Topic 1: Evolving tradition like a spiral
Yusuke Yamamoto is the only certified Traditional Artisan (General Category) in Japan, and practices his craft as the third-generation owner of Inden Yamamoto. First of all, we ask about the history of Koshu Inden and what he values in continuing the tradition.
Yusuke Yamamoto (hereafter, Yamamoto)
Koshu Inden began as a technique used to decorate the armor and helmets of feudal warlords during the Warring States (Sengoku) period. As demand for armor and weapons declined in the Edo period, armor makers began transforming their skills with the application of lacquer, and this lacquered leather came to be Koshu Inden. The deerskin used for Inden is tough and flame-resistant, so it was used for fireproof clothing worn by firefighters, travel equipment for storing kiseru tobacco pipes, and cases for paper. In the Meiji era, it was used for bags and wallets, and its appearance has changed to suit the times.
Hiromitsu Endo (hereafter, Endo)
What was it that made you decide to become an Inden craftsman?
Yamamoto
When I was 15, my father, who was the second-generation owner of the family business, became a certified Traditional Artisan. The five Japanese characters for “Traditional Artisan” stamped on his certificate looked really cool. I had seen my father at work before, but until then I had always wanted to do something else. But when I saw that certificate, I thought ‘This is it! I’m going to get this!’ and from then on I set my sights on becoming a Traditional Artisan. I thought that traditional crafts would also require knowledge of computers in the future, so I went to a high school that taught systems and IT, and then I studied business at university before joining our company. When I was in high school, the new version of Windows was all the rage, and I wondered whether I could make use of things like that in traditional crafts.
Endo
It’s about passing on tradition in a new form. I don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea to carry on the techniques of 100 years exactly as they were – it’s also good to change with the times, just as fashion has evolved from kimonos to modern clothing.
Yamamoto
This is something that can be said of all traditional crafts, but as I am the youngest person certified as a Koshu Inden Traditional Artisan, I also feel a sense of anxiety that the traditional techniques may disappear. There are some large manufacturers of Inden, so it will remain as a product, but we want to offer customers a wide range of choices and preserve the tradition while ensuring diversity. To that end, we are gently updating our products while still adhering to the traditions of the past. What I value in my work is to make traditional crafts advance in a spiral, rather than rotate. Instead of just going around in circles, when you look at them from the side, they are gradually progressing upwards. I believe that traditions also need to move forward.
Born in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture in 1982, Yusuke Yamamoto is the President of the Koshu Inden Association of Traditional Artisans. When he was in junior high school, he decided to become an Inden craftsman like his father and grandfather. He studied programming at high school and then went on to university to study business administration. After joining Inden Yamamoto, he worked on marketing and a distribution system to enable people to buy their products. In 2018, he became the only person in Japan to hold the title of Koshu Inden Traditional Artisan (General Category).
Topic 2: Reflections on the collaboration between Inden and Knot
There appear to be many similarities between our two companies, including the way we evolve traditions with the times. We discuss the reasons behind Knot’s decision to create a strap with Inden.
Endo
When we make Knot products, we always reflect on our philosophy and mission, and I really sympathize with what you said there. The MUSUBU Project was started with the aim of connecting Japanese traditional crafts with the world, and we wanted to find a way to preserve the high-quality techniques and culture of Japan that have continued since ancient times in a way that is relevant to the modern age. For example, when you think of Japan-made products sold on the other side of the world, cars, electrical appliances, cosmetics and watches come to mind. Looking at Casio and Seiko watches sold worldwide, I felt that watches had the power to transcend the globe. I believed that by incorporating traditional crafts as materials for watches, we could convey Japanese craftsmanship and its underlying characteristics to the world.I went to school in Yamanashi as a student, and I later came across Inden when I was working as a buyer. I thought that the robust, heat-resistant deerskin would be an ideal material for watch straps. In fact, I still have the notes I wrote at the time, saying that I really wanted to work with Inden at the start of the MUSUBU project. I think the fact that the techniques were once used to make armor and helmets also lends Inden a strong sense for fashion and personal expression, which has contributed to its reliance to this day. I felt it had something in common with wristwatches, which also have a decorative element to them.
Yamamoto
When I visited a Knot store for the first time, I could see that it had something in common with what we were doing. With Knot watches, you can choose from a variety of techniques and designs to create your own unique combination. At our company, we also accept orders for bespoke items. I don’t think there are many traditional crafts that do this, but we have managed to grow by offering individual customization by choosing from dozens of different colors and patterns and matching them to your liking. We were very happy to be able to work with Knot, which has so much in common with our own company, and it meant a lot to us that Knot took such an interest in our products.
