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The CreatorHimenosaku.
- Himenosaku's grandfather founded the company in 1924 (Taisho 13) in the Kamishiocho area of Tennoji, Osaka. From the beginning, they focused on manufacturing aluminum pots. In 1965 (Showa 40), during his father's era, they relocated to the current location in Ota, Yao City. Born in 1960 (Showa 35), Himenosaku joined the family business in 1988 (Showa 63) and took over around 2010 (Heisei 22). They primarily manufacture kitchen equipment and cooking utensils made from aluminum and copper. himenosaku.net/
TOPICS 01A reliable companion for both home and restaurants. The Himenosaku Handmade Aluminum Hiragana Pot is a trusted partner for Japanese cuisine.
The beautifully crafted aluminum Hiragana pot with well-defined hammer marks is a versatile tool that excels in various cooking tasks such as boiling vegetables, making broth, and simmering dishes. Especially, the handmade pots have high thermal conductivity, allowing for quick cooking, making them popular not only in homes but also in professional Japanese kitchens. Aluminum has the property of being 'ductile,' which means it can be thinned and spread when hammered, and its crystalline structure becomes more organized and stronger through the hammering process. Various handmade aluminum pots, including the Hiragana pot, are made using this principle. Himenosaku is currently one of the few leading craftsmen in Japan specializing in hammered pots.
The Hiragana pot is a daily cooking essential. Its high thermal conductivity allows for quick cooking, making it perfect for fast meal preparation.
The Hiragana pots handled by KAMA-ASA feature a thickness of 3mm, which is one of their distinctive characteristics. They ensure even and thorough cooking of ingredients. The relationship between KAMA-ASA and Himenosaku began in the late 2000s. Since then, they have continuously handled several types of pots and have started accepting various orders, focusing on oden pots. The encounter between Wada and Himenosaku is quite interesting. Apparently, when our predecessor was outside the store, he happened to make eye contact with Himenosaku, who was visiting Kappabashi.
Himenosaku: That's right. When I went to Kappabashi with a big bag full of pots to sell, I happened to look up while walking down the street and made eye contact with the president's father, who was right in front of the store. We were able to chat for 2-3 minutes on the way there and back. I had left a copy of the explanation of our pots, and when I returned to the store, it was placed on the desk. At that time, I was almost turned away at every store, so I was really moved.
TOPICS 02Wada: Did that lead to a business negotiation?
Himenosaku: Well, it wouldn't lead to a deal just because some random person showed up. We only chatted a bit. However, the current president saw the copy I left behind and later contacted me, saying he wanted to reach out when he took over the store. Shortly after, he came to Yao and shared his vision of wanting to create original products to showcase in the store. That's how our relationship began.
Wada: By the time I joined, Himenosaku's pots were already on display. Thanks to that, they have consistently been one of KAMA-ASA's representative products. What’s amazing about Himenosaku's pots is the meticulous attention to detail in their finishing. It's not just about the hammer marks; there's a different kind of beauty to them. You can tell the moment you hold them. They truly consider the user.
Himenosaku: KAMA-ASA's work is central to us. Everyone, including Wada, praises our work, which boosts my motivation to create. I've never been praised by people from Osaka. When I show them, they just say, 'Put that aside.' (laughs)
Now, at Himenosaku's factory located in the riverside area of Yao, where many metal processing workshops are found, Himenosaku works alongside apprentice craftsmen Mayu Mimura and Chiyo Yakushiji. Currently, Himenosaku is the only one hammering the pots. The standard Hiragana pot making starts by hammering the bowl-shaped raw pot from the bottom. For custom orders, they draw the outline on aluminum sheets using a compass and cut them with metal scissors before hammering them into shape with a wooden mallet. For deeper pots, they create the raw shape by welding. They start hammering from the bottom as well. First, they determine the center and then hammer around it.
A blank aluminum pot. They start by determining the center of the pot's bottom and then hammering at regular intervals.
Himenosaku: The wooden and metal hammers used for hammering the pots are ones my father used. There might be some that my grandfather used as well. Different hammers are used for different pots, such as for the Yuki-hira and the Atariko pots. The key to hammering is to use the snap of the wrist rather than the strength of the arm. The weight of the hammer tightens the soft metal. After striking once with the right hand, the left hand rotates the pot. The movement is about 8mm or 10mm, and controlling that is the role of the left hand. Since aluminum is soft, they first lightly hammer it with a wooden mallet to tighten it before applying the hammer marks with a metal hammer. After hammering all around, they finally use a metal rod called a Tori-kuchi from the inside of the pot to firmly shape the raised part from the bottom. They hammer around a 1cm wide section four times, and as it gets harder, a high-pitched sound resonates.
Himenosaku Handmade Hiragana Pot: Carefully hammering the raised part of the pot.
The boundary between the bottom and the sides is particularly handled with care. 'The heat comes from below, and since this part sits on the stove, it needs to be sturdy,' says Himenosaku.
After hammering, the next step is to drill holes for the handle. Once the burrs are removed, they shape the spout. They set the pot on a mountain-shaped anvil and press it with a machine in an instant. After stamping, they attach the handle. They secure the metal part at the base of the handle with four rivets, check the gap between the pot and the fittings, and hammer it to ensure a tight fit. Finally, they insert the wooden handle, hammer it, and drill a hole that reaches from the base to the wooden handle, securing it with screws to complete the pot.
