The history of Yuri’s bags began in Toyooka in 1964.
Sotaro Yuri, the founder of the company, changed the business from his family-owned hardware store, to bag manufacturing, which was already a local industry at that time. The company operated four branch factories around Toyooka.
Exports to the U.S. reached their peak in the 1970s, and the current headquarters was built in 1975.
In the 1980s, we shifted our focus to domestic demand and developed travel products as our main product, especially “Dulles bags”.
Futon Bag
One of the products from the company’s early days.
In the 1990s, we sensed that it would be difficult to secure domestic sewing workers in the future, and therefore decided to establish a joint corporation in Hong Kong and start production in China in 1991.
We formed a technical cooperation with a Taiwanese company called “ Hesen Co.,Ltd.” and accelerated production in Dongguan, China in 1993.
The production site was moved from Dongguan to Qingdao in 2002. Production in China was expanded through technical cooperation with a Korean company called “Bells Corporation”.
In the 1990s, when domestic demand declined due to the collapse of the bubble economy in Japan, we were one of the first manufacturers in the industry to introduce CAD (computer-aided design) systems made by Lectra Systems SA in France, and advance the mechanization of domestic production.
This was the starting point for the shift from man-based to IT-based management and production.
We began operating our own factory in Omiya-machi, Kyoto in 2003, and kept up a balance between domestic and overseas production.
We launched our private brand (PB) called “ARTPHERE” in 2006 to hedge the risk of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) production and to extend its business from Business to Business (B2B) to Business to Consumer (B2C).
2008
We developed the “New Dulles Bag” and won the German “iF Design Award” for the first time in the Japanese bag industry.
CLASSIC LINE
NATURAL LINE
A sketch bag with a characteristic aluminum frame developed under the theme, “Travel for a Man”.
2009
We opened our flagship store “Atelier nuu”.
Atelier nuu parcel Dulles Bag
We established our first overseas factory in Da Nang City, Vietnam, and succeeded in producing high quality products that cannot be produced by ordinary consignment production.
2015
We moved our Vietnam factory to enlarge its business and established a 9,000㎡ new factory.
In order to introduce products manufactured in Vietnam to the world, we have been actively participating in overseas trade fairs such as exhibitions in New York, Milan, and Hong Kong since 2017, for the purpose of developing the overseas markets for “ARTPHERE”.
New Dulles Touch Clear F4
Backpack with clear specifications
Cavallo
Backpack with a frame used only for the upper part
We started production of leather wallets as a new project at the Omiya Factory. It led to enabling consistent design development from bags to wallets, and branched out the product’s variations.
2019
We taught the wallet techniques cultivated since 2019 to the Vietnam factory to promote global product development.
Strengthening Online Sales
In anticipation of online sales becoming mainstream in the future, we launched the new brand “Totem Re Vooo” in FY2015 and “RAIZON” in FY2017.
Atelier nuu loop wallet
Totem Re Vooo Antipasto Skin tote bag
RAIZON
Slim briefcase men’s
Participation in Overseas Exhibitions
Proactively participate in overseas exhibitions
MIPEL in Milan / Liberty Fair in New York / PROJECT in Las Vegas / PROJECT in New York / Leather Fair in Hong Kong, etc.
TONDO
Backpack made of knit material
