I visited Chushin no Kobo's showroom｜REAL JAPAN PROJECT
A very beautiful showroom with a white building marked by a teapot sign. The first floor is a warehouse and the second floor is a showroom. When you go up to the second floor, there are iron kettles lined up all over the room and all the items are lined up.
Mr. Masuda, the craftsman and designer who came to welcome us from the factory, a few minutes' walk despite being busy, runs a workshop called Chushin no Kobo with his family. In addition to the production and development of the product, he also works as a part-time lecturer at a university, writes books, and is active in a wide range of fields.
He has also won numerous awards and has continued to produce works of art that will govern museums around the world, including the London V & A Museum of Art and the New York Museum of Modern Art.
This is such a busy workshop called Chushin no Kobo. In the past, the foundry in Yamagata prefecture was so crowded with craftsmen that it produced many skilled craftsmen. At present, however, the problem with castings is that they have a strong image of Iwate's Nambu ironware, and that the management scale of the whole production area has become smaller due to a shortage of producers.
"Chushin no Kobo", which is said to have originated 900 years ago and is representative of Yamagata cast metal, is made by hand one by one. Although it is impossible to mass-produce, we want as many people as possible to know the traditional Japanese tool of casting.
Inside the showroom, there are also works designed by Masuda's respected teacher, Shigesuke Yoshimu, in the 60s.
It has a modern style that doesn't look like it was designed about 50 years ago, and you can imagine how it will fit into your life in the future 10 years from now.
This is Masuda's new work. Just the other day, NEWS won the 2014 Good Design Award for this impressive wooden teikettle!
The base has a flat shape that enhances heat conductivity and is compatible with induction heating. Surprisingly, the wooden knob and handle can be changed. This teakettle is designed to be fun for people who use it.
This is our popular modern designed teapot.
The inside is made with enamel to resist rusting. I'm happy with chakoshi. Iron castings keep tea warm and keep tea cool.
He told me, "Casting gets rusted if you don't wipe off the moisture properly, but if you use it as a tool, it will be one of the fun.".
In Yamagata, the onigiri that I ate on the way is delicious and the rice is really delicious. The reason is "Because water is good.". The mountains of Zao are beautiful and the rice is delicious in this refined tea pot from "Chushin no Kobo". How about preparing some delicious tea for winter?
Chushin no Kobo
https://www.realjapanglobal.com/collections/chushin-kobo