人工皮革(じんこうひかく)

Composed of 人工(じんこう) (artificial, man-made) + 皮革(ひかく) (leather, hide). The compound 皮革(ひかく) is itself a more formal/technical word for leather than the everyday 革(かわ).

Common collocations

• 人工皮革(じんこうひかく)製(せい): made of synthetic leather
• 人工皮革(じんこうひかく)の靴(くつ): synthetic-leather shoes
• 人工皮革(じんこうひかく)素材(そざい): synthetic-leather material
• 人工皮革(じんこうひかく)を使(つか)う: to use synthetic leather
• 人工皮革(じんこうひかく)ソファ: synthetic-leather sofa

Similar words

• 合成皮革(ごうせいひかく): synthetic leather — a near-synonym used especially on product labels; often abbreviated to 合皮(ごうひ).
• 合皮(ごうひ): pleather — the everyday short form of 合成皮革(ごうせいひかく); very common in fashion and retail.
• 本革(ほんがわ): genuine / real leather — the standard opposite term.
• 天然皮革(てんねんひかく): natural leather — a more formal opposite used in product specifications.
• 革(かわ): leather, hide — the general everyday word, can refer to real or artificial depending on context.

Technical note

In the Japanese leather industry, 人工皮革(じんこうひかく) and 合成皮革(ごうせいひかく) are not always perfect synonyms:

• 合成皮革(ごうせいひかく): a fabric base with a thin plastic (PU or PVC) coating on the surface; structure is clearly two-layer.
• 人工皮革(じんこうひかく): a nonwoven fiber base impregnated with resin; structure is more three-dimensional and closer to genuine leather in feel and breathability. Ultrasuede and similar premium materials fall in this category.

In everyday conversation, however, the two are often used interchangeably.

Typical products

• Shoes and sneakers
• Bags and wallets
• Jackets
• Car seats and interior trim
• Sofa upholstery
• Soccer balls and baseball gloves (modern models)