Interviews

BANSHU HAMONO: Ono's Scissors and the Story of "101"

We visited Ono, Hyogo, home of Banshu Hamono scissors, to learn how a centuries-old blade-making town is fighting to pass on its skills, one percent at a time.

syouryu: Suzugami, Tin Shaped by a Bell-Maker's Hammer

syouryu, from a Takaoka workshop that has made Buddhist temple bells since 1909, uses the hammering skills of its bell craftsmen to create suzugami, bendable sheets of tin.

/fan/fun: Kyoto Folding Fans, Made by Hand

We visited Minoya Senpo, a Kyoto folding fan maker founded in 1894, to see how its fans are made and why it launched its own brand, /fan/fun.

clife: Brass and Leather from an Osaka Metalworks

We visited Unai Kinzoku Kogyo in Osaka, the metalworking company behind clife, to learn how its brass and pit-tanned leather accessories are designed and made in-house.

HIZEN5: Glass Pens from Five Pottery Towns in Saga

We visited three kilns behind HIZEN5, a brand uniting the pottery towns of Saga, to see how Arita, Ureshino and Imari traditions shape their porcelain-handled glass pens.

Momentum Factory Orii: The Art of Coloring Copper in Takaoka

Momentum Factory Orii in Takaoka, Toyama, spent years developing new ways to color copper, turning a specialist finishing workshop into a maker of vivid interior pieces.

4th-market: Everyday Banko Ware from Yokkaichi

We visited Takemasa Seito, one of the kilns behind 4th-market in Yokkaichi, Mie, to learn how heat-resistant Banko ware is made, and the challenges facing it today.

hirali: The Rare Art of Roller-Printed Tenugui

We visited Takeno Senko in Sakai, Osaka, the maker behind hirali, to learn how its craftsmen reinvented roller printing to dye tenugui in a different color on each side.

Kyo Wazarashi Mensha: Gauze for Restful Sleep, from Kyoto

Kyo Wazarashi Mensha, from a Kyoto bedding maker founded in 1925, makes multi-layer gauze bleached by the slow, chemical-free wazarashi method for truly restful sleep.

soil: Diatomaceous Earth, Made the Muddy Way

We visited the Kanazawa workshop behind soil, where plasterers turn diatomaceous earth into stylish bath mats and homewares, entirely by hand.