Things that comes to mind when you face a chest

In Iwate, there is a craft called ”Iwatanido Chest”. Originally it was made in the 1100’s during the time when Kiyohira Fujiwara poured a lot of energy into industry and religion. Many years later in the late 1700’s, the lord of Iwatanido castle, Muramasa Iwashiro had one made with wheels. In 1800s the trend was to incorporate decorations using ”Chokin (Metal carving)”. And thus formed the current Iwatanido Chest. We visited the studio Fujisato Mokkojo where Koichi Oikawa makes this Iwatanido Chest.
”I often think, if we didn’t cut this tree it would have lived for several hundred years. We cut those trees to make the chest so we have to make things that will live for hundreds of years. That is why I do not like the current trend of mass production. I would like this to be used by the people who understand the value of the wood.” he said as he looked at the wood.

Things that change with time

Many things changed through the changes in time. For example, metal fixtures. In the old days, the fixtures that adorned the chest was all metal carved by hand by the artists. But nowadays, most are made by casting from one mold. ”However,” Oikawa commented, ”it doesn’t mean carving is good and the casting is bad. It’s a change with time. In fact casting is more heavy and feels better. The value is different with each person.”
The change with time. It is not necessarily bad, but it is natural. But there are things that do not change such as the beauty of the wood. So by combining those things that change and things that do not change, makes the traditions that carry over to the next generations.

There will not be a loss of interest for creation

Oikawa not only carries on the tradition but also takes on new challenges like incorporating a harmonica into a chest. ”I can’t really call this an Iwatanido chest”, he told us as he showed us a chest with a harmonica set in the drawer, so it would play as the drawer was opened.
At Oikawa’s gallery, there were many products which were not chests. Originally he wanted to do carving when he was young. But since you could not start this from the beginning, he entered an apprenticeship under his friend’s father who was a cabinet maker. This is how he became an artisan. With that in mind, he carves as much as he can while in most cases, carving metal is usually done by others with division of labor.
He still has the desire to carve wood. ”I bought a piece of wood intending to do some carving, but the progress has been very slow.” he explained. We look forward to what is going to be carved on it.

The post “Iwatanido Chest, Koichi Oikawa” Making chests that value the life of the tree first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Wood storage lined with lumber

Our meeting point was a wood storage site named ”the broad leaf tree forest”. It is a furniture making company, but they wanted us to see the lumber first. Inside the storage, they kept huge strips of wood in sizes that we have never seen stored as material wood. Kota Kudo told us something quite shocking as he showed us around.
”To tell you the truth, all the broadleaf trees in the Japanese national forests are completely harvested.” The trees that are in the storage room were all bought more than 30 years ago. When you are making furniture that requires one huge piece, you need a big tree. However, Japanese market for broadleaf tree is declining, and it is difficult to find such a huge tree. One of the reasons is that imported wood is available on the market, and in the national forests of Japan, they had encouraged planting conifer trees since they are believed to grow faster.

One tree grows for 100 years and becomes the value of a mountain

”People who owns a mountain will cut down the trees once every few years in order to produce pulp. However, it’s actually better to leave 10 to 20 good broadleaf trees, rather than to harvest all the trees. The trees that remain for 100 years time which is 3 generations, will grow big and it will be worth one mountain in value. It is important to keep those good trees.”
Nakata was surprised to hear this and said, ”You are taking that much time and thinking about everything for the long term.” It certainly takes time for a tree to grow. You have to deal with trees and think on that scale of time.

Then we came to a huge tree outside that is over 6 m long. We were specially allowed to to see the process of making this tree into wood material. They process the wood watching for the ”core” that every tree has, and how it is placed in the tree.
”It seems really difficult to teach this technique or the feeling”, said Nakata. Kudo replied ”You cannot be taught to process wood. It is experience. You need to ask the tree and learn from them.

The destiny of the tree

Iwaizumi Junboku Kagu does everything themselves from collecting trees to processing the wood and then making the furniture. At the processing factory, Kudo said ”Ask the tree and learn” but the it’s the same in the furniture factory.
”When we make our furniture, we wish to question the tree and then design. We can imagine what can be created only after observing the original wood.”
After the furniture is finished, we look at it and think, ”This tree was destined to be this way.” That is the moment when they are really happy. The furniture is finished with oil lacquer. They make the furniture centered around the wood without using a single nail. They converse with the tree during the process of making a wooden board from lumber. And they converse with the wood ”what kind of furniture do you want to be?” In order to reach the state where you are totally convinced that ”this tree was destined to be this”, one must truly come to terms with the tree.

