I think they come to find rare things that aren't in the states.
Oh, it's not just Japan? Many foreigners come here these days, but they just get impressed at the works and go home. Foreign products are expensive. In Japan, we don't show the quality of our materials, of whether it's pure gold or pure silver, but show that in a different way. Foreign goods have various marks on the back. Japanese ones are also hard to see. It says here "pure silver." And this is my carving called "Koumei", and it's a trademark of the creator. Showing these trademarks is the Japanese style. So if the Japanese see this mark, they can tell the maker of the product, and whether it's pure gold or pure silver. But it seems that other countries show that differently. Foreign professors, from what is called an art school in Japan, come to visit to see how the work is in Japan. They see the work and say that it's the same as their own land. But Japanese work on many small, minute parts, while the machines are used pretty often in their countries. It depends on the people, but I think the difference lies in the fact that Japanese worker have various tools depending on the work they do. Foreign professors just ask me about the specialty of the work, like what kind of tools I use, how do I hit these parts and more. It's as if they come to spy. We don't mind if we get searched. I think they come to find rare things that aren't in the states.

So they offer me to come the states, or Kenya.
(What is this?) This is a "guinomi" (one-sip cup). Guinomis are usually shaped like this. But in the exhibitions, I use bamboos for the sketch of my guinomi. (Wife) Let's not sell this anymore. (Master) What do you mean? (Wife) Everybody in Japan do this. If we are going to sell, let's do it like this. (Master) But wouldn't be easier to buy things that are of mass production? (Is this rabbit's rice cake making a chopsticks holder?) I thought it would be a little too expensive for a chopsticks holder, so it could be used also as an ornament. Chopsticks holders normally cost about only a few thousand yen, right? (Does this cost about ten thousand yen?) It couldn't be used only as a chopsticks holder, so I thought if I place this in a glass case as an ornament, it would be bought. (Why did you make this?) You might not understand this because you are young, but when we were young, our parents used to say that if the Japanese see the pockmarks and the crater of the moon, the picture looks like a rabbit making a rice cake. I heard those expressions since I was a kid, so I thought that would be nice, hahaha. I made this for an entertainment in the Taito-ku last year, and because there were foreigners there, the ward officer asked me to demonstrate it, so I did it. Then the foreigners asked me what that meant. I told them that that's how Japanese express the moon crater, and they found that interesting. They didn't buy it. But they were impressed and found it interesting that Japan have had these expressions since the early times. (Interesting?) Many foreigners say that my works are interesting. So they offer me to come the states, or Kenya, but it's not that easy for me to move here! They gave me their cards and they come here whenever they have something new. (Do you like rabbits?) I don't like them nor hate them. I just felt like it. When I am asked to do my work at different places in a year, I start to make small things in my style. But if a silversmith tries to make one of these suddenly, it won't look pretty because I am not a jeweler. But if you keep on making various things, you get used to it and try exhibiting in many competitions with that. I exhibited once in an Exhibition of Author of Legendary Crafts. I try in many, various things. And then I improved in becoming able to make these products. So it's not that I work all year long. One is not enough, but I make about 10 or 20 things that I thought would be interesting and nice. If I keep on doing that, it gets into a rut and gets boring. And then I try making something new and different.

We mostly do it for fun.
We are not a normal silver tools maker. We mostly do it for fun. So my father would be really mad if he was still alive because he is really an orthodox man. We shouldn't be like that. (Can I take a picture of this rabbit?) Yes, sure. (Is this water drop a snail?) Yes, it's a snail. (Is this incense burner a ladybug?) Yes, I put this out in a contest in 1996. With the work, you write your own image of the art you created, and then the judges would understand how the creator thought in making his work. In my case, I took this ancient incense burner as a modern thing by putting the recent herbs inside, and enjoy the smell of it. I thought an incense burner would be really old, but I wished modern incense burners to be used in that way, and that's what I wrote about my work.

Since our establishment,
we have been working for more than 80 years because we work by generations. Since our establishment, we have been working for more than 80 years because we work by generations. (That means?) Yes, I am the second. This is the 49th year on my own. (How old are you?) 67. (Did you start from about 20?) Yes, that's right. The real story is that people of my age have been helping our parents work along with going to school, so we've been helping since we were 15 or 16. (Mostly silver tools?) Yes. My father was a craftsman and also an author at the same time, so so we participated in a joint legendary crafts exhibition when he had time. An author has its own difference only as an author, so there were things he learned besides the craft. And those components were absorbed into these. So it was like, a craftsman learns an uneasy skill of an author, and then brings that into his craftwork. Then he applies for an exhibition, hoping that the width of his career widens a little bit, yes. But it is pretty difficult when craftsmen participate in authors' exhibitions, because they need to switch their careers. After all, I am a craftsman, so I value things like the legendary skills the most. I was selected in the exhibitions a several times, and I became an official member. If you get selected 4 times, then you automatically receive this certificate that accepts you as an official member. (So this Japanese crafts party is a congregation of authors and craftsmen?) No, mostly authors.

