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Other product manufacturing and processing workers (except metal products)

How to become a Bag Maker

Also called: Bag manufacturing worker, Bag machinist, Leather goods maker, Leather goods machinist

Makes bags, handbags, wallets, card holders and similar goods from natural leather, synthetic leather, fabric and other materials.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start. After joining, you usually start with work that does not need skill and learn about materials and methods through one-to-one guidance from supervisors and senior workers. It is said to take about 2 to 3 years to become fully skilled at sewing fabric and about 5 to 7 years for leather. Once you are fully skilled at sewing, you can set up your own business. Hard work, care and good finger skills are needed. If you design products, you also need an eye for beauty, including colour and pattern, and the spatial ability to picture the real item from a design or sketch.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Bag Maker?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. After joining, you usually start with work that does not need skill and learn about materials and methods through one-to-one guidance from supervisors and senior workers. It is said to take about 2 to 3 years to become fully skilled at sewing fabric and about 5 to 7 years for leather. Once you are fully skilled at sewing, you can set up your own business. Hard work, care and good finger skills are needed. If you design products, you also need an eye for beauty, including colour and pattern, and the spatial ability to picture the real item from a design or sketch.

How much does a Bag Maker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,105,900 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other product manufacturing and processing workers (except metal products), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Bag Maker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 19% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Bag Maker?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026