The post “Iwaizumi Junboku Kagu Co. Ltd” Face to face with wood first appeared on NIHONMONO.

What is Torigoe Bamboo Craft

”Torigoe Bamboo Craft is said to be a ”kogei” that has a tradition of 1000 years”, said Megumi Shibata who has been making Torigoe Bamboo Craft in Torigoe area in Ichinohe city of Ninohe ward in Iwate. It is said that the monk who founded Torigoe Kannon temple brought this, and it is believed that the origin goes back to the Heian Period.
Torigoe Bamboo Craft takes the local thin bamboo called ”Suzu Take” which is split in four, and the inner part is scraped then women tightly to make it strong. Like it was in the old days, they still make daily ”utilities” such as baskets, sieves and trunks for storing clothes. It is a traditional ”kogei” that is close to our daily life. Also, as you use it for a long time, it creates a special gloss and atmosphere which attracts many fans and repeat customers.

Things that change with time

Shibata is worried that the artisans are getting old, and the number of younger artists is not increasing. ”The number of people who want to learn as hobby is increasing, but not much for those who wants to do it as work… Therefore, I want to spread it more to the younger generation.” Shibata told us.
For that, they need a design that is suited to the modern lifestyle. Nakata asked what has changed and Shibata replied, ”When we talk about a round basket, there were only simple round baskets. But to suit the shape of the modern kitchen, we have started to make oblong shaped baskets too.” She said she was also thinking about combinations with other materials.
”But I am not a professional for other materials, and that makes things difficult. We are talking about collaborating with other lacquer artists and carpenters.”
Following that conversation, Nakata also contributed with other ideas.
”Most items are basically round. Can you add many sharp corners?”
”That might be an idea, but with the current particular technique it may be difficult.”
”How about making tableware baskets that can be stacked up. You can put the rice bowl at the bottom and put the chopsticks at the top. Making variations by changing the density of the weave and interchanging the combinations.”
”That is a great idea. When we talk like this, it is really fun that many ideas that I may never have thought of come up. I will definitely try it and send you the prototype.”

It is sad to see the craftsmen disappearing

In the old days, Torigoe Bamboo Craft was made as a source of supplemental income for the farmers when they did not have any farm work. It was a precious source of cash income. During the Edo Period it was featured as local ”kogei” but according to Shibata ”it was in fact made by the farmers only during the winter. Probably it was made in most households.”
Shibata was born and raised in Torigoe. So Torigoe Bamboo Craft has always been close to her life. She watched her mother make it since she was a child. But she cold us, ”She didn’t teach me how. She was busy with many things and never had the time.” When her mother became ill, it made her sad to realize that no one would be able to make them, so she taught herself how to make the crafts.
Many things exist around us now as a daily tool that has been passed on from the past, or ”kogei” that are rooted in the community. In the small village at the northern part of Iwate prefecture, a bamboo craft with 1000 years history is still being passed along.

The post “Torigoe Bamboo Craft Artist, Megumi Shibata” Craft with 1000 years of history first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Inheriting the family business from his father

Shinichi Sugawara whom we interviewed wears 2 hats; one is ”Tategushi” (door maker) and the other one is ”Sashimonoshi” (cabinet maker). He inherited the long family business of door making from his father, and repaired Kaneiji’s old Honbo Front Gate (Kuromon) and was in charge of restoring the doors in the main hall of Motsuji.
And as a cabinet maker, he established ”Kobo Ichinoha” and created some boxes which were exhibited at Japan Kogei Show. Using his skills as a cabinet maker, he created Furosaki Byobu that is used in tea rooms.
”I got to make doors for a tea master’s house and that was when I became interested in cabinet making”. Sugawara told us. He talked with many people he met through his work and at the exhibitions, and learned many aspects of classical design and aesthetics.

