Leather Arts & Crafts Moto

Hideo Motoike, a sculptor and leather doll artist, founded Leather Arts & Crafts Moto in 1971 as an order-made leather products company. In 1976, his leather dolls were exhibited at a Norman Rockwell exhibition in Tokyo, establishing his reputation as a leather artist. The business expanded in 1997 when Motoike's sons, Daisuke and Sakuto, founded Leather & Silver Moto to focus on silver accessories and leather items.

The company reached its 40th anniversary in 2011, launching the Motor clothing line. In 2013, the Motoratory project began. A major milestone occurred in 2016 when Hideo Motoike became the first person in Japan certified as a prefectural intangible cultural property holder in leather craft. In 2020, Daisuke Motoike launched his independent brand, Taupe D. Motoike.

The 50th anniversary in 2021 brought significant developments: the opening of the Motoike Art Museum in Tottori (the world's first leather art museum), the reopening of the Minami-Aoyama space as Motoike Gallery, and Hideo Motoike receiving the Minister of Education Award.

The main atelier is located on the Yumigahama coast in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Moto specializes in order-made and custom production, with footwear utilizing welted craftsmanship. Custom orders typically require two to three weeks for production. The company produces a range of leather goods including wallets, bags, footwear, and jackets, as well as silver jewelry and accessories.

Hideo Motoike's artistic techniques for creating animal sculptures involve molds made from concrete, Styrofoam, or fiberglass resin. These leather artworks, created over approximately 50 years, are displayed at the Motoike Art Museum.

Moto operates five retail locations across Japan. In Tokyo, the company maintains Leather & Silver Moto in Kita-Aoyama, Minato Ward, and Motoike Gallery in Minami-Aoyama. In Tottori Prefecture, the company operates the Motoike Art Museum and a Motostyle Store in Yonago, with an additional Motostyle Store in Okayama. The museum, located at 4841 Oshinozucho in Yonago City, is open from 10:00 to 17:00 and closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It features large-scale animal sculptures, detailed miniature dioramas, a museum shop, and a café.