We are holding a "Children's Planning Meeting" event, an experiential craftsmanship event where children's ideas can be brought to life!
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company's founding, the "Children's Planning Meeting" event has been launched, where children can fully experience the process of planning and selling Familiar's signature item, the denim bag!
The main characters are the children. We will show you how the children experience the process from planning to sales.
*Applications are now closed.
Children's Planning Meeting
Participants will experience the process of Familiar's long-selling "denim bag," from planning to sales, over a period of approximately eight months. This event allows participants to learn from the designers about the passion for craftsmanship that Familiar values. The hand-embroidered denim bags, born from the children's free-spirited ideas, will be commercialized and scheduled for sale to the general public in spring 2026.
Participating members introduction
We would like to introduce six unique members who were selected from a large number of applicants.
1 group
What made you apply?
I was introduced to this project while chatting with a staff member at the Familiar Daikanyama store. I love Familiar bags, so I applied because I wanted to try making one.
What thoughts did you put into your submission?
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I painted a spring scene of the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Temple. It's a magnificent building, so I wanted everyone to see it.
What would you like to do at a children's planning meeting?
I love Japan's national treasures and world heritage sites, so I want to share the beauty of Japan with people all over the world through Familia bags.
What made you apply?
I applied because I thought it would be fun to come up with a design for my beloved Familiar denim bag with a friend who is also a Familiar fan. When I heard about this project from my mother, I knew I absolutely wanted to apply and take part.
What thoughts did you put into your submission?
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I packed the feel of spring and the feel of Familia into one. I think the red Familia check looks great on denim fabric, so I thought a Familia check would be good for Little Red Riding Hood's hood. When I think of spring flowers, tulips come to mind, so I used tulips for the flowers. I think the use of colors that really feel like spring is achieved by using yellow for the bird and pink for the balloons.
What would you like to do at a children's planning meeting?
I would like to meet with other Familia-loving kids and combine everyone's ideas into one denim bag. I love drawing, so I'm interested in how the designs are decided. I'd also like to see the actual processes of sewing and embroidery.
What made you apply?
I normally use Familiar bags, so I wanted my idea to be used on an actual denim bag. I also like drawing and looking at the different colors of colored pencils, so I applied for this project because I wanted to try my hand at "color placement."
What thoughts did you put into your submission?
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The spring breeze blowing through the dandelion fields, the Fami-chans riding on the fluff, and the animals waking up from winter express the excitement of spring. I put my hope that the Fami-chans would go and visit their aunt, whom Familia loved very much.
What would you like to do at a children's planning meeting?
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I would like to give shape to my ideas and try color placement. I would like to have meetings with everyone and create exciting works that are full of emotion.
2nd group
What made you apply?
I applied because I wanted people to like and purchase the denim bag I designed, to receive lots of compliments, and to feel happy when I see people using it.
What thoughts did you put into your submission?
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I put my heart into this song, wanting to convey the importance of food education to as many people as possible. The people who grow vegetables and fruits work hard every day to make them delicious for us. When you eat them with that in mind, you feel grateful and the food tastes even better. I want more people to know that we can eat delicious food every day because of the hard work of the people who grow it.
What would you like to do at a children's planning meeting?
I would like to make my own denim bags, like the one my mother has, that will make many people happy. I want to create designs that are not only cute, but also make use of many of Familia's great points and that can be carried by people of all genders and ages. I also want to convey the importance of food education through denim bags.
What made you apply?
My mom loves Familia, and recently received an Akita dog bag that she got through hometown tax donations, which arrived on her birthday and made her very happy. It's so cute and precious that she can't use it for a while. I wanted to try making a bag that makes people happy and energetic, so I applied.
What thoughts did you put into your submission?
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I drew this with the theme of cherry blossoms. I thought that the color of cherry blossom petals would change depending on the angle they flutter, so I used various shades of pink. I also drew my favorite three-colored dango.
What would you like to do at a children's planning meeting?
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Once I've been able to complete the design and make a real bag, I'd like to become a store clerk and tell people about the best features.
