First, this is the process of removing hair and flesh from animal hides and cleaning them. Hides taken from animals are transported in this state.

Salt is sprinkled over the entire hide to prevent decomposition before cleaning. The proximity of Ako City, known as a famous salt-producing region in Japan, was one of the factors that contributed to Himeji's thriving leather industry.

For cleaning, the hides are placed in large drums like this for several days.

In the next step, the wet hides are dried by sun. It is crucial to dry them in a natural environment to preserve the leather's original texture, as using heaters can diminish it.

In the next step, the dried and hardened hides are softened using a machine.

If you listen closely, you can hear a powerful sound of leather pieces colliding.

Finally, the leather is colored. The leather passes through a spray that applies the dye.

Around this stage, the leather begins to be processed into the familiar material we know.