Nihonbashi (bridge)toothpicktoothpick
Toothpicks are a familiar product to us. But have you ever used a KUROMOJI toothpick? Nihonbashi Saruya, the only toothpick specialty store in Japan, has been in business for more than 300 years since the Edo period and embodies the history of toothpicks in Japan. What are the characteristics of the “Kuromoji” that Saruya values so much, and how does the company establish the Saruya “brand”? We asked Ryota Yamamoto Ryota, the ninth generation owner of Saruya Nihonbashi, about his thoughts and ideas while introducing the company’s lineup of products and services, including senryo-boxes, Tsujiyomi toothpicks, sake, and personalized imprinting.
Founded in 1704 in Terufukumachi, Nihonbashi, the only toothpick specialty store in Japan
Please introduce yourself immediately.
My name is Ryota Yamamoto. After graduating from university, I worked for Intelligence Corporation – currently Persol Career Corporation – and gained working experience before returning to the restaurant, and in 2013 I became the ninth generation owner of Nihonbashi Saruya when the restaurant moved to a new location.
What kind of work did you do at Intelligence?
I was involved in sales for a job information magazine for two years after I started working for the company, and then I was engaged in training new employees.
Are some of your experiences from those days still alive today?
Job ad sales require guts in many situations, such as tele-appointments and dives, so it gives me confidence that I can “do anything.
I have had a similar experience, so I understand. (Laughs.) Then, could you please introduce “Nihonbashi Saruya” to us?
We are a toothpick specialty store founded in 1704 in Nihonbashi Koamicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, also known as “Terifuri-machi” because of the presence of both footwear wholesalers and umbrella wholesalers. It is currently operating in Muromachi, also in Nihonbashi.
What is the origin of the trade name “Saruya”?
There are two theories: one is that monkeys were adopted as toothpick signboards because they have white teeth and no cavities, and the other is that monkeys were used to sell toothpicks while scraping them on their backs. In fact, there are many ukiyoe prints that depict a monkey behind a toothpick maker.
You are a “signboard monkey”, not a “signboard dog”. But you have been in business for a very long time, since the 1700s.
There used to be many toothpick shops that called themselves “Saruya,” but ours is the only one that remains today. Our company was also burned down in the Great Kanto Earthquake, but according to the records I have heard, various innovations were born during the fifth generation. According to the record, various innovations were made during the fifth generation, and it was then that the company began to sell not only toothpicks, but also a wider variety of products and souvenirs.
Nihonbashi Saruya” is the only toothpick specialty store in Japan today.
The toothpick originated about 100,000 years ago, and the various benefits of the saruya “kuromoji” tree
I would like to ask you more about toothpicks, which are a product of “Nihonbashi Saruya”.
The origin of toothpicks is estimated to be about 100,000 years ago, when Neanderthals roamed the area, according to fossils with teeth rubbing marks. Since then, evidence has been found of toothpicks made from various materials, including wood and tuna tail fins. They came to Japan from Europe via China as Buddhist ritual utensils. For a while, they were used by aristocrats, warriors, and others of high status, but “tassel toothpicks” became popular among the general public in the Edo period (1603-1867).
What is a “tassel toothpick?”
The toothpick is double-ended, with one end tapped to release fibers as a “toothbrush” and the other end pointed to be used as an “interdental brush. The toothpicks were used not only for dental care but also for cosmetic purposes, and there is an ukiyoe print of a woman painting her teeth black with the toothbrush part of a “tassel brush”.
I didn’t know that it was also used as a makeup tool.
Ukiyoe paintings depicting toothpick shops of the time show how they prospered as tea shops. They had signboard girls and competed for prosperity as a sex business. It is said that in its heyday, there were nearly 300 toothpick shops in the precincts of Sensoji Temple, which reminds us of its widespread popularity.
I see.
Saruya’s toothpicks are characterized by the use of Kuromoji, a deciduous shrub of the camphoraceae family that is fragrant, strong, and hard to wear out. Kuromoji is a deciduous shrub of the camphoraceae family that is fragrant and strong and does not wear out easily.
There are stories that people in the past used “kuromoji” for mouth care, hoping that it would also have a disinfecting effect.
Its fragrance is said to soothe the mood, and legend has it that samurai warriors used to shave kuromoji on their way home from battle.
So the scent of kuromoji (a Japanese arabidopsis) switches the mode of return from the battlefield to the everyday life.
In modern times, there are also aromatherapy products such as chromophyll aromatherapy. Its relaxing effects have been utilized since ancient times.
Craftsmanship that continues to produce toothpicks of consistent quality
The kuromoji tree itself grows everywhere, and after acquiring the material, the process of shaving the toothpicks will begin.
It’s a very difficult process, because it means cutting thin wood further to make it sharper.
The number of craftsmen is aging rapidly, and my father is currently undergoing training in order to pass on his skills. I can sharpen one piece myself, but it takes a very high level of skill to consistently produce a large number of pieces of the same quality. Current craftsmen can mass-produce about 50 pieces per hour, but my father can only produce about 20 pieces in three hours.
So it is very difficult to mass produce while maintaining the same quality.
The toothpick was created as a way of personal grooming about 100,000 years ago. Nihonbashi Saruya” is known as the only toothpick specialty store in Japan that specializes in toothpicks with such a long history. The artisanal skills required to produce toothpicks are the same as those used to make toothpicks. Nihonbashi Saruya” continues to pass on such skills.
latter part(temporal or logical sense) follow …
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