Silver, platinum, and golden ring making workshop

“The best part about metal crafting is that they will last a lifetime – silver and copper is good for 1,000 years, gold will last forever.”

Managing a way to live a life in the field of metalwork

It takes about 3 hours to transform a small flat bar into a perfect round circle. Once this is polished and put onto the left ring finger, there it is – the one and only engagement ring in the world.

Tsuibu is popular for the everlasting ring making workshops. They have a store now in Omotesando, Tokyo for the popularity.

Learning from the workshop attendees:

“Simple is the best”

Mitsuo Nakamura, a metal craftsman, began the ring making workshops. Mitsuo was born as the 7^th generation of a metalworking company named Chikuei-dou – originally founded in the Edo era. His elder and younger brother are both metal craftsman as well.

“I wanted to become an artist, so I entered the Art and Craft course at Hiyoshigaoka high school and studied Japanese art. My two brothers began their career as metal craftsman when they turned 15, but I started at the age of 21. I started late.”

He spent his 20s making traditional crafts such as tea utensils as a member of Chikuei-dou.

“My father and brothers are true craftsmen. They are highly skilled, but have too much pride and are not so good at business. When I was around 25, I felt anxious about making tea utensils and traditional crafts only, so I started to learn about jewelry.”

Mitsuo became independent in his 30s and founded Tsuibu right near Chikushi-dou. He first started off with engraving classes, and eventually started the workshops.

“A student who attends the engraving class for 2 years now told me that the silver ring making in the very beginning was the favorite lesson. As a craftsman, I tend to think advanced techniques like making patterns with stones and engravings would be more valued. However, the student enjoyed making the simple ring.”

Taking account of the learning, he began 1-day workshops which turned out to bring more and more people. As a result, Mitsuo decided to focus his business mainly on workshops.

With respect to the long history, inheriting the tradition of hand-made works

“However, what I want to do the most, is metal engraving. Ring making is a means of livelihood to work as a metal craftsman.”

If you look around in the working area of Tsuibu, you could see Mitsuo’s disciples focusing on their piece of metalwork.

“If I succeed in making a life out of metalwork, it would become a good example for the younger generations. I truly believe that this will eventually lead to inheriting the metalwork tradition.”

Sometimes, there are requests like repairing archaeological findings.

“Only manual operations can replicate the way these findings were made. Precise machine techniques are of course important. But on the other hand, someone must inherit hand working.”

Mitsuo explains that the beauty of metals come from the eternity of history.

“Farm tools and weapons are made from metal back from the ancient times. Silver and copper last for more than several thousand years, gold can be forever. Metal processing is difficult, but eternity is an exclusive feature of metal.”

It is true that metals make our lives easier. It is not too much to say that civilization have grown together with metal.