I express my skills that I have in some way.
Ours is called "tankin", and we add more colors into this. (You put colors in?) Yes, so for example, the metal of this hanging part is called "shibuichi." The ground metal in which metals like silver, bronze, and gold are alloyed is called "shibuichi." It has a slight different coloring than silver. (There is a quarter of silver in that?) Yes, when a little amount of gold is put in there, the same "shibuichi" would change its color. The authors express that in various ways, depending on individuals. So if a normal person sees it, they would question themselves how the author got that idea. I express my skills that I have in some way. Metal works are unlike potteries, and we don't just hit and beat to make a piece of work, but we also have to think of how we can express that somehow. Unlike potteries, that takes more time and if we want to express a hard object in a soft way, then we try different finishing, try punching in different metals on the finished work, try this and that, and like this, we try to express our skills somehow, right? So I find that really splendid. (These jobs would not go well if you don't work as a professor at an university or something simultaneously?) These jobs are really hard. When they do this, they need to change themselves into an author. But when they actually put that into action, they are often told that they still have their side as a craftsman on surface. (But the design is good!) Yes, I value the design pretty heavily. (Is this more like chasing than "tankin"?) Yes, so there are people who study both chasing and tankin.

So it is impossible to hold down the cost of things made out of mass productions.
This was introduced as a Japanese product to a foreign country by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. (Are there hammers with these teeth?) We made this with machines. So it was a mass production. But they differ from the ones that I made on my own at home. It would have been fine if I had been making these only with machines, but I actually make them on my own, you know. So it is impossible to hold down the cost of things made out of mass productions. I think I should quit this. So when the customers see the products made by machines, they can easily tell why the cost differ so much. (That saucer of the leaves is beautiful!) Yes. It had the highest value in the exhibition. (Do you come up with these designs?) Yes, but it's hard. Unless I think it's good. I can't make them if other people like it, but if I like it, then that's all that matters. (Isn't it that you have to like your own idea?) It's just that it would be a concern if they don't sell well. (Wouldn't it be another concern if things you don't like are actually sold well?) Yes.

I am really happy to be a craftsman.
I try to get permitted in the world to a certain amount. "Permitted" is maybe not the right way to say it, but in order to advertise myself into the world, I need to actually win awards, and not just participating in exhibitions and getting selected. Making people see my works is another way. On the other hand, making people see your work by taking your product into the department store, and selling them might be another way to advertise. Everybody have their own ideas, I think. My father had exhibited in a Nitten Exhibition, and there is an old book of the time the exhibition started. (How was it?) Totally different from now. The ways of expression today are more difficult and abstract. You can't just take glimpse and figure out that it is a teapot, or it's used for red tea because many works are abstract. There has to be a theme of some sort. Unless the author knows it, normal people don't have to know. (Are you a craftsman or an author?) I am no doubt a craftsman. (Do craftsman make daily life goods?) Yes. But by challenging into an exhibition with daily goods, there are a lot to learn, like the designs. By taking in the things I learned into my work of daily goods, I think I can make and express things differently. (Do you find it interesting that there still so many new discoveries after all these years you've worked?) Well, that's true if I say that in a good way, but it's not really like that. It is difficult. (But you still like the job?) Yes, I like it after all these years I've been working this job. When I was young, I thought this job was really obsolete, but when I take a clear-cut for working, there are many people who appraise my products as a beauty and people who bought and said that my products were nice. And that is what I like the best, and I am really happy to be a craftsman.

Silver whistles ring well.
You saw the heavy "guinomi," right? I was asked to make a ""chirori" (sake warming cup) that goes with it. It would be boring if I just hit a pattern on it, so I wanted to enjoy making it. I ask some one how this is, he answers that it is interesting, and that's how it went. Isn't that interesting? This is about 2-go (360ml). I also make these whistles. Silver whistles ring well. They have the sound of metal. In soccer match, the referees use metal whistles. There are no stones or anything in this. But like this. (Sound of the whistle) (Wow!) I made this before, but I forgot how I made it. (Is that an expensive whistle?) But it shouldn't be too expensive. (I hear that it is convenient to have a whistle when there is an earthquake.) This gives a really high sound because it's metal, but cheap ones are enough for a situation like that.

