The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

Jada Brookes learns how Japan keeps their generations-old Takumi craft alive through metal and copperware and the porcelain portrayed in the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series. SEIKO bitewatches I n English, the Japanese word Takumi means artisan or master craftsman. It is also a mas- culine given first name or surname using var- ious kanji characters (logographic Chinese characters from the Chinese script used in Japa- nese writing). Anime fans will recognise Takumi as the character’s first name in the Fire Emblem Fates video game or manga and anime series like Nana, Gad Guard, Honey and Clover, and Food Wars! : Shokugeki no Soma. A Japanese craftsperson is only considered a Takumi after completing 60,000 hours - the equivalent of working eight hours a day, 250 days a year for 30 years - refining their skills. In- cidentally, a pathway called Taku- mi Road runs along Japan's west- ern coast, collectively known as Hokuriku, from Fukui to Niigata districts. It encompasses important historical shipping ports on the Sea of Japan, combining the surrounding towns that still appreciate culture, his- tory and traditional industries. The long, cold winters often prevent farmers and artisans from carrying out their daily duties, thus keeping them at home. They began learning and practising secondary skills that often developed into new industries to utilise their time. Common- ly known trades like forging and metalwork were used to make personal tools and household goods. They were also created to support old Japan’s re- ligious and cultural aspects, such as copperware and paper. Takumi Road in Tsubame Sanjo has a 400-year history of metalworking that continues to produce world-class metalwork today. Over 90% of met- al cutlery in Japan is created in this city located in the Niigata prefecture. The exact process used to forge swords is applied to clad metal moulded and shaped to optimise knife manufacturing. Af- ter copper was discovered at Mount Yahiko near Tsubame over 300 years ago, artisans used it to make Tsuiki (hand-hammered) copperware. Sanjo City is renowned for its edged tools man- ufactured using blacksmithing techniques. With over 100 years of history, Hinoura Hamono Kou- bou is the only blacksmith workshop that makes knives and billhooks by hand using the 23-step process of joining steel to iron. Takaoka City’s copperware legacy began in 1611 when Maeda Toshinaga, the second head of the Kaga Domain, in- vited seven casters to build a cast metal workshop to stimulate the area around the castle. Takaoka’s artistic valued copperware became known nationwide for its cast-metal items like hibachi, braziers, tea ceremony utensils and orna- ments. Nousaku, a casting workshop in Takaoka since 1916, has garnered attention for producing exceptional handcrafted items like Buddhist altar fittings, table wares, vases and home accessories. Other items with 100% pure tin mix casting tech- niques and modern sensibilities require tradition- al techniques mastered by a Takumi. Echizen is the last city on the Takumi Road that