The hammered pot is stamped with 'Handmade,' size (number), KAMA-ASA's logo, and 'Himenosaku.' 'About 1 in 2000, I still occasionally misstamp. When that happens, it can't be sold, and it’s really disappointing,' says Himenosaku with a laugh.
TOPICS 03Drilling holes to secure the handle.
When I pick up the freshly completed pot, I am struck by the beauty of the alignment of the hammer marks and the way the handle is attached, and I can't help but sigh. Himenosaku says it took him over 10 years to reach this level. Himenosaku: Even so, I’m only at about 90 points now. I used to say 80 points, but now I think I can reach around 90. I want to achieve 100 points before I die. Even if it’s 99 points, I want to get as close to 100 as possible. If I can hammer 1000 pots without making a single mistake. I move my hands the same way, but mistakes inevitably happen.
A part of the factory lined with tools inherited from my grandfather and father. The chair used for work is said to be a child’s chair that Himenosaku's nephew used when he was young.
Continuing pot making with tools inherited from grandfather and father.
Himenosaku's grandfather established the pot-making company as Himenosaku Kōsakujo in 1924 (Taisho 13). The beginning was quite surprising. Himenosaku: My grandfather sold traditional Japanese sweets until around the end of the Taisho era on a street called Kusunoki-dori next to the empty堀通. Traditional sweet shops have copper pots, right? It was a hassle to take them to Kyoto for repairs, so he called a craftsman. Seeing that, my grandfather was inspired and decided to start a pot business. It sounds like a joke, but I never heard this story from my father; I learned it from a relative after my father passed away. That was when I first found out he sold sweets.
Himenosaku: No, I don’t know what kind of power dynamics were at play, but he had a craftsman come from Kyoto. At that time, there were about 10 pot shops around Kuromon Market, and it seems that the craftsmen were also around that area. In 1924 (Taisho 13), he started as a pot shop, primarily making aluminum pots from the beginning. They also worked with copper, but back then, they bought copper in blocks and stretched it into sheets, making it very expensive. So, aluminum became the main focus.
Wada: Did your father join the family business from the start?
Himenosaku's workshop stump
'My father only said, 'It's been here for a long time,' so I don't know when it started, but it's been here all along,' referring to the wooden stump used as a hammering platform.
Himenosaku: Yes. That boom lasted for over a decade. Then, someone suggested, 'Why not borrow money from the bank and automate?' We had a family meeting, but my grandmother said, 'We don’t know how long this boom will last, so don’t do that,' and we didn’t. It seems that all the places that moved to Higashi-Osaka and automated ended up going bankrupt. Then, they asked, 'How about going to China?' This also resulted in a family meeting, and we decided not to go, but the companies that went ended up failing and returned. At that time, there were about 10 pot shops around Kuromon, but now there are only 2.
TOPICS 04Wada: I see. So, when did Himenosaku start producing the standard products we see today?
Himenosaku: The standard products were started by my father, probably in the 1970s. They were primarily doing business with tool shops. By this time, the number of craftsmen had grown to about 5 or 6. The hammering and applying hammer marks had been done for a long time, but after the war, there wasn’t the luxury of hammering; it was more about shaping and releasing. I think I started hammering again when I was a child. It was probably about 50 or 60 years ago when they began displaying the Hiragana pots in tool shops.
Hammers and metal scissors are used differently depending on what and where they are hammering.
Wada: Himenosaku, you initially worked as a company employee, right? Why did you decide to take over the business?
Wada: How many years did you work with your father?
Himenosaku: My father passed away about 15 or 16 years ago, so I might not have worked with him for even 20 years. But we always fought. I ran away from home about three times, saying, 'I’m quitting this company!' But after a few days of playing around, I would come back. No one would say anything. The person who taught me the work was a craftsman named Ito. My father tried to teach me, but it didn’t work out (laughs). We fought a lot, and Ito was the referee.
Himenosaku: I wanted to work with business partners on an equal footing, but my father listened to everything the clients said and never expressed his own opinions, so we argued about that too. In the end, he told me to do as I please, and I said thank you (laughs). At one point, a 27cm tiered pot sold incredibly well at a mail-order company. That opened up more business opportunities. My encounter with KAMA-ASA happened around the time my father and Ito passed away one after the other. Since then, I’ve changed many things. I also changed the company name from Himenosaku Kōsakujo to Himenosaku.
After Himenosaku took over, the company name was changed to 'Himenosaku.'
New generations support manufacturing! The future of Himenosaku.
Himenosaku Handmade Aluminum Tiered Pot with Chinese Steamer
The 'Himenosaku Handmade Aluminum Tiered Pot' can be used in combination with 'KAMA-ASA's Chinese Steamer.' Sales skyrocketed after adjusting the size to fit the steamer.
Wada: Regarding deliveries... I mean, when you come to the site and see the state of things, you can’t say anything (laughs). Right now, it’s just Himenosaku.
PRODUCTS Himenosaku: If you say that, I’ll take advantage of it (laughs). But as I’ve been discussing with Wada and the president for a while now, I think I need to train the next generation. So, I have to work now, teach the two people here, and ensure they don’t get injured, which is a bit hectic. But I think things will change a bit in 2 or 3 years.
This copper oden pot was made as a custom order. They can create such unique shapes too.