Making the most of the “materials” rather than the technology

While Nakata was admiring summer ”Shoji” with ”Kumiko” work made from natural Akita cedar, Sugawara said, ”When I was young, I was only making things with small intricate designs.” And our eyes went to the wooden patterns. Nakata said, ”I thought this was done on purpose, with a pattern or something.” What he thought was artificial were patterns created by nature.
”When I was young, I was thinking more about using complicated techniques as a woodworker. But now, I place more emphasis on the designs of the material itself. So it is becoming much simpler.” he commented.
He showed us a tea box that was still in production. The wood that is used is maple and Japanese yew. ”Now, I will shave the surface to finish it up but for the last polish, I use equisetum which has been used from the old days.” he told us while polishing the surface of the tea box. Soon, the surface of the wood shined beautifully. Sugawara uses the precious Jindai Sugi (Japanese Cedar) too. Jindai Sugi is a very rare material that is only available on the market when they find cedar that is several hundred years old, which has been buried in the ground for several thousand years. Wood that has lived for a long time and matured, changes into a beautiful art piece in Sugawara’s hands.

Experiencing “kumiko”

We got to experience making ”kumiko”. Nakata commented, ”I am not very good with this kind of work.” To which Sugawara replied, ”To be honest, I am not that coordinated either.”
”But even if you aren’t coordinated, just focus on being careful and work with patience, and it’ll work out in the end.” he laughed. He combined all the wooden pieces and finished making a board of ”kumiko”.
Sugawara has been working for many years and has been exhibiting his work at craft shows but when we asked, ”What do you want to do from now?”, he replied ”There are many more things I want to do.”
”There are many things I want to do. For example, I would love to coordinate the whole living space. I was involved in building a house as part of woodworking, but I have never started anything from scratch. So I want to challenge coordinating one whole house.” Sugawara told us. Creating items ranging from boxes, woodwork to living space. It really is interesting to learn the Japanese culture of woodworking. We will keep following Sugawara’s work.

The post “Shinichi Sugawara”, “Door maker”, “Cabinet maker” Bringing out the charm of wood first appeared on NIHONMONO.

What is “Sendai tansu”

”Sendai tansu” is said to be have started in the late Edo period. It developed as a local industry of the Sendai clan. ”Tansu” was used by ”samurai” to store swords or clothing. A typical ”tansu” is approximately 120cm wide and 90cm tall, but nowadays, tansu of various sizes are produced due to customer demand.
While the ”tansu” is actually not very big, it is magnificent and has a strong presence. Woodworking joints that takes advantage of the characteristics of the wood, lacquering to enhance the beautiful grain of the wood, and above all, the hand embossed metal fittings with motifs of dragons and lions; these elements are what catches the eye.
”These metal fittings are handmade by artisans, and they represent the social status or lineage of each family”, explained Kazuhiro Monma, the seventh generation of Monma Tansuten which creates ”Sendai tansu”.

A showroom that is designated a Cultural Property

Monma Tansuten was founded in 1872 by Tamisaburo Monma, who was the appointed craftsman for the Sendai clan, and has a history of over 140 years. The company has its own lacquer craftsmen and joiners, and produces and sells ”tansu” on-site.
The former family house which was used until two generations ago, is now used as a showroom so people can see how Sendai ”tansu” can be used in everyday life. The house is designated a National Cultural Property.

”Sendai tansu” used to often be a part of dowry or a trousseau.
”But you don’t hear about dowries, nowadays.” Nakata commented.
”That’s true. But many people still use ”tansu”. Recently, smaller sized ”tansu” is popular. And we often get orders to repair older ones.”
Some ”tansu” have been used for more than 100 years. The surface of old ”tansu” is shaved and re-lacquered, making it beautiful and shiny just like new. Looking ahead to the next 100 years, Monma Tnasuten is recruiting and training young craftsmen.

30 steps in lacquering

As previously mentioned, one of the beautiful features of ”Sendai tansu” is the lacquering. Presently, there are various ways ”tansu” is lacquered based on the customer’s wishes, but traditional ”Sendai tansu” uses ”kijiro-nuri” method, which enhances the beauty of the grain of the wood. There are about 30 steps in this process. Painting, sanding and polishing. All 30 steps require delicate work. And ”tansu” is very big. Everything is done by hand, so the lacquer painting alone takes months. The customers are aware of this, and they are willing to wait when ordering a ”Sendai tansu”.

