FUKIDO” has a workshop in Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture, a sacred place for metalworking, and produces simple copper products useful in daily life.
While preserving the traditional techniques of hammering and forging that have been handed down from generation to generation
, the company keeps abreast of current trends and continues to produce copper products with a high level of functional beauty suited to modern lifestyles.

Traditional Techniques Inherited in Niigata

Tsubame City, located roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, is where the manufacturing techniques of Tsubame hammered copperware, a traditional craft that is said to have begun in the Edo period, have been handed down from generation to generation. Copper is mined at the Mase Copper Mine, which was developed in the Yahiko Mountains to the northwest of Tsubame City, and the technique is said to have been originally introduced from Sendai. The basic process is to dull a sheet of copper by burning it and then hammering it with a hammer or mallet to form a shape. There are many types of hammers, and the tools are changed depending on where and how the hammer is used.

The workshop “FUKIDO” is run by a father and son.

A pleasant clanging sound echoes outside the workshop. It is the rhythmic sound of hammering metal. Hiroshi Fujii, the second generation owner of Tsubame Hammering Copperware FUKIDO, which was founded in 1945, has been listening to this sound since he was a child. Inside the workshop, huge kettles and old hammered copperware products are displayed. These were made by my predecessors,” he says. They are very important to keep.” It has been almost 50 years since he started working with his father. His son, Ken, is also hammering at the same time.

What are the tools of professional work?

Sometimes he uses tools inherited from his predecessors, and sometimes he makes new tools by himself. He hammers at the same pace on the tatami mats, feeling the fine vibrations. The distortion caused by the deformation of copper is utilized to raise, smooth, and adjust the surface. We tap to tighten the metal. Striking makes it harder by removing the molecules,” says Hiroshi in his own unique way, as only a craftsman can. He says that by pounding, the copper becomes more durable and can be used for a long time as a daily necessities.

Tools that develop a distinctive flavor the more they are used.

The more a piece of hammered copperware is used, the more its luster increases. The more they are used, the more they acquire a color that is unique to the person using them and the environment in which they are used. In other words, it is a tool that you can enjoy growing in your own way. Of course, it also has clear advantages as a cooking utensil. Copper’s excellent thermal conductivity is about twice that of aluminum, five times that of iron, and 25 times that of stainless steel. Heat passes easily throughout the entire cooking surface, making cooking smooth. It is also highly corrosion resistant and has sterilizing properties. The finished products are all simple, but the dull luster and sparkling shine created by the countless uneven surfaces that have been hammered into them are beautiful and exude an indescribable elegance. They are no longer just daily necessities, but also have value as arts and crafts.

What are popular items?

Especially popular items at FUKIDO are kettles, teapots, and pots. The good thermal conductivity of these items helps to improve the efficiency of cooking, and they are representative of items that should be included in the first place. Ken, the third generation of the company, has been working together to produce drip pots, servers, and other coffee-related products, and is also working to provide items that can be casually incorporated into everyday life. Even though they are traditional crafts, they also strive to create products that are easily accepted by people’s changing lifestyles over time.

Although they are father and son, they are both craftsmen, and their specialties differ from each other, but what their works have in common is that they are tools that can be used with love for a long time. Copper products have an image of being difficult to handle, but the tin coating on the surface makes them easy to care for and prevents discoloration. Even if they break or need maintenance after long use, they can be repaired by craftsmen according to their condition and can be used again. If one acquires a good tin, it is a wonderful tool that can be passed down to one’s children and grandchildren. In this sense, traditional craftsmanship may be the ultimate in sustainability.

What will be handed down to the next generation

The workshop is currently managed by the second generation, Hiroshi, and the third generation, Ken, but both Hiroshi and Ken had been working for outside companies for a while. Both the person who decides to take over as a traditional craftsman and the person who decides to pass on the craft to the next generation must be prepared to do the same.

At first I didn’t like the idea of taking over the family business,” he says. But now I’m enjoying it. I have my grandfather and my father, and I feel that I can make an effort to eat in this business for the rest of my life. That’s what I have now.” Ken says. It would certainly be nice to have a successor, but the world of craftsmanship is tough, and it takes a certain amount of determination on the part of the successor,” says Hiroshi.

We hope that you will try our copperware and feel the solidity and beauty of our craftsmen’s soulful work, as well as the spirit of craftsmanship that is passed down in the family.

