Inspired by Iwata
The IWATA woodworking factory is located in the heart of the mountains in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima. The story of Iwat began here. Established in 1991, Iwata Mokkou has been specializing in the production of wood products for two generations. The founder, Kiyoshi Iwata, was born in July 1953 and grew up in Hongo, a small village deep in the mountains where he had to go to school for over an hour. After working in the steel and wood industries, Kiyoshi decided to start his own company in 1991. First, he meticulously searched for land that would meet the conditions for a factory, and finally found land that had previously served as a poultry farm. The place gave off an unpleasant smell and was difficult to use as a factory, so he had to disassemble everything himself, he designed and built the factory himself, obviously it was not an easy job, but every time there was a problem, he thought and solved. For example, when the cost of metal poles exceeded the budget, he turned to an energy company and used power poles for his factory poles. He also inherited the incinerator from a closed factory and obtained piping, which he dismantled himself in the closed factory. Construction was completed about four months later. Their first son, Kazuma, was 9 years old when Kiyoshi started his own company . Kazuma also helped with the setting up and dismantling of the factory and, along with his brother Yuma, has been involved in his father's activities from the very beginning. Since Kazuma was the eldest son, Kiyoshi raised him strictly and, thanks to his competitive and stubborn personality, became a full-fledged foreman in middle school. At the same time, the second son, Yuma, also learned carpentry by helping his father with work. In those days, "kumano brushes" were valuable brushes among calligraphy brushes and had a long history as traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Production of Kendam began in 2004. At that time, the precision of kendam was not high, but Iwata Mokkou wanted to make it easy for players to use. They started the production of "Mugen" with a new concept, focusing on precision ± 0.2mm, smooth polishing of the surface and beautiful high gloss finish.
In 2008, the production of make-up brushes began. The Kumano brush industry began to focus on makeup brushes and Iwata Mokkou also received requests to make makeup brush handles. It was around this time that the tendency to use amine paints gradually began to shift to urethane paints. Since Iwata Mokkou already possessed the high-quality urethane painting techniques we acquired when creating Kendam, we applied the same techniques to makeup brushes and added beauty to them with pearl and metallic colors. In this way, we tried to distinguish ourselves from other companies.
After Mugen was discontinued in 2009, it became especially popular with foreign players, and Mugen was gradually called the legendary kendama. Some of them were then sold at online auctions for more than 50 times their original price. Many players were looking for beautiful kendam with great accuracy to improve their tricks, and many local and foreign players wanted to reproduce the legendary Kendama "Mugen". All of these voices brought us back to the Kendama industry and we resumed production in 2012. However, we not only resumed our previous kendama. We created a new brand called "MUGEN MUSOU", applied new techniques such as interchangeable tips and improved game functionality, and proposed new opportunities that have never been done before.
2014 Founding of Iwata Co., Ltd. < / br>
At the time of founding, Iwata Mokkou did two main jobs. However, after both sons joined the company and started producing kendam and makeup brushes, the volume and turnover continued to increase and the number of employees also increased to eight. For this reason, the office was demolished to install the new machine, but the size of the factory was not large enough to safely carry out the work. With the growing demand of customers, we decided to establish "Iwata Co., Ltd." with Kazuma as president and a new factory was built. In 2017, we exhibited for the first time at Maison & Objet in Paris. We decided to exhibit at the world's leading interior and design fair, "Maison & Objet Paris", to increase the value of Kendam and its wood products. At the exhibition in 2017, we published "Mugen musou objet d'art" with a new concept of a "playable art object". In 2020, we exhibited at Maison & Objet for four years in a row. The new flower vase, based on the concept of a display facility with kendama, was presented at Maison & Objet 2019 and 2020. A design that emphasizes the true beauty of wood, arouses sympathy and has been selected by some of the world's best brands of furniture, hotels and residences
IWATA Concept Each tree has its own personality, not only because of its species, but also because of the environment in which it grows. So it won't be an exaggeration to say that no two are alike. We select the material by first predicting how it will look when finished, then use our senses to judge its strength by sound, dryness by smell, texture by touch, and beauty by color and texture to check the course of the rings. All trees grow gradually over the years, decades and centuries. We try to revive them in a beauty other than nature, making full use of its individuality, with respect for the environment in which the tree grew up and its history. We create our products with the hope that they will make history for the next ten, twenty years and more. Our design, which seeks the necessary and minimal beauty, harmonizes with any space, so we hope that they will touch the hearts of the people we meet and stay close to only those products that meet these criteria. You may have seen the wooden table warp - this is because natural wood shrinks depending on temperature and humidity. Each piece of wood has its own hardness and personality. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a standard of + - 0.2 mm in the woodwork. With current technology, there is a way to shave wood with a machine called Computer Numeric Control (CNC). However, our + -0.2mm standard is hard to achieve with this machine. The reason for this is that even for pieces of the same type of wood, the hardness and density will vary depending: 1) whether it comes from the inside or outside of the tree, 2) whether it was growing closer to the roots or apex. the tree is present, and 3) the weather, temperature and humidity of the place where it was grown. What happens if we shave all the wood in the same way? Even if the size in the data is the same, the actual finish shows the difference. Some pieces may wear off on the surface and some may become slippery. In addition, the blade used for shaving wears out with use, which can also lead to variations in finish. Therefore, the skills and experience of craftsmen are crucial to achieve the + - 0.2 mm standard. Our artisans change the way you shave and polish by judging 1) the condition of the wood, 2) the sound of the shave, and 3) the condition of the knife and sandpaper. The blade plays a key role in reaching the + - 0.2mm standard. After a trial and error process, we decided to make our own blades ourselves. Saw blades available on the market or made to order by a grinder manufacturer are most often used for sharpening wood. We use special blades that are not normally used for wood.
These are carbide blades normally used for metalworking. The quality of the shave is influenced by the material, the hardening method and the method of cooling the blade, but the blade manufacturer was not able to meet all these minor requirements. As a result of trial and error, we decided to produce our own wood in order to implement all these ideal standards and shapes. In addition, of course, the quality of the cut changes after use, which affects the finish and size of the product. Therefore, the blade should be sharpened at the best moment. Precisely because we stick to the standard of +/- 0.2 mm, the blade often has to be grinded. However, it is not realistic to ask a sharpening company to service your blades frequently, so we have acquired the knowledge and skills to sharpen the blades ourselves. This is also