{"id":78828,"date":"2021-02-26T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=78828"},"modified":"2021-09-17T11:06:13","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T02:06:13","slug":"metal-craftworks-nousaku-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/metal-craftworks-nousaku-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"The Elegant Japanese Metal Craftwork of Nousaku"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Takaoka city<\/strong>, nestled between the mountains of Toyama prefecture<\/strong> alongside the traditional Gokayama village<\/a> and the Sea of Japan, has been home to the Japanese tradition of metal craftwork<\/strong> since the 17th century. The city soon became the major center of copperware production in Japan, and now, buddhist bells and bronze statues crafted in Takaoka can be found in shrines and temples all over the country. 400 years later, Takaoka artisans are still producing high-quality traditional crafts made out of tin and bronze in foundries like Nousaku<\/strong>. We had a chance to visit this renowned corporation to see their traditional process and to make our own unique Japanese metalcraft items to take home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"melted
Melted brass in Nousaku foundry | Photo: Nousaku.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Nousaku: Traditional Techniques Meet Modern Japanese Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Nousaku<\/strong><\/a> foundry was founded in 1916, the company was mainly working with wholesalers manufacturing vases, tea ceremony utensils, and Buddhism-related products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2001, Nousaku took a major turn in their production. They would make their own products they’d be proud to put their names on and sell them directly to customers. After 85 years of experience working with these raw materials, they knew exactly how to enhance the brilliance of brass and tin<\/strong> for beautifully-crafted metal crafts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nousaku,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The minimalism of their design adds a modern touch to Nousaku’s products while continuing the traditional Japanese approach to craft and art. There are no ornaments: the surface of their plates, cups, and vases are blank, but that doesn’t mean it’s empty. It’s all about the texture, how it feels in your hands, and how it reflects the light<\/strong>. Perfectly smooth or full of the natural texture or the material, there is the perceptible meaning behind each act from the craftsman. In a word, Nousaku achieved a kind of modern wabi-sabi<\/em><\/a> <\/strong>style for metal craftworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Brass flower vase | Photo: Nousaku.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n