"CRAFT TOURISM ECHIZEN"　From originality to co-creation. “Echizen Tansu” that walks with the user

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From originality to co-creation. “Echizen Tansu” that walks with the user

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Echizen wisdom ～Proposing a new tourism, a journey of wisdom.～ A town that has inherited the skills and spirit of its predecessors for 1,500 years. Echizen, the entrance to the "Koshi no Kuni" ruled by an ancient king. A place of wisdom where cutting-edge technology and culture first flowed in from across the Sea of Japan and became the origin of Japan's profound manufacturing. In the traditional industries that coexist with the nature of the land and in the people who live here, the universal wisdom that human beings want to bring to the next 1000 years is alive. Here and now, there is a future born from exchanges that transcend national borders and time and space. A new quest to find light. Welcome to Echizen.

From originality to co-creation. “Echizen Tansu” that walks with the user

Assemble wood, apply lacquer, and make decorative metal fittings. Today, there are only a handful of craftsmen who can master all three techniques of Echizen tansu. One of them is Norikazu Koyanagi, the fourth generation owner of Oyanagi Tansu.

Koyanagi Tansu was founded in 1907 (Meiji 40).

“Each of us makes things that match the times, but what we all have in common is 'customizing.'

While inheriting traditional techniques, Mr. Koyanagi aims to create creative products, working on a wide range of items from wooden miscellaneous goods to furniture. Underlying it is the spirit of shuha-ri, which expresses the idea of the evolution of the performing arts, and the unconventional pursuit of how to innovate the form that is the crystal of the technology of our predecessors.

It is also reflected in the relationship with the user. Mr. Koyanagi has a new theme of "co-creation" in his own manufacturing. Instead of placing an order with a craftsman and waiting for its completion, we propose a style that involves going to the production area, selecting the wood, and participating in the actual work. He wants to create a story in which making memories creates family ties, and the wardrobe is passed down as a treasure.

“While leaving traces of mischief by children, the tansu becomes more and more beautiful, and people say, 'It's a great-grandfather's wardrobe.' I want to do my best.”

The elaborate joinery techniques of Echizen chests of drawers and the craftsmanship of metal fittings that represent good omen have been born, polished, and enhanced from the desire to protect homes and people. Mr. Koyanagi's words, "A chest of drawers is not just a box to put things in."

“I want new custom-made items to look to the future.

The way of manufacturing that values the story that connects the user and the chest of drawers will deepen the relationship with people including craftsmen, production areas, and bearers, and weave new connections.

https://oyanagi-tansu.jp/

Written by

Echizen City Tourism Association

Fukui

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