And I choose the one I like the most out of them.
I think up of ideas, using a pencil like this. Then I come up with an image of a finishing of a new product. (Is this a persimmon?) I made two of that. This is called "kinkeshi" and we burn gold into this. I was selected in the exhibition for this. I thought that one was a little too few, so I made two, three of that. And I choose the one I like the most out of them. I don't mean to break them, but when I come up with other images, I add things to it. (This persimmon looks delicious!) It's like leisure all year. People say, "You have a lot of fun." I have many of those works. (How interesting!) That was a bamboo guinomi. I thought it would be interesting to make a flower vase next, and I made one last month. This is a snail, but it would be boring if the snail just goes with a hydrangea. It doesn't have to be a hydrangea. When I showed this to a person who knows about tea ceremony, and he said that the flower of the vase curves like this, and that this side would be the front. I ask these things. You should not just do everything by your style, because the teachers of the flowers tell us that the real utility is like this and that. So I put the snail on the side, which they said was the front. You should ask things you are not sure of. (These parts of this bamboo guinomi are made really well!) Yes. It's thankful that you understand that. (I like that it's foppish!) I make living out of those looks and leisure, so I got to make things that sell well and there are people, who actually like and buy my products. There are also these unfinished work, which I got stuck and stopped making. When I drew the sketch, I find it very interesting, but when I actually see the work as I make it, I feel as if it's already obsolete. (Then it gets interesting again after time?) Yes, it's like that. When I leave it for a while, it sometimes gets better than before. People feel apathetic when we see other people's finished works. But things work out well when our wills are strong, like when we feel that "this is what I want" and "let's go with this", yes.

Even grown-ups like us would be happy and delighted if a craftsman lends us a tool.
Recently, middle school students from various districts often come and watch the work. The number has been increasing , so I thought it would be better to get at least some money for this, because they would spend hours here even without. But I am not going to make this a business, so I can't take a lot from each, but maybe about 1000en per person. That would probably make the watchers more serious. I will make the schools pay fee rather than making the kids do that. About ten schools from regions like Niigata, Kansai, and Nagoya come annually. I make them watch a video, and actually let them do the work. There is a box there, right? If you open that, you can take that out if you wish, there is the whole process of making a product, from one piece of board to the finishing of these works. When I give demonstrations in department stores, the customers get amazed in how one piece of board turns into a product like this. This will be everyone's favorite and are actually bought after the demonstration. The kids can't buy these, so I let them make a ring. In the box, there are many tools to hit in various designs of a ring. (Do they take home the products they made?) Yes, they become brightly shiny after the polish. I have to adjust the size here. That would take about 15 minutes, and the cost would be from 1500en to about 3500en in the department stores. For the kids, I only make them pay about 1000en, by doing the welding beforehand, hit them, and file them in the end. And I just let the kids do the polishing. (So the kids only get on the finishing process?) Yes, it's interesting. (You are very kind!) Even grown-ups like us would be happy and delighted if a craftsman lends us a tool. They don't normally do that, right? I teach them something in return, like if you want this certain pattern, you should use this hammer. And they actually take in the advice I gave them.

Even the measures change like this over time. We've had many hammers from my father's generation.
In the early days, they made these hammers on their own. The blacksmith make a hammer to a certain point, and then the owners adjust and remake it up to their utility. This is a legendary, unique hammer that has been passed over the generations. This is from the Edo Era. These hammers are all from their own ages. It's really thankful that they are still gathered over decades. We measure things with this "hakari" (measure). It's called "monme-bakari." The next was in grams. Today, we use digital in measuring gold. Even the measures change like this over time. We can tell the measures in a flash with this, so this would be much faster, you know. Especially, we must use this for gold to get a precise measure. (Can that digital measure the whole price automatically if you put the unit price in it?) Hahaha.

The teacher brings a wine on his own every time he comes here.
(What should be kept in mind in using silver tools?) Well, silvers are very sensitive to chemicals. So they are used often in checking the intoxicants. (Wife) The users care about the product turning black if the thumbmarks are left. (Master) Yes, the color of those parts changes. (Wife) It should be cleaned after use with a soft cloth. Or put it inside a plastic bag and don't let the air touch it. There would be no problem in the daily use. These rings would be alright after making pickles or anything. (Master) This glass is really cold. (Wife) It's cold, always. (Really!) (Wife) It'll be cold even after time. Wine looks beautiful in this. (Master) Yes, the wine. (Wife) The teacher brings a wine on his own every time he comes here. (That's funny!) (Wife) First he drinks beer, and then he says, "let's drink the wine I brought." He drinks the wine, and more afterwards. (Master) But it's just that wines have certain rules. It's similar to the Japanese tea, there are restrictions like the certain height and caliber of the cup. But that doesn't matter. For people who don't drink, I think silver is good for oolong tea. (Wife) With these thick ones, people can drink hot tea. (Master) I hear that silver is really good for gyokuros. Gyokuro is said to get as warm as the human skin, which is about 40 degrees Celsius. You parked your car over there, right? The Sozen Temple, which is placed over there, buys my product often. Media come to collect data of the water boiler I dedicated. (Wife) That boils with charcoals. Then you sit and pour the tea into the cup of the parishioner there. (How gorgeous!) (Master) Yes, pretty gorgeous. But it's nice, the old brazier. (Wife) Many of our teacups are bought from shimizu-yaki. They've been using the water boiler for the past 35 years. (Master) We've had the culture of only Japan in the past. Because we've had those ages, Mr. Sozenji keeps that until today. He orders tea all the way from Kyoto. I appreciate his use of things of old culture. (Wife) Young wife said that she wanted one more of this, and she was told not to be so luxurious. She said that she is saving money to buy this, so I told her to save it quick.