Preserving the Legacy of Japanese Crafts in Kochi
Photos: Takuya Hosogi
In a world where cheap, speed and free shipping are normal, it is not shocking to hear that the number of traditional Japanese craftspeople is decreasing.
However, there are still those who continue the legacies of creating beauty by hand. Combining the best of centuries of knowledge with new ideas, they make their crafts not only relevant but also much sought after by those who seek quality that will endure for a lifetime or longer.
Two such people are blacksmith Nobuya Hayashi and washi paper maker Rogier Uitenboogaart, who both live and ply their craft in bucolic Kochi Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku.
Hayashi’s base, Workshop Kurogane, is hidden among the trees right along the pure Shimanto River, about a 2.5 hour drive from the major hub of Kochi City. During his younger days, he traveled across New Zealand by motorcycle, where he learned to speak English and fell in love with the country’s untouched natural beauty. After returning to Japan, he began looking for a place that offered that same pristine landscape, a search which eventually led him to Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. He met a blacksmith who took him on as an apprentice and, after a rigorous ten-year apprenticeship with his late master, Hayashi took over the forge.
Hayashi practices an ancient forging technique that dates back more than 1,500 years. Just as blacksmiths did back then, he starts from zero by collecting satetsu (iron sand) from beaches in nearby Shimanto City to make his tamahagane (steel blades).
“Most things in our world today are partially processed by someone else, making life more convenient. It would be easier if I bought ready-made steel rather than make my own, but of course, that wouldn’t be faithful to the traditional technique, and the end product wouldn’t be purely original,” says Hayashi. “I focus on crafting one-of-a-kind knives that reflect my unique strengths and weaknesses. In life, even if it takes a whole lot of failure and feeling lost at times, I believe there’s real meaning in doing something only you can do.”
A craftsman to his core, Hayashi does not rest on his laurels, and seeks to improve with every single knife he creates. “Even after 10 years of training under my late master and another decade running this workshop mostly on my own, I’m still learning. But that relentless opportunity for growth is what keeps things so fun. The strive for any sliver of progress—it doesn’t have to be perfection—that keeps me excited to always try again.”
Since taking over the forge in 2011, Hayashi has welcomed many people from Japan and around the world to his workshop, offering classes in traditional Japanese knife-making, ranging from the popular one-day experiences to multi-week intensive courses. “One of my other favorite aspects about my work is assisting others on their own journey to forge a knife only they can make,” he smiles. “I’ve been so blessed to welcome people from all over the world at my humble workshop, and not only create an original knife together from scratch, but also exchange unique cultural values and perspectives.”
In 2021, Hayashi took on his own apprentice, hailing all the way from Canada, to pass on his skills and provide even more support for his English-led workshops. “I’m honored to offer a place where people who otherwise would never meet can come together, surrounded by the simple and serene Japanese countryside to make something beautiful, and tune into their hearts.”
About a two-hour drive away up in the mountains is Yusuhara, nicknamed the “town above the clouds,” and known for the six Kengo Kuma-designed buildings that are dotted along the main road. In an idyllic spot overlooking lush forests is Washi Studio Kamikoya, where Rogieer Uitenboogaart creates his sustainable, long lasting washi paper.
He first came to Japan from the Netherlands more than 40 years ago to learn the ins and outs of making traditional Japanese washi paper. “I first came across washi when I was an apprentice bookbinder in my hometown, Amsterdam. Its beauty caught my eye, but the closer I looked the deeper it drew me in,” he says. “It was just so different from western handmade paper because you could still see the fibers with which it was made. Washi is not afraid of showing its origins, in fact, that is exactly what it’s meant to do.” He fell in love with the work and eventually opened his studio in 2006, to help preserve this craft that dates back more than 1,400 years. Since then, he has become renowned nationwide for his washi, which is used in interior design and furnishings, including by top architects such as Kengo Kuma.
Uitenboogaart uses truly traditional, sustainable methods of Tosa washi papermaking, using his home-grown organic raw materials, along with organic cotton and a totally natural, plant-based adhesive. “Over time, I learned that one of the most important aspects for making what we call “good paper” is growing your own fibers. This pushes you to fully connect with nature because we have to know when to plant, harvest and process the fibers throughout the seasons. If you take that away, it becomes more production, rather than what it really is traditionally, which is a lifestyle,” he notes. “Without the use of chemicals or industrial machines, we have to adjust to nature, and that’s what I call going back to basics. It’s the most difficult yet exciting and fun part of the entire process.”
Kochi has been known for centuries for producing some of the highest quality washi in Japan. The whole system of fiber production, innovation, tools and culture surrounding it were well-established, but this was not the only thing that made the Dutch-born artist put down roots. “What made me feel like I could actually live here was the kindness and openness of the people. Even though I didn’t speak any Japanese, the local washi masters taught me so much. They let me stay in their workshops and watch their process for hours. Even after I started my own workshop, they were always willing to guide me. Just like family.”
Visitors can get a taste of this welcome by joining one of his washi-making workshops, and staying in the beautiful accommodation upstairs, where the rooms are entirely papered with Uitenboogaart’s creations, dotted with elaborate patterns made from leaves and flowers.
Slowing down and focusing on each step of the creation process to make a sheet of washi paper or a knife that will last centuries is one way to step away from the dizzying speed of modern life. By supporting an artisan—whether it be by buying one of their lovingly-made creations or taking one of their classes—allows one to keep time-honored traditions alive, and prioritize quality over quantity.