Our Story
The Founding Years
Lemma was launched by two people: Murata, founder of Principle Inc., and Fujiwara, who currently leads Balzo Carpintero, Principle's manufacturing division.
Principle Inc., founded in 2013, had been developing a concept to run its own brand under the banner of "made in KOBE." In the course of that process, the company came across Fujiwara, who was making leather goods as a hobby, and Murata asked him to take on production. This is how the brand was born in 2017.
Around that same time, there was an open call for Kobe Selection, and the application materials from back then are still on hand today. Kobe Selection is an initiative that certifies outstanding products embodying the appeal of Kobe, supporting the growth of ambitious companies through sales-channel assistance and, in doing so, bringing new vitality to the local industry. The opening line of those materials read: "【made in KOBE】From Kobe to Japan, and to a brand loved around the world." That same conviction still holds true today. Thankfully, the brand went on to place second among numerous Kobe brands in the Kobe Selection, and from there began selling at various department store events.
Global Expansion and a Period of Struggle
From the very start, Lemma set its sights on global expansion, and the brand pursued this actively—using cross-border e-commerce as a starting point, holding pop-up events in Thailand, Taiwan, Paris, and elsewhere, and selling directly to customers in each location.
Domestically, sales grew through Free Spirits, and Fujiwara officially joined Principle. The number of makers gradually increased as well, marking a period when the brand's production framework grew even stronger.
The brand started out on a trial-and-error basis, without enough time or funding for proper promotion or branding. There was passion behind it, but with no clear sense of what to do, the days that followed were filled with repeated trial and error.
A Turning Point
Lemma's biggest hit product, MARISCO, was released in January 2021. Born out of repeated trial and error during the pandemic that began in January 2020, it took shape from a simple wish: to deliver a wonderful wallet to people across Japan. Reading what the world truly needed and drawing out the full value of genuine craftsmanship, it's a product where every element comes together in perfect balance. It drew attention almost instantly from the moment it went on sale.
Led by Fujiwara, the members of Balzo Carpintero involved with Lemma practice a style of craftsmanship suited to the modern era—covering design, construction, how materials are used, production methods, and process management.
Tucked behind the Free Spirits Kobe store is the Balzo Carpintero workshop. It's a place where "making" and "selling" flow back and forth, allowing maker, seller, and buyer to feel each other's presence up close. Even as online sales continue to grow, the brand values this real, physical closeness—making things not just with the head, but with the body as well.
Across various online marketplaces, the brand has consistently ranked in the top 3 annually. It's a result we truly feel supported by, thanks to so many customers.
Looking Ahead
In launching this dedicated Lemma website, we hope to once again make global expansion a genuine focus. Even as a company just over ten years old, we believe that by showing how Japanese craftsmanship can be recognized around the world and embodied in a sustainable way, we can offer a guiding example for others—regardless of industry. Rather than pursuing some special path only a select few could follow, we want to achieve results in a way that's realistic for anyone, and connect with people around the world along the way.
Of course, at the core of it all is a wish for people in Japan to discover that a brand this wonderful exists. In Japan, brands and products that don't fit neatly into established distribution structures can sometimes struggle to reach the market, but we want to overcome that barrier and build a system where maker, seller, and buyer alike can all find happiness.
Basic Concept
Lemma is a brand that expresses the stylish, Kobe-like atmosphere born from a fusion of East and West—through Eastern craftsmanship paired with the rich, colorful leathers of the West.
The brand's underlying philosophy draws on the ideas of Tokuryu Yamauchi, author of "Logos and Lemma," and Minakata Kumagusu, the mycologist. Yamauchi's philosophy is known for its attempt to fuse Eastern and Western thought beyond their traditional boundaries, and this same worldview carries through into Lemma's own outlook. At its core, the brand can best be understood as one that expresses a spirit of inquiry into fusion, life, and nature.
In business, quality and speed, one-off craftsmanship and mass production, passion and sales, high price and low price—all of these matter. Lemma's approach is to embrace things that may at first seem contradictory, and to pursue truth with that same spirit. Rather than leaning toward either East or West, we believe that holding both perspectives at once leads to less conflict, and moves us further along in the pursuit of truth—that is, living out our principle.
In a world that increasingly values quick, easy understanding, this way of thinking may not always be easy to grasp. Still, we hope that by encountering Lemma's philosophy and holding its products in your hands, you'll find a spark—an invitation to pursue what truly matters, and to live out your own principle.