DEEPTOKYO
magazine
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DEEPTOKYO
magazine
EN
2026.08.17
Hender Scheme Leather and Hot Stamping in Kappabashi
Nearest Station
Located in Motoasakusa, Taito-ku, near the Kappabashi area where specialty shops for knives, tableware, and kitchen tools gather, “sukima Kappabashi” is a directly operated store of the Japanese shoe brand “Hender Scheme.” The shop carries leather shoes, bags, small leather goods, and more. Inside, you will find a wide selection of small items made with vegetable-tanned leather. One of the distinctive features of “sukima Kappabashi” is “effect_lab,” a stamping service that uses a hot-stamping machine. With a machine passed down in this neighborhood of tools, customers can have their names or words stamped onto the leather goods they purchase.
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“sukima Kappabashi” is a directly operated store of the Japanese shoe brand “Hender Scheme.” “Hender Scheme” offers leather shoes, bags, and small goods, proposing items designed to be used for a long time while allowing the owner to enjoy the way the material changes over time.
The exterior makes use of a building that was originally a warehouse.
The store is located in Motoasakusa, Taito-ku, about a three-minute walk from Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. Although the address is Motoasakusa, it is close to Kappabashi Dougu Street, an area known for specialty shops selling knives, tableware, kitchen equipment, food samples, and more.
Inside the store, the lineup centers on small goods made with vegetable-tanned leather, alongside shoes and bags. One of its features is that customers can pick up the products and compare the texture, color, and size of the leather as they choose. It is a place where you can experience “Hender Scheme”’s approach to making things through small items and tools for everyday use.
Leather shoes, bags, and small goods are neatly arranged throughout the store. It is a space where visitors can choose products while comparing materials and forms.
The “Hender Scheme” workshop is also located near this area, and the surrounding neighborhood is dotted with artisans and factories. It was this stamping machine—which we acquired from artisans in the Asakusa area—that led us to open our store in Kappabashi. We continue to cherish and use this machine, which has been passed down through generations in this town of tools and artisans.
An experience unique to the Kappabashi store is the stamping option “effect_lab.” The old hot-stamping machine placed inside the store is still in use today as a tool for stamping letters onto small leather goods.
The supported characters include letters of the alphabet, numbers, and some symbols. The basic limit is up to 15 characters, but the number of characters and the stamping position vary depending on the product. For the finish, customers can choose blind embossing, in which the letters are pressed directly into the leather, as well as gold or silver foil stamping. Visitors from overseas apparently often choose the simple blind embossing option.
A stamping machine I received from a craftsman.
The parts used for setting type and the control panel retain the distinctive metallic texture characteristic of tools that have been in use for a long time.
The staff members who perform the engraving continue to use the equipment while carrying out daily cleaning and inspections.
The stamping option begins by choosing an eligible product, deciding on the letters to be stamped, and confirming the stamping position. No reservation is required, and in most cases customers can apply when visiting the store. The finish can be completed in as little as about 30 minutes, but this may vary depending on how crowded the store is and the product, so it is best to confirm when you visit.
Much of the process is done by hand by the staff. After confirming the entered text, they pick out the small metal type one character at a time and set it into the machine. Once the line of text has been assembled, they test it on a scrap piece of leather to check the position and depth. Because the machine stamps letters using heat and pressure, adjusting the temperature and the depth of the press is also essential.
Enter the text to be engraved on the iPad at the store. Place your order while confirming the text, finish, and engraving location.
While reviewing the finish samples, choose from embossed, gold, or silver.
Based on the characters you enter, the system will select the necessary characters from the set.
We set the typeset into the embossing machine and adjust its position so that it embosses the leather straight.
We conduct tests using leather scraps to verify the position and depth of the stamping. Since the thickness and shape vary by product, we make fine adjustments.
The final step in the process, where text is imprinted using heat and pressure. Since the text cannot be removed once it has been imprinted, this step is carried out with the utmost care.
A card case with your name embossed on it. Though understated in design, it’s a one-of-a-kind piece that you’ll cherish for years to come.
The interior of the Kappabashi store was originally used as a warehouse. Rather than being overly designed, the space retains an industrial feel, with leather shoes, bags, and small goods neatly arranged throughout. At the entrance, thick vinyl curtains of the kind also used in factories and warehouses have been installed. These vinyl curtains are a detail that feels very Kappabashi, blending into the surrounding scenery of wholesalers and warehouses. From outside, the interior can be faintly seen, gently connecting the street with the store.
A vinyl curtain covers the entrance facing the street. From the outside, you can faintly see inside the store, creating a gentle connection between the wholesale district street and the store interior.
As the name “sukima,” meaning “space” or “gap,” suggests, the store leaves room between objects. Fixtures made from square wooden pillars and shelves arranged with generous spacing are designed not to pack products densely, but to show the material and form of each item. The layout makes it easy to compare the colors and shapes of the leather and to pick up products and examine them.
Amid the minimalist interior, vegetable-tanned leather shoes and accessories are arranged with plenty of breathing room.
The hot-stamping machine is placed on the central counter, allowing the store to offer the “effect_lab” stamping option on eligible leather goods purchased there. Products that can and cannot be stamped are also arranged clearly, creating a space where the flow from choosing an item to adding the stamping option feels natural.
At the central counter, we’re running “effect_lab,” a service that offers engraving on eligible purchased items.
You can watch the process of engraving the leather goods you’ve purchased up close right in the store.
The Kappabashi store offers a rich selection of small goods made with vegetable-tanned leather, one of “Hender Scheme”’s staples. Wallets, card cases, passport cases, PC cases, and other everyday items are available, and eligible products can be used with the stamping option.
The defining feature of vegetable-tanned leather is that its color and sheen change the more it is used. Even with the same item, the way it changes will differ depending on how it is used and cared for. Inside the store, there are also samples personally used by staff, allowing customers to see how the color may change from the time of purchase.
Adding an engraving option to this material allows you to add a personal touch that’s unique to the person using the product. It’s not complete the moment you buy it; by engraving a name or a phrase, the color and luster of the item will change as you use it day by day. You can experience the “changes that come from continued use”—a concept that ‘Hender Scheme’ has always cherished—through the familiar form of a small accessory.
A long-standing, classic wallet. Despite its compact size, it’s designed to hold bills, cards, and coins all in one place, and you can have your name engraved on the inside. “wallet” — 22,000 yen each (W9 × H10 × D2.5 cm)
A passport case designed for easy use while traveling. It keeps your passport and tickets organized, and with your name or initials engraved on it, it becomes a keepsake to bring home as a memento of your trip. “Passport Case” 30,800 yen each (W11 × H14.8 cm)
A laptop case made from vegetable-tanned leather. As the color and luster change with use, you can enjoy watching it age over time as an everyday accessory. “13-inch” — 24,200 yen each (W25 × H33 × D0.4 cm)
Leather items from our staff's personal collections. As you use them, the natural-colored leather develops a richer luster and takes on a different character than when you first bought them.
Even for the same model, how the shoes age varies depending on how the wearer uses and cares for them. In our stores, you can look at these samples to get an idea of how the shoes will change over time after purchase.
The information in this article is current as of August 17, 2026 (at the time of publication).