We strive to create products that pursue the beauty of use as well as shapes that have been handed down from generation to generation. We hope you will enjoy the charm of our soft and simple shaped copperware that grows warmer with each use. We would be happy if you would use the products of “FUKIDO”, which are born from the skills of our artisans, as tools for your daily life.

The post The history of traditional crafts spun by parents and children, simple and beautiful Tsubame hammered copperware by “Fukido” / Tsubame City, Niigata City first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Niigata is famous for its agricultural products such as Koshihikari rice, but there are also many brands of vegetables and fruits that are unique to Niigata. Echigohime,” large strawberries filled with juice, is one such example. Every year when spring arrives, farms around Niigata are crowded with strawberry pickers, and supermarkets in the prefecture are filled with the rich, sweet aroma of strawberries.

Echigohime” from Saito Strawberry Orchard

Mr. Mitsuru Saito, the representative of Saito Ichigoen, located in Tsubame City, known for its world share in the production of Western tableware, was originally a rice farmer for many generations. However, rice production alone was not enough to make a living, so he worked for a local metal processing company as a so-called dual-income farmer, taking time off from work during rice planting season to balance his two jobs. However, when he turned 50, the recession forced him to quit the company where he had worked for many years. At a crossroads in his life, Mr. Saito decided to live solely on farming for the rest of his life. However, he could not make a living only by growing rice. So what would he do? What he decided to do was to grow strawberries, which he says he loves.

I like strawberries, so let’s grow them. I am sure they are easy to grow. However, strawberries are a very delicate fruit that is not suitable for growing in cold regions. At the time, strawberries were not a major agricultural product in Niigata Prefecture, and to the surprise of no one in the Tsubame area, no one was growing them yet. This is where Mr. Saito’s intense study and ingenuity began. First of all, Niigata winters are cold, so greenhouses and shelves are necessary. He chose the right kind of soil for cultivation, improved materials and fertilizers, and devised unique methods such as the use of charcoal and seaweed. Efforts were also made to create an environment that is easy to work in. Normally, strawberry planting begins in October and harvesting continues until June. Mr. Saito, however, has devised a method of increasing the planting period to August and September, when it is still hot and summery, so that a large number of strawberries can be harvested in stages over a long period of time. Mr. Saito’s production policy is not “quality over quantity,” but rather ” both quantity and quality. This year marks the 21st year of his strawberry production, which he has continued to improve and innovate. He has received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award and the Niigata Prefecture Governor’s Award as a producer of “Echigohime.

Why Echigohime, with its high sugar content, is called the “Miracle Strawberry

Echigohime” was registered as a variety in 1996, and was named after a pretty and fresh princess. It is a large-grained variety with high water content and very juicy. It has a strong sweetness and soft flesh. Mr. Saito says sincerely, “When I grow strawberries myself, I think there is no other strawberry that tastes as good as this one. However, compared to Tochiotome from Tochigi Prefecture, which was born in the same year, Echigohime has a much lower level of recognition nationwide. In fact, most of the production is consumed in Niigata Prefecture. The reason why Echigohime is not readily available throughout Japan, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, is due to the softness of its pulp. The large, heavy individual grapes are delicate and easily damaged, making them unsuitable for long-distance distribution.

Also, if the strawberries are stacked in a pile like the packets of strawberries often seen in supermarkets, the tender fruit will be crushed, making it impossible to put them on display in stores.

For people outside of the prefecture, these strawberries are hard to come by, and are truly a rare treat.

Because of this, Saito Strawberry Orchard has mainly sold strawberries directly at the farm, such as all-you-can-eat or by weight, but has recently started shipping strawberries picked in the morning all over the country. However, in recent years, the company has begun shipping strawberries picked in the morning all over Japan. This is because high-quality packing materials have been developed to minimize damage, making it possible to reduce the damage caused by transportation. The company is now able to ship widely throughout Japan, from the Tokyo metropolitan area and Hokkaido to Okinawa in the south.

Mr. Saito’s strawberries are characterized by a sugar content of 10 to 12 degrees, with a maximum sugar content of 15 degrees, which is one of the sweetest among strawberries. Even so, “It is a matter of course to produce delicious products. It is not enough to just make them sweet,” says Mr. Saito. He is particular about not only sweetness, but also moderate acidity and texture. Even with the same variety of strawberries, the balance of taste varies from farmer to farmer. The ” Diamond Echigohime,” a rare strawberry that can only be harvested for 10 days in February, is almost the size of a baseball, and its freshness and sweetness are even stronger than the regular Echigohime, making it almost like biting into a peach. Furthermore, ” Mankan-no-megumi, ” the ultimate version of Diamond Echigohime, reigns supreme as a miracle strawberry that only 0.2% of the entire greenhouses can harvest. Mr. Saito has created this masterpiece after more than 10 years of trial and error in his quest to produce a special strawberry that would please those who eat it and remain in their memories forever. Because of its rarity, it is only available by reservation, but it is one that I would like to try someday.