Endo
At present, Knot customers are split evenly between men and women, with the core age group around 30 years old. We would be delighted to introduce people to Inden who may not have come across it before, through the medium of wristwatches. We hope to play a role in sharing your work with as many new customers as possible.
Topic 3: Honesty with the customer
We discuss the two companies’ approaches to craftsmanship and where they see themselves in the future.
Endo
I have been involved in the watch business for a long time, even before Knot was launched, and I always felt there was a contradiction in the way that the cost of a product would increase due to the involvement of middlemen in the distribution process. That’s why I wanted Knot to be based on the Direct to Consumer (D2C) model. In D2C, the consumer is at the top of the organizational pyramid. The D2C model creates products that customers want and sells directly to them. Knot now has around 150,000 customers, so I’m unable to listen to each and every customer myself, but our employees can listen to customer voices personally through our directly managed stores, and we can apply that feedback in the manufacturing process. When it comes to setting prices, we don’t just add up the costs and then decide; instead, we first set the selling price and then work backwards, making adjustments. We are always honest with our customers and communicate fully with them. That is the kind of craftsmanship we aim for as a D2C manufacturer.
Yamamoto
I can really relate to what you’ve just said, and in our manufacturing, we also think it's important to consider who is going to use the product. We want the product to be used by someone, rather than being an art object put on display. My father used to say, ‘Good things at a fair price’. He didn’t want to cut costs, so we set the price high. About 40 years ago, the Inden industry was basically wholesale, with little retail activity, but my father began going to department stores and other product fairs to sell his products directly. Nowadays, it has become standard for artisans to directly promote their work, but at the time, people around him criticized him, saying that this was something that a businessman, not an artisan, should be doing. However, my father listened to the opinions of his customers directly, and he incorporated a variety of colors that had not been used in his products up until that point. Rather than being something that craftsmen wanted to make, the products of Inden Yamamoto today are a reflection of the opinions of customers.
Endo
Seeing the face of the person making the product offers a sense of security, and we can also deliver it at a fair price. I hope that the unique products that only Yamamoto-san can make will become ever more widely recognized.
Yamamoto
I hope to make the traceability (distribution) aspect clearer in the world of traditional crafts. When a product reaches the hands of the consumer, it is often unclear who made it and where. For example, when a lacquerware bowl is sold, it is not clear what kind of wood it is made from, where the lacquer comes from, who the lacquer craftsman is, or who spun the potter’s wheel. So if the price is ¥10,000, I don’t know whether it’s reasonable or not. When these are things that we make, I want it to be clear. I think there are people who want to know where the deer in Yamanashi came from, and from what year. By honestly communicating this information, it provides an opportunity for people to learn about the product’s background, including the manufacturing process, and the customers who purchase the products may themselves become the storytellers of the history embodied by those products.
Endo
The way that brands are valued and defined has changed over time. In the past, luxury European brands may have been seen as high value, but now the name UNIQLO is cited as a brand liked by young people. But that’s down to the efforts of the company, and the fact that what people are looking for has changed. I think that, just like the vegetables you can buy at the supermarket that have been picked that morning and have the name of the producer on them, being able to see who made the product will become a new form of value. The hurdles to achieving this may not be low, but I really hope that you will continue to pursue this belief. After hearing your story today, I truly wish to share the background of Inden Yamamoto with our customers.
Founded in 1955, Inden Yamamoto is home to the only certified Traditional Artisan (General Category). Two generations ago, Kinnosuke Yamamoto worked at Uehara Shoten (now known as Uehara Yushichi Inden-ya), and went on to establish his own company. Later, Kinnosuke’s eldest son, Makoto, inherited the business. In 1996, he passed the certification examination to become a Koshu Inden Traditional Artisan (General Category), and for several decades until his death, he worked hard as the sole certified Traditional Artisan in Japan. Since 2000, his eldest son Yusuke and second son Noriyuki have also joined the company. Each leveraging their strengths, they strive to broaden demand for Koshu Inden products and further improve product quality. They are also actively developing collaborations while working to promote awareness of Koshu Inden through workshops and lectures. Yusuke Yamamoto is the only person in Japan to hold the title of Koshu Inden Traditional Artisan (General Category), and he is committed to accurately passing on the traditional techniques to future generations. The skills of a Traditional Artisan are found in their quality and speed. The traditional techniques require phenomenal concentration to complete a large number of pieces while retaining the same exceptional level of quality. The company is now embarking on the challenge of making Inden which is 100% Yamanashi. Daily efforts are being made to produce Inden with high traceability using ‘deer’, ‘lacquer’ and ‘techniques’ – all from Yamanashi.