In the workshop, we observed the repairing process. The scarred or damaged surface is shaved clean, and the lacquer applied. Lacquer is applied many times, and then the lacquered surface is sanded and polished. It is very delicate work, and everything changes depending on the finish.
”Sendai tansu is intended to be used for 50 or even 100 years.” says Monma. He is carrying on a tradition which has 140 years of history since its foundation.

But it doesn’t end there. Monma Tansuten is releasing a series of new products with the present lifestyle and future in mind. They are taking on new challenges to create new products such as wine racks and modern furniture in collaboration with designers, using 140 years of craftsmanship. Tradition is truly passed on when its actually used in modern life.

The post “Monma Tansuten” – Sendai “tansu” loved by the “samurai” of the Sendai clan first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Valuing the characteristics of wood

”Kino Shigoto Juju” is a workshop in Ishinomaki-shi, producing wooden furniture that soothes people’s hearts. Woodcraft artist Hideki Saito states, ”I’m not just making furniture. I want people to know how interesting wood is as a material.”
His pieces have minimal decorations, so the charm of wood itself can be felt more. The pieces utilize the original colors of the wood, so there are variations, and on closer examination, they even smell differently. Saito values the characteristics of the wood, and makes chairs, tables and cabinets, that are used in everyday life.
After finishing school, he worked as a car salesman, but one day he met someone who cleared a piece of land in the mountain, built a log house and was living there. Saito was very inspired by him, decided to quit his job as a car salesman, went to a training school to learn woodcraft, worked as a trainee in a workshop, and now he has a workshop of his own.

Furniture that highlights people

Saito’s works are not vivid or eye catching, but rather have a gentleness and blend naturally into everyday life. What he aims for is ”furniture that highlights the people”.
”Think of a picture decorating a room. In that scenario, people are the picture, and the frame that decorates the picture is the furniture. It’s all about how to highlight the picture. I think furniture should also be something that highlights the people.” said Saito.
After looking at many pieces of furniture, Nakata commented, ”You know, I’m always looking for a good coat hanger. I can’t seem to find a good one that maintains the shape of coats. Can you make a good coat hanger with wood?”
”I think I can,” said Saito, ”but handmade products are costly to make. Maybe that’s the reason why no one makes it.”

Furniture born from free ideas

Of course, it is a business, so calculating cost is very important. However, he also said, ”when we start calculating cost, we might give up on making the product altogether. However, when we go beyond that, we may end up making something very interesting.”
These words come from his experience. Saito also teaches at Tohoku Institute of Technology as a technical expert, and the students often come up with reckless projects. ”The students think about the design first, so they are reckless. But I learn a lot from their freedom of ideas.”

He is always trying to have flexibility with his ideas about what kind of furniture he wants to make. A special chair for a leather craftsman when he sits working at a sewing machine. Shaving wood very thin and dyeing it to make colorful strips to be woven together into a chair. He takes up sparks of ideas and carefully produces the designs, and allows them to take shape.

Creating with local wood

As a woodcraft artist, he can’t help saying a word or two when he sees someone cutting down a tree. He’s made many acquaintances this way, and he has started collecting many kinds of wood. It will still be some time before he can make them into actual products, but he enjoys collecting local wood so that in the future, he’ll hopefully be able to make products out of locally produced wood, Saito told us.

The post Furniture for people “Wood Craft Artist Hideki Saito” first appeared on NIHONMONO.

The Wooden Signboard Hung by the Store Door

Imagine it’s the Edo period and you are standing on the main street. There is a ”sake” shop, soy sauce store, hair decorations store. When you look up, you see wooden sign boards with the store name engraved. The bigger the store, the bigger the sign, looking bold and proud.
We interviewed Yasuyuki Sakai, a signboard engraving artisan.
Different types of wood are used for the sign boards. Cypress, zelkova, katsura, and other materials upon request. According to Sakai, the most suitable for sign boards are cypress or zelkova. This is because it matches the climate of Japan. Wood from Japan is the best fit of all.
”Japanese cypress is soft, but long lasting. Horyuji Temple is made of cypress. It lasts and is strong.”
The setback of cypress is its width. ”We can’t find wide lumber these days. They are all thin. It’s so difficult to find an adequate sized tree these days. The cypress from Africa are hard and the smalls knives get worn out. Or the wood develops small cracks. So Japanese cypress is best, but it’s becoming scarce.” Sakai explained.

