Pioneer of the Slim Bifold Wallet, Hitoe® Fold
The Hitoe® Fold Series has been supported by many voices seeking a thin, compact wallet in the cashless era.
Since its introduction in 2019 as a product with the new concept of a "small, thin wallet," it has overcome numerous challenges and blazed new trails.
From a "thin wallet" to a "small, thin wallet"
If Hitoe® Fold were to be described in a single phrase, it would be the "second generation of thin wallets."
The first generation focused on pursuing thinness.
In contrast, the second generation thoroughly pursues "smallness" as well.
Let's look back at how Hitoe® Fold, the starting point of this second generation, was born and evolved.
The era of the "thin wallet"
Before Hitoe® Fold appeared, there were only a handful of wallets with a structure that did not stack cards and coins.
A timeline of these wallets is as follows.
| 2008.07 | Sartore Wallet (Sartore) |
| 2009.12 | Thin Wallet (Value Innovation) |
| 2017.01 | Comodo (ULYSSES) |
| 2018.06 | Hitoe® L-zip S (SYRINX) |
| 2018.11 | Piastra (Mpiu) |
| 2019.09 | Jitan (JACAJACA) |
The commonality among these wallets is that coins and cards do not overlap.
On the other hand, none of them clearly pursued "smallness," such as having card pockets that could fit business cards.
We believe that "Thin Wallet" (Value Innovation) was the pioneer that made this "thin wallet" category widely known to the world.
Due to its high level of perfection, for about 10 years after its release, it was the synonymous model when people spoke of a "thin wallet."
Reinventing the thin wallet into a "small, thin wallet"
However, today, a wide variety of thin wallets have appeared on the market.
The starting point of this change was Hitoe® Fold, announced in November 2019.
The essence of Hitoe® Fold's innovation was that it aimed not only to be thin but also clearly "small."
The current Hitoe® Fold is 32% smaller in area compared to the previous model, Hitoe® L-zip S. (Reference: "Comparison of storage sizes for thin wallets and mini wallets")
At that time, to the best of our knowledge, there was no wallet that trimmed the card pockets to fit credit cards just right and prominently featured the concept of a "small, thin wallet."
Thus, Hitoe® Fold was the first to give concrete form to the unprecedented concept of a "small, thin wallet."
About six months after the announcement of Hitoe® Fold in 2019, similar wallets incorporating this idea began to appear one after another from 2020 onward, and now a new lineage of "small, thin wallets" is spreading.
How Hitoe® Fold, the origin of these, was born and evolved.
Let's look back at its history.
Timeline of challenges: Crowdfunding and design evolution
2020–2021: From birth to establishment
This was a period when we repeatedly achieved new domestic crowdfunding records and introduced new models. We developed derivative models such as Aria and Less, establishing its position as a new standard for bifold wallets.
- 2020.02 ― The first Hitoe® Fold crowdfunding campaign attracted significant attention, reaching over 10 million yen in just 3 minutes after launch. Although it ended early after 18 days and 3,500 units due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it recorded the highest domestic crowdfunding amount at the time. Awarded the Campfire Crowdfunding Award 2020.
- 2020.12 ― Released Hitoe® Fold Aria. Featuring a bill clip and a single-fold design, it raised over 78 million yen in total support, breaking our own domestic record.
- 2021.04 ― Announced Hitoe® Fold (2nd generation). Added a bill clip and recorded over 55 million yen in support. Hitoe® Fold series occupied ranks 1–3 for domestic wallet crowdfunding amounts. ( *Based on our own research, continuing through 2025.02)
- 2021.12 ― Announced Hitoe® Fold Less. The ultimate slim model limited to holding 3 cards.
2023–2025: Toward the final form
With the introduction of the 3rd generation Hitoe® Fold, the size and storage design were further optimized. It also received significant support through crowdfunding on our own website. In 2024, we released the "Mushroom" collection derived from mushroom mycelium. In 2025, we announced the 5th anniversary collection "Antico." We solved the remaining structural challenges and evolved into a true final form.
- 2023.05 ― Announced Hitoe® Fold (3rd generation). Although launched on our own website, it raised over 40 million yen in support.
- 2025.05 ― Released the 5th anniversary collection "Antico". Updated the coin pocket shape.
- 2025.10 ― Announced the coin pocket shape update for Hitoe Fold -Liscio-.
- 2025.11 ― Announced the coin pocket shape update for Hitoe Fold Aria & Less.
Awards and Shortlists
The Hitoe® Fold series alone has received over 20 awards (and over 30 for SYRINX as a whole). It has received high acclaim both domestically and internationally, including the iF DESIGN AWARD (Germany) and Red Dot Design Award (Germany).
Major Awards
- iF Design Award 2022, 2023
- Red Dot Award 2022
- Chicago Good Design Award 2022
＋ Open the annual award list
2020
- Campfire Crowdfunding Award 2020
- Omotenashi Selection 2020
2021
- Omotenashi Selection 2021
- K-DESIGN AWARD 2021
- European Product Design Award 2021
- MUSE Design Awards 2021
- NY Product Design Awards 2021
- IDA Design Awards 2021
- London International Creative Competition 2021
2022
- Red Dot Award 2022
- iF Design Award 2022
- A’ Design Award & Competition 2022
- Omotenashi Selection 2022
- DNA Paris Design Awards 2022
- DFA Design for Asia Awards 2022
- Chicago Good Design Award 2022
2023
- German Design Awards 2023
- iF Design Award 2023
- IDEA 2023 Finalist
2025
- Social Product Award 2025
Not only small and thin,
but also easier to use and more beautiful.
That is not by chance, but the result of repeated thinking.
SYRINX will continue to take on challenges.
(Text by Hiroshi Sato | SYRINX Representative & Designer)