What made you apply?
I've been using a lot of Familiar items since I was in kindergarten, and I applied because I wanted to know how the things I use every day are made.
What thoughts did you put into your submission?
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I love fire engines. I remember having a picnic by the river with my dog in the spring, and I drew this piece hoping that my beloved fire engines would take a break sometimes.
What would you like to do at a children's planning meeting?
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I would like to use my experience as a student council chairman to act as a team leader.
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DAY1
- DAY2
- DAY3
- DAY 4
- DAY 5
- Open Office
orientation
On the first day of the children's planning meeting, an online orientation was held! It was the first time we met the six children. Active creators from Familia also participated.
First, they introduced themselves. Everyone answered each question carefully, such as, "What are you interested in?" and "Why did you apply for the Children's Planning Conference?"
What kind of work do you do as a designer?
Learn about Familiar's manufacturing and design. When planning a product, there are many things that need to be decided, not just the shape and color, but also functionality and cost!
Next, everyone learned about the theme of this event, "Spring." They had fun learning about seasonal ingredients and works by various artists with a spring theme, while answering quizzes.
They also shared their own spring-related stories and thought about "spring" from various angles. Itsuki said, "The spring vegetables from my relatives' fields were so delicious," and Kyoka said, "I enjoyed blowing on dandelion fluff." They expanded on the image of the bag by sharing their memories.
Finally, homework was given and DAY 1 came to an end! The assignment was to come up with three keywords that evoke the image of "spring." Thank you for your hard work in this first planning meeting!
Visit to the Kobe main store
The second day of the children's planning meeting started with a tour of the Kobe main store. They saw many of the products that were actually on sale and carefully observed how they were made.
Kobe Head Office Tour
Next, we went to the head office and observed the work of the product department. Everyone was fascinated by the opportunity to see the creators actually designing.
design
After learning about Familiar's manufacturing process, it was time to design the denim bags! From here, the students were divided into two teams of three people and created two types of denim bags. First, they announced the homework from the previous day! Everyone organized keywords that evoked the image of "spring" and each team decided on a theme for the denim bags.
Next, I choose the material and color of the base fabric. I look for materials that fit the theme while referring to past denim bags and embroidery materials. It's hard to find the perfect color from the vast number of materials available.
Next, they designed the art using a technique called "color placement," in which colored felt is cut and placed on top of each other. "Color placement" is a design technique that Familiar has treasured for many years. With guidance from the designer, the teams expressed design images in felt that matched the theme. Two pieces of art filled with the thoughts of each team were completed!
Finally, we decided on the size and specifications. We all had many discussions about how to make the bag easy to use, such as the size of the bag, the length of the handles, and the pockets, based on the scenarios in which it would be used. Once each team decided on their specifications, the second day came to an end! On the third day, it was finally time to present their designs ♪
design
Day 3 started with a review of Day 2. Everyone worked on turning their artwork into "Familiar products." From the designers' color choices, participants learned how to create products that would actually be sold and express the Familiar style.
Design announcement
Finally, the completed design was presented in front of everyone! They were able to effectively communicate the design theme and the attention to detail.
Group 1: "Teddy Bear's Strawberry Thief"
The artwork features a teddy bear sneakily nibbling on strawberries in a basket. The key feature is the functional design with inner and side pockets. The shoulder straps in particular were adjusted to the most comfortable length after being tested by adults .
Group 2 "Happy Friends"
The design tells one story on both sides. The first blue story shows Teddy Bear's friends coming to celebrate his birthday. The second pink story shows Teddy Bear and his friends from story 1 taking a walk together in a flower field. The synthetic leather part is a color that harmonizes with the pink and blue.
Manufacturing experience
Finally, we had the opportunity to experience making our own drawstring bags. We used a sewing machine to create our own original drawstring bags.
The original drawstring pouches with designs of everyone's favorite things are complete! You'll feel even more attached to them if you make them yourself. Thank you for your hard work on the third day! Next time, we'll finally check the samples.