Ryogoku/Kameidotraditional crafttortoiseshell (of the hawksbill turtle)
Edo Tortoiseshell” is a beautiful pattern created by pasting together the shells of the taimai (Todo-fish) using only water, heat, and pressure. Overcoming the crisis of not being able to obtain raw materials due to the Washington Convention, the company is making daily efforts to keep the traditional technique alive in the future. Masakatsu Hayashi, representative of Starmark Corporation, which operates “agataJapan tokyo,” interviewed Kotaro Ishikawa, the seventh generation of the company.
Tortoiseshell watch bands, long-lasting and repairable even when broken.
Hayashi: Now, let’s continue to ask about the watch manufacturing process.
Mr. Ishikawa: After the tensioning process, the watch band is cut to size, heated to soften it, and bent in a mold to form a shape, then the “polishing” process begins. The bottom part, which was bent earlier, is not shiny at all, so we polish it beautifully by hand. This finally completes the watch band made of tortoiseshell. Here is the actual product.
Mr. Ishikawa: It looks like a single piece of tortoiseshell pattern, but as I explained earlier, it is actually made by laminating the patterns on the top and bottom while matching them. This thickness is also made by laminating. Even if this watch band is broken, it can be put back together by laminating the tortoiseshell fabric again. Tortoiseshell is actually a special material that can be repaired. For more detailsOur Home PagePlease refer to the following page for an easy-to-understand explanation.
Hayashi: What is the maximum thickness of the laminates?
Mr. Ishikawa: We have tried several times, but generally 20 mm is the limit of thickness generally considered. If we make it thicker than that, the heat from the steel plate will not reach it, making it difficult to laminate the contents.
Hayashi: How thick is the thickest and how far is it?
Mr. Ishikawa: We didn’t make it, but from what I have seen so far, it was about 20 cm thick. I think they were sandwiched together over and over again, but I honestly don’t know how much they were made of.
Forest:Many people did not know that tortoiseshell can be used while making repairs. It seems to me that people will be able to reaffirm their recognition that tortoiseshell is something that can stay with them for a long time.
What are the features and prices of tortoiseshell products?
How much do tortoiseshell products cost?
Mr. Ishikawa: Thank you very much. The watch we are introducing here sells for 165,000 yen.
For example, can I bring in my own watch and have a band made to fit it?
Mr. Ishikawa: Of course. We can also make watch bands in your original width and thickness.
Mr. Ishikawa:Yes. Somehow.
I think you will enjoy various approaches.
Ms. Ishikawa: I think you will enjoy the one-of-a-kind pattern in the world.
Taking over a long-established business
Hayashi: Please tell us about yourself, Mr. Ishikawa. Did you feel any pressure to take over a long-established business?
Mr. Ishikawa: I have lived a free-spirited life without any pressure until I became an adult. I started my career as an office worker, and my father (Mr. Hideo, the previous owner of the company) was also involved in the tortoiseshell industry. My father (=Hideo, the previous generation, the only skilled craftsman in the tortoiseshell industry, who was also selected as a “Contemporary Master Craftsman”) was also involved in the tortoiseshell industry, so his presence is significant. I am not under any pressure, but now I feel more pressure from my father’s presence.
You say that as you approach your father’s age and understand what your predecessor had in mind, you feel more greatness. Do you want your own children to succeed you?
At the moment, I don’t have any at all. Of course it would be nice if they like it and want to take over, but I don’t really think that my children should take over. If there is a third person who has the skills, likes the work, and wants to make a living from it, then I think it would be okay for that person to take over.
We want to promote the Edo Tokyo brand.
What does Mr. Ishikawa think of the brand as an Edo-Tokyo store?
Mr. Ishikawa: We are rooted in the culture of Edo/Tokyo and have been able to continue for seven generations. As the saying goes, “On-roku chishin,” or “learning from the past,” I believe that it is only by understanding the old that we can learn about the new. I feel that branding is possible only when we can see the past history and the future when we talk about what Edo/Tokyo is all about. Therefore, I believe that the most important point when talking about branding is the phrase “learning from the past.
I imagine finding something new in the history and having it continue as a brand. Please introduce the Edo Tokyo Brand Association.
Despite the fact that the culture of “Edo Tokyo” has a history of more than 400 years since the founding of Edo, there was a concern that it was not being widely communicated due in part to weak communication and a lack of successors. Therefore, the Edo Tokyo Brand Association was established in July 2021 to promote inheritance and innovation, and to engage in PR and other activities. I am also involved in this association as a board member. We believe that all the existing vertical cultures in different industries, such as the tortoiseshell and buckwheat noodle industries, are all part of the same culture called “Edo-Tokyo. We imagine that the “Edo Tokyo Brand Association” exists at the center where technology, crafts, culture, and industry overlap. The strength of this association is that it is organized in a cross-sectional manner.
Finally, is there anything you would like to share with us, Mr. Ishikawa?
From now on, people from various industries involved in the Edo Tokyo Brand Association will be able to view this distribution (“Edo Tokyo Brand Tour” video list isthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)We are pleased to announce that we are participating in the “The Lifestyle of the World” (Lifestyle of the World). We hope that you will find this newsletter useful as a lifestyle inspiration.
We have received support from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for the projects of the Edo Tokyo Brand Association. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is also working on the “Edo Tokyo Kirari Project,” and we, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the private sector, will continue to work together to promote the project. If you are interested in this project, please contact us atEdo-Tokyo Kirari ProjectI hope you will also check out the
We interviewed Mr. Kotaro Ishikawa of “Ishikawa Tortoiseshell Factory” for the first and second parts of this report. Mr. Ishikawa overcame the shortage of raw materials through his own dynamism. He is continuing his efforts to promote not only Edo tortoiseshell but also the Edo Tokyo brand.
*If you would like to see this dialogue on video.here (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
