Small wallets that fit in the palms of women's hands are becoming increasingly popular in Japan as electronic payment systems negate the need to carry cash.
Responding to the trend, makers are producing better shapes with smarter materials to meet demand for downsized wallets.
Some Japanese believe that wallets purchased in spring bring luck, because the Japanese word "haru," meaning spring, and a verb meaning wallets "become swollen" have the same pronunciation.
This superstition has popularized the idea that it is best to wait for the season to buy a new wallet.
In a corner displaying various high-end accessories at the Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, about 20 kinds of mini wallets are on sale.
Since about two years ago, famous international brands have been marketing models of tiny handbags one after another. In tandem with that trend, smaller wallet designs by Japanese luxury goods brands have become increasingly common.
Muveil's trifold wallets are made of bull leather and measure 7 to 7.5 centimeters long and 9.5 centimeters wide. When folded, they become palm-sized.
The brand's wallets come in bright colors, such as green and yellow, and feature cute details. One with a bee motif is priced at 21,600 yen (about 195 dollars) and another adorned with a strawberry-shaped ornament is 17,280, yen both including tax.
Trifold wallets by Airlist, a luxury leather goods brand, are light and notable for their elegant coloring. They measure about 7 centimeters long, 10 centimeters wide and 4 centimeters thick, and retail for 12,960 yen including tax.
One wallet featuring polka-dot foil patterns is made of soft sheepskin for extra comfort, and weighs only 43 grams.
Another with chic herringbone patterns made of bull leather is also lightweight at 55 grams.
Yumiko Ezaki, a buyer for the department store, said: "Customers favor easy-to-use products, such as light clothes and easy-to-carry bags. Wallets have also become as small as possible."
Because the wallets are small enough to be stored in clutch bags, they are ideal for taking to parties.
And compared with longer wallets, price tags of mini wallets are reasonable.
"Wallets in high-impact colors, such as brights or metallics, are fun to hold and make you feel good," Ezaki said.
The abrAsus brand trades in bull leather wallets manufactured by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen. Its Chiisai Saifu (small wallet) -- priced from 11,850 yen including tax -- is 6 centimeters long and 9 centimeters wide, and can be slipped into jeans or pants pockets.
The folding type known as Usui Saifu (slim wallet) -- priced from 14,950 yen -- is very thin. Ten bills, 10 coins and five cards can be stored in the 1.3-centimeter-thick item. An abrAsus official said that the wallets feature dividers to keep cards and coins separate, and fewer layers of overlapping leather to achieve its slender look.
The abrAsus Travel Wallet looks like a long wallet at a glance, but in fact can be folded at the center and fastened. It can hold many coins and receipts and has holes for attaching a wallet cord to keep it from being lost. Prices start at 9,900 yen.
AbrAsus wallets can be bought at the brand's shop in Tokyo's Omotesando district or from its online shopping store.
Kazushige Minami, chief executive officer of the brand's parent company Value Innovation Corp., said: "Many people advocate a simpler lifestyle of living with less, and we're in an age of shopping without using cash. People prefer wallets that are simple, slim and comfortable to use."
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