The smallest of steps and the timing of the smallest of operations directly affect the taste of the strawberry, and the large Echigohime produced by Mr. Saito, which can be said to be the crystallization of 20 years of skill and effort, is definitely worth tasting when it is freshly picked.

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What is Tsubame’s historic “hammered copperware”?

Tsubame City in Niigata Prefecture has been producing hammered copperware for 200 years since the late Edo period. Currently, Tsubame City is the only production center in Japan for this craft. The technique, named after the three-dimensional shape created by annealing a copper plate and hammering it into shape, has been passed down through the ages in this region, benefiting from the nearby copper mines. Hammering copperware is characterized by its robustness and smooth surface, reminiscent of ceramics, which is created by hammering several hundred thousand times before a single product is completed. The texture of the copper increases with care over the years, making it even more endearing. In 1981, it was designated as a traditional craft of Niigata Prefecture. However, there are currently only about 10 workshops that carry on this tradition, including private corporations.

One of them is Shimakura-do, which has been carrying on the tradition for two generations, father and son. The first generation, Itami Shimakura, started his career at Tamagawa-do, a long-established manufacturer of hammered copperware, in 1952. He honed his skills and became independent in 1967. Masayuki Shimakura, the second generation, succeeded him in the Heisei era. Masayuki grew up watching his father as a craftsman and thought that he would follow in his father’s footsteps as a traditional craftsman in the future. Now he sits alone in his workshop and wields a hammer daily. He says, “Everything in this job is done by myself. It suits me.” Masayuki is a true craftsman at heart.

Shimakura Masayuki’s passion for hammered copperware

In the recently opened gallery of Shimakura-do, Masayuki’s works such as kettles, teapots, coffee pots, pots, sake cups, and tea utensils are on display, each of which emits a soft, dull glow from the uneven surface of its gold, blue, or silver-colored …… copper. The elegant and elegant beauty of hammered copperware is its characteristic, not overly flamboyant. Masayuki’s policy is to make what he thinks “would be nice to have,” although some designs are inherited from his predecessors. This is Masayuki’s policy. The products he painstakingly creates one by one are not just traditional handicrafts, but practical products that are a part of modern life. At the same time, they are all one-of-a-kind. They have a flavor and depth that cannot be expressed by mass production by machine.

Masayuki’s craftsmanship begins with “when creating a new product, I first make the tools myself to match the product I want to make. In the workshop at the back of the gallery, there are machines for metalworking and welding, and the walls are crammed with hammers, hammers, and nails. Without the right tools, the ideal form cannot be achieved. Everything is necessary to realize the perfect form envisioned in the mind. As the forming process called “hammering” begins, a high pitched “kankon-kankon” sound rhythmically echoes through the workshop. Using a variety of hammers and wooden hammers, the rest of the work is done by hammering the copper plate.

The fascination of hammered copperware, which changes depending on the quality of the copper and the user.

Copper has a number of advantages as a household item and cooking utensil. First, it is hygienic because of its sterilizing properties. It purifies water, which enhances the flavor of boiled water and teapots. It also has a higher thermal conductivity than other metals (twice that of aluminum, five times that of iron, and 25 times that of stainless steel), so when a pot is heated, the heat is evenly distributed throughout. This means that the quality of the water changes and yet cooks quickly, making tea, coffee, and food taste better. Another important feature of copper is its longevity, as copper is highly resistant to corrosion, as evidenced by the fact that copperware from thousands of years ago is still in existence. If the utensil is well cared for and lovingly wiped dry, it can enjoy a long-lasting change in texture over time. Masayuki says, “The color changes depending on the feelings of each person who uses it. This is precisely the fun of continuing to use a household item that will last a lifetime. Just as traditional techniques are passed down from generation to generation, products can also be passed down from generation to generation.

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The history of traditional crafts spun by parents and children, simple and beautiful Tsubame hamm… FUKIDO” has a workshop in Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture, a sacred place for metalworking, and produces simple copper products useful in daily life. While …

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