Let's experience Japanese tradition through the world-recognized "Sasikan fittings craft"!

KomonoTown is surrounded by rich nature.
``Sasikan Tategu Kogei'', which is located in a corner of the city, was founded in 1933. The name Shikan comes from the fact that the first generation Kanbei Kuroda started running a joinery shop that made furniture and utensils.
We will take a closer look at the charm of ``Shikan Joinery Crafts,'' which is currently attracting attention not only from Japan but from all over the world!

At Shikan Tategu Kogei, we make works like this.
The fittings express Mt. Fuji, a symbol of Japan, and won the Prime Minister's Award at the 50th National Fittings Fair. Full of power!
What a great way to make one piece of work! It is expected to take one to two years. The reason is,,,

This is because everything is made by hand by craftsmen!
Moreover, this is actually a traditional Japanese craft called "Kumiko" that does not use nails at all.
It is one of the traditional techniques of combining wood, and is said to have developed with the shoin-zukuri in the Muromachi period.

All muntin begins with this small piece of wood.
Over 100,000 pieces of wood may be used in one piece!
Assembling each piece of wood by hand is a daunting task...

This is Shirasagi Castle (Himeji Castle). This is before the roof turned white.
As you can see from the enlarged photo of the red frame on the left, various types of wood were used to express the white walls and black shading of the roof, which are unique to Shirasagi Castle.
One of the charms of Kumiko fittings is that they create works that take advantage of the characteristics of each wood.

This pattern represents the light behind the Buddha (halo) and was invented by the second generation.
If you compare the two photos, you will notice that even though they are the same work, their appearance changes drastically depending on how the light hits them.
One of the charms of Kumiko is its ability to incorporate contrasts between light and shadow.

These works were created by Yukio Kuroda, the second generation, and Yuji Kuroda, the third generation.
This time, we interviewed Yuji Kuroda, the third generation owner. We create Kumiko fittings that fuse traditional Japanese beauty and modern architecture with a new sense.

Mr. Kuroda, who has won numerous awards, is active in a wide range of projects, from letter boxes presented to countries participating in IseShimaSummit to design fittings for hotels and inns.
He is a representative Kumiko joinery craftsman from Mie Prefecture, but he is a very friendly person and taught me carefully about Kumiko and joinery.

At Shikan Joinery Crafts, we offer a ``Learn, Touch, and See'' experience course. I actually experienced it!

First, we will learn about processing wood and the parts that form the basis of works.
This is what it looks like inside the factory! The moment I entered, I was surrounded by the scent of wood. Kumiko fittings are made using all the machines here.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the factory was the large wooden boards, each of which was very long.
Compared to Mr. Ota, one of our reporters, who is 154cm tall, the size of the tree is obvious! !

According to Mr. Kuroda, the first step, selecting the wood, is the most important, and the key is to choose wood with tight grains and good oiliness.
Each tree has its own quirks, and you can't really tell until you cut it. It is difficult to find a good tree every time, and encounters with trees are once in a lifetime opportunities.

This is the most delicate processing work.
It seems that the processing method is devised depending on the climate and humidity of the day. Even a shift of just 0.1mm can affect the work! !
Some parts are so thin that they can be seen through when shined with light.

Now, let's actually experience Kumiko! !

This time we tried making coasters. You can also make trivets and photo frames.
Among the five different patterns, we chose the cherry tortoise shell pattern and the hemp leaf pattern. Each pattern has a meaning, and both have been popular in Japan since ancient times as being considered to bring good luck.
The cherry blossom tortoise shell pattern is called "tortoise shell" because it resembles the shell of a turtle, and is a symbol of longevity, making it an auspicious pattern. Hemp leaves are strong and grow straight, so the petioles of hemp are used to ward off evil spirits and pray for the healthy growth of children.

・Coaster 2000 yen Required time: 10 to 20 minutes

・Medium pot: 3000 yen: 30 to 40 minutes

・Photo frame 5,000 yen: 60 to 90 minutes

【difficulty】
１，２：☆☆☆☆☆
３，４：☆☆☆
５：☆☆

First, assemble the outer frame. Things are going well at this stage! Let's assemble the other parts like this!

I thought...

There were a lot of small parts and it was much more difficult than I expected. Ota-san is having a hard time...

In the meantime, Kubo completed the hemp leaf pattern coaster! !
cute!

Finally, with Kuroda-san's help, it was finally completed! ! Mr. Kuroda quickly assembles even the smallest parts. As expected! !

It's finally completed!
It has a cute shape and a nice woody scent. I actually tried using it at home, and even if there was condensation, the wooden coaster would absorb it and keep my desk dry! I am very satisfied with the functionality! !

Through this experience, Mr. Kuroda listens to the voices of his customers and directly conveys the appeal of Kumiko.

Lastly, we had the opportunity to tour Kuroda-san's home, the Machikado Museum! There you can see many more exhibits than those introduced at the beginning of this article.

It is so detailed and breathtakingly beautiful.

Through this experience course, Mr. Kuroda listens to the voices of customers and directly conveys the appeal of Kumiko, allowing Japanese people to reaffirm the merits of traditional crafts, while also allowing people from overseas to discover new aspects of Japan's appeal. That's what I'm thinking.


At first, we didn't know anything about Kumiko fittings, but through this interview, we actually experienced them, learned about them, touched them, and saw them, and realized their charm. Only at Shikan Tategu Kogei, you can take home your precious experiences here as memories along with tangible objects such as coasters! ! Please feel the charm!

Address: 1537-1 Kojima, KomonoTown ojima
Phone number/059-396-1786
Official URL／http://www.sashikan.com/jp/

*Please check the website for the latest status.