プレリーギンザ. We don't sell directly; purchase, payment, stock, and delivery are all handled on the Rakuten product page.