Signboards Carved with a Signboard Knife

Sakai uses a small knife, especially made for carving sign boards, carving letters and other designs on signs that are small enough to fit in your hand to those that are as big as 3 meters. In recent years, chemical coating is applied to preserve the letters carved on the signs, instead of the lacquer that was used in the past by lacquer coating specialists.
”In the past, there was division of labor. There was a specialist for writing the letters, a specialist for carving, and a specialist for the lacquer coating.” With the passing of time, craftsmen decreased, and stores using wooden sign boards also decreased. Sakai had created many sign boards in the past – for Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Department Store, framed sign boards for temples, and sign boards for sumo stables. He told us that the way Japanese people relate to sign boards has changed over the years.

The meaning of having a sign board

”In the past, there was tremendous meaning behind owning a sign board. There was pride. Now with large companies, they move into large buildings and change their signs. I recommend that they retain the old signs. We want them to preserve a part of their soul in the building.”
In the past, individuals went through harsh training for their jobs, and it was a status symbol to have your own sign board once you were able to become independent. ”We still have a saying in Japanese, ”Hanging a sign board” or ”Carrying the sign board on one’s shoulders” which represents the importance of sign boards.
Sakai’s words ”a part of their soul” left a strong impression. It is not the end of sign boards once they are completed. It grows with the store. For Sakai, sign boards ”live on” with the stores they represent. The words of engraver Sakai, the 3rd generation of Fukuzendo reflected the words of the people who live in unison with the sign boards.

The post “Sign board Engraver, Yasuyuki Sakai” Sign boards Represent the Store first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Usage changing over time

”Kamakura-bori” is an artistic handicraft that has been passed on in Kamakura from long ago. Various beauties of nature is carved into the object, then lacquered in several layers, the top layer finished with red lacquer. Nowadays, we see ”Kamakura-bori” in everyday life such as trays, cake boxes, and tea-things. Yet, ”Kamakura-bori” was applied to living ware only since the Meiji era.
”Kamakura-bori” was originally introduced from China with Zen Buddhism during Kamakura era. Influenced by the red and black lacquer work from China, sculptors of Buddhist statues and carpenters specializing in temple and shrine construction began to carve wooden objects and apply lacquer on them. Lacquer work was applied on the structures of the temple, the dais, and the ”kobo.” In other words, anything and everything regarding Buddhism was carved. The primary characteristic of ”Kamakura-bori” is its origin. During Muromachi era, tea ceremony became very popular and tea things in ”Kamakura-bori” also became popular. From Meiji-era onward, ”Kamakura-bori” begin to be applied on living ware.

Made by experts

We visited Hakkodo who have been sculptors of Buddhist statues for many generations. They are an establishment of long standing who put effort into creating ”Kamakura-bori” pieces since Meiji era and even have exhibited their works at Exposition Universelle in 1889.
We visited their workshop. All the processes, such as carving, coating, and polishing are done by division of labor. There are basically seven stages of which each stage is handled by an expert. Nakata tried the first stage, ”carving”. He tried to carve the rough sketch at the center of the tray but the wood is too hard for him to carve. The knife did not move like Nakata wanted it to, unlike the craftsman who was vigorously carving out the wood. This experience was enough for Nakata to sense the intense atmosphere of how the craftsmen works with the material, and why he is the expert craftsman.
It has been 800 years since the Kamakura era. ”Kamakura-bori” was first created as items related to Buddhism culture, and now they are used as everyday utensils. Its history is supported by the longstanding artisanship of the craftsmen.

The post Kamakurabori Hakkodo – Bringing Buddhist culture into everyday life first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Traditional craftwork from Edo era

”Hakone Yosegi” is a traditional woodcraft which originated in Hatajuku, Hakone-machi at the end of Edo era. Differently colored and textured wood such as horse chestnut or mulberry tree, etc., are put together to make a geometric mosaic. Next, the patterned wood is thinly shaved and is pasted on craftwork such as boxes, vases, and coasters. The finished product is different from a painted product or inlay work, and has a somewhat foreign atmosphere. ”Yosegi” are well-known for their ”secret boxes” or ”Chinese boxes” which need to be opened a certain way.

Developing tradition

We visited Katsuhiro Kanazashi who uses techniques developed to pass on the tradition. However, his technique carves out the patterned wood. Not the usual pasting of the thinly sliced patterned wood on woodwork, but directly carving the patterned wood into a product. This technique makes it possible to introduce curved lines to the piece. For example, if you cut the ”Yosegi” diagonally, oval shaped patterns appear. Using this technique, he has created a number of new patterns and gave a new aspect to this traditional craft.
In addition, ”Yosegi” usually makes use of the material’s natural colors. Here again Kanazashi applied a new technique. For example, gray is a color you do not often see in nature. Kanazashi boils the wood together with pigment to create this color. Purple and various other darker shades are used to create different textures.

Making the winning cup using ”Yosegi”

Hakone is famous for the annual ”Hakone Ekiden” during the New Years holidays. The winning cup is made by Kanazashi. He has been making the cup for the last 16 years. They wanted to make a trophy that represents Hakone, and Kanazashi was asked to make the cup.
”Is there pressure?” asked Nakata. ”The production is left entirely up to me, so I do feel the pressure. ”Hakone Yosegi” is a designated traditional ”kogei”, but it is not very well known outside the Kanto region of Japan. So I want it have a higher profile to increase recognition, and that is why I am enthusiastic every year.” he replied.
The students run up the hills of Hakone. Hopefully, more people will pay attention to the ”Yosegi” cup in the hands of the winner next year. You will see the beautiful wood in a sophisticated pattern made using a traditional technique.

The post Hakone Yosegi, Katsuhiro Kanazashi – “Yosegi” art trophy first appeared on NIHONMONO.

What is Joinery?

Joinery is a type of woodcraft fabricated by combining wood pieces with one another without using any joining materials such as nails or glue. Products range from small objects such a box or a vase or large furniture such as a chest. As the name indicates, pieces are accurately measured and joined without any warps. There is no jolting, even though no nails are used. But it only takes some knocking by hammer to remove a piece. It is a craft made possible by a minute technique of faultless precision.
Karaki Sashimono of Osaka, Kyo Sashimono of Kyoto, and Edo Sashimono of Tokyo are types of famous joinery, but works by Koji Suzuki is unique and cannot be found in any other school.

Suzuki’s “Diamond Cut”

Joinery not found anywhere else are works made by Suzuki using an exclusive technique called “diamond cut”. Diamond shapes are created by combining sheets of wood. It may sound simple, but it is absolutely an amazing technique. Since joinery uses no adhesive material, more the number of planes, more difficult its assembly becomes. Furthermore, using the thinnest sheets is considered the highest technique in joinery. Therefore, one can imagine how precise the work required to produce diamond cut is.
Suzuki’s works achieve such an exact fit with the tension that makes it look as if they are cut out of one thick piece of lumber. Additionally, Nakata notices that it is lighter than imaged as he takes one in his hands. It is because the wood is “thin”. Diamond cut is now synonymous with Suzuki. His works can easily be spotted in any exhibition.
“If I only exhibit flat works, people ask if I’m not exhibiting any works.” Laughed Suzuki. That is how renown Suzuki is with his diamond cut.

Wine Floating in Air

This diamond cut technique was born from a kind of ”dare not to lose” attitude. “Anyone can make a regular box. When you enter exhibitions, you start to want to create something no one else makes.”
As a result, he invented the diamond cut.
“Technique does not improve unless you aim higher.” Says Suzuki who still enters in exhibitions few times a year.
For “being unique”, what surprised Nakata and the staff alike was the wine holder. The amazing thing is that the wine holder is just a narrow board. There is a hole in the slanted wood and when the neck of a wine bottle is inserted in the hole, it looks as though the bottle is floating on air. And surprisingly, the board is not fastened anywhere. The board is just put there and does not fall over. It is a product made possible by precise joinery craftsmanship. Nakata, who is a wine lover, was fascinated.
“This is sure to surprise anyone, great for a present. You just say “here”, and hand the board to someone.” “But it’s a wine holder. This is awesome.” He said.
In excitement, Nakata gazed at the wine holder pulling the bottle in and out of the board .

The post Diamond Made of Wood, “Joinery Artist Koji Suzuki” first appeared on NIHONMONO.