Jihanki Tote
This is not your standard merch tote. With custom handles for at-your-side hand carry, a longer strap for shoulder and crossbody wear, and a rugged 18-ounce canvas body, it's made to go anywhere and everywhere. Sized to carry everything you need for a full day scouting vending machines in Tokyo.
18 oz cotton duck canvas
Two handles + shoulder strap
Made in the USA
International Customers
Please reach out for ordering info. International customers should keep in mind that payment of an additional import customs VAT may be required on receipt of package depending on your location. Thank you in advance for understanding.
This is not your standard merch tote. With custom handles for at-your-side hand carry, a longer strap for shoulder and crossbody wear, and a rugged 18-ounce canvas body, it's made to go anywhere and everywhere. Sized to carry everything you need for a full day scouting vending machines in Tokyo.
18 oz cotton duck canvas
Two handles + shoulder strap
Made in the USA
International Customers
Please reach out for ordering info. International customers should keep in mind that payment of an additional import customs VAT may be required on receipt of package depending on your location. Thank you in advance for understanding.
This is not your standard merch tote. With custom handles for at-your-side hand carry, a longer strap for shoulder and crossbody wear, and a rugged 18-ounce canvas body, it's made to go anywhere and everywhere. Sized to carry everything you need for a full day scouting vending machines in Tokyo.
18 oz cotton duck canvas
Two handles + shoulder strap
Made in the USA
International Customers
Please reach out for ordering info. International customers should keep in mind that payment of an additional import customs VAT may be required on receipt of package depending on your location. Thank you in advance for understanding.
The Story Behind the Bag
When I was wandering around Japan taking pictures of vending machines, I used a navy blue tote bag to carry my cameras. I've had that bag for more than seven years and I use it almost every day — to carry work stuff, running gear, groceries, extra layers. I bring this bag with me when I travel too; it's more versatile than a backpack and big enough for a full day of wandering. The strap setup makes it comfy to carry when it's fully weighted, too.
You can't get that bag anymore, so a few months ago I tracked down the company that made it, modified the design slightly, and had them make 200 to go with THE OBSERVER'S GUIDE TO JAPANESE VENDING MACHINES. Half of the totes are available with the Special Edition of the book, and half are for sale separately.
Any merch I was going to make alongside this book had to play by the same rules; making something throwaway for the sake of promotion and an extra buck was out of the question. As with the book, the bag is made of high-quality materials. The cotton duck canvas the manufacturer uses is heavy duty 18-ounce stock, which makes the bag very rugged. (As I mentioned, I've had my blue one for seven years of solid use but it doesn't look that way.)
The art on the bag is the same patent-inspired vending machine diagram I made for the book's back cover. The text translates to "Japanese Vending Machine Guide," the book's Japanese title. And the custom woven tag that I had made is the icon from the book's spine — because every vending machine needs a little recycling bin to go with it.
