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Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Heirs to Kyoto Talent: Metal Ornament Craftsmen Responsible for Cultural Properties Has Impressive Workmanship
The Yomiuri Shimbun Metal ornament craftsman Kosuke Matsuda smiles during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun at Kazariya Matsuda, his workshop in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, sur-rounded by a myriad of work tools. UJI, Kyoto — Metal ornament craftsman Kosuke Matsuda was using a hammer and chisel to engrave an arabesque pattern on the surface of a thin copper sheet. The 1.5-centimeter-wide, 26-centimeter-long sheet will adorn a folding screen. The sheet has to be exquisite but not too showy — the optimum balance to enhance the ap-pearance of the screen. Matsuda, 33, is very strict and meticulous about his handiwork. He switched to an-other chisel and, on a section with no design on it, neatly engraved a 'nanako' pattern, which involves small, dotted circles, each measuring 0.4 millimeters in diameter. Looking closely, you will notice that none of the tiny circles overlap and there is no extra space between them. The nanako motif highlights and adds depth to the delicate arabesque pattern. The Yomiuri Shimbun Matsuda engraves patterns by rhythmically hitting a chisel with a hammer. Kazariya Matsuda, his workshop, is in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. It was founded in Kyoto more than 200 years ago. The workshop was mainly engaged in producing hikite pulling handles for fusuma sliding panels, as well as ornaments for frames used to mount paintings and calligraphy pieces in homes. During a housing construction boom in the 20th century, the work-shop was inundated by orders. However, as the lifestyles of people in Japan became more westernized, Japanese-style rooms started to disappear. Instead, the company started to receive many more orders related to cultural prop-erties, which they rarely received. Over the past 20 years, these orders have grown to comprise more than half of the total. Matsuda has restored pulling handles for fusuma sliding doors in Nijo Castle's Ninomaru Palace and Kiyomizu Temple's Jojuin subtemple. He has also repaired metal ornaments for floats in the Gion Festival and restored ritual instruments in the Seiden main hall of Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture, among other renowned cul-tural properties. Choosing career path In the spring of 2015, after graduating from university, Matsuda started working at the workshop with the idea of potentially succeeding his father, Kiyoshi, 63, the eighth-generation operator of the business. After much consideration and inner con-flict, he ultimately made the decision to enter this world on his own. The Yomiuri Shimbun Various hikite pulling handles, including eye-catching ones with family crests and beautiful engravings Since he was a child, the workshop had been a playground for him. He closely watched his father and other craftspeople work and even helped them. However, his father never pressured him to follow in his footsteps, saying, 'You can choose your own career path and do whatever you want to do.' At university, Matsuda majored in social welfare, his field of interest. He also attended school to study bookkeeping and management and even received a job offer from a financial institution. However, he ultimately chose the family business, as he knew firsthand that its techniques were essential for repairing and restoring cultural prop-erties. Matsuda's father has been named by the central government as a holder of the se-lected conservation techniques for cultural properties in the field of metal ornament crafting. He also serves as a director of an industry organization. Matsuda's father has built credibility for himself in the industry and interacted with people at the fore-front of various fields. 'It's amazing that he has been able to do a job where mistakes are not tolerated for so many years,' Matsuda said. He was encouraged by his father's strong presence and meaningful work. Even making tools Metal ornament craftspeople create patterns and characters on metal sheets made from gold, silver, copper and brass by using chisels to perform engraving techniques. They sometimes do forging — striking metal with a hammer to give it a certain shape — and coloring. Coloring techniques include lacquering, smoking by burning cedar leaves and chemical coloring, in which metal ornaments are boiled in a mixture of chemicals to change their colors. For many years, these tasks were divided among fellow craftspeople, each with their own area of expertise. However, in recent years, the number of metal ornament craftspeople has been decreasing, and there are only a handful of such craftspeople across Japan. There are dozens of different types of chisels used in Matsuda's workshop but only one craftsman in Aichi Prefecture who can be trusted to produce the tools. The Yomiuri Shimbun Dozens of types of chisels are used according to the size of the pattern on the piece and the purpose. In Matsuda's workshop, the work is done by the father-son pair. Matsuda is trained by his father and also visits other craftspeople to learn the techniques of engraving and chisel making. He does this to broaden his field of expertise for the future, anticipating that the industry will drastically transform due to changes in the environment and a shortage of workers. He is also interested in the latest technologies and trends, including 3D printing. In many cases, cultural properties cannot be taken out of the places where they are kept, and craftspeople have difficulty in making prototypes without sufficient exami-nation. It was under these circumstances that Matsuda started using a 3D printer. The technology has helped him create elaborate prototypes much faster and made dis-cussions with his clients go much more smoothly. The Yomiuri Shimbun An elaborate pattern is engraved with a chisel. The company also started producing and selling copper coffee drippers, lanterns and other handicrafts for everyday use. The products are advertised on social media. The company intends to offer a wider variety of products at a broader range of prices in the future. 'As I work on national treasures and important cultural properties these days, the skill requirement has increased,' Matsuda said. 'I want to work hard to meet those re-quirements.' *** If you are interested in the original Japanese version of this story, click here.
Time Out
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Kyoto's first night market to debut this month with food, shopping and ninja shows
Kyoto is one of Japan's most visited cities, and that popularity has increasingly led to overcrowding. In response, city officials have been exploring various solutions, including the recent introduction of dedicated sightseeing buses for tourists. This month, a new initiative aims to increase Kyoto's nighttime attractions and, in turn, help redistribute tourist activity beyond the usual hotspots and daytime rush. The inaugural Kyoto Night Market is set to take place on Sunday June 8 at the Ohigashi-san Plaza in front of Higashi Honganji. This stately Buddhist temple is one of Kyoto's most easily accessible heritage sites, as it's located in the city centre, less than 10 minutes' walk from Kyoto Station. From 3pm to 10pm, the square will be decorated with lanterns and host around 70 booths offering traditional Japanese arts and crafts, local produce, street food and craft beer. But there's more to this event than just eating and shopping – you can easily make a night of it. Modern-day ninjas from Shiga prefecture's Koka Ninja Village theme park will be putting on performances, while students from Kyoto's Doshisha University will be offering rickshaw rides. The night market will also feature classic festival booths with retro games such as goldfish scooping and yo-yo fishing, all run by elementary school kids. This effort aims to instil entrepreneurial spirit in local children through play and at the same time help develop their social skills. Kyoto Night Market is set to become a regular monthly event, with upcoming dates on July 17 (to coincide with the Gion Festival parade), August 11 and September 12. For more information, check the event website. How to purchase tickets for the 2025 Osaka Expo teamLab is opening a permanent immersive art museum in Kyoto You can now enjoy gluten-free and plant-based ramen at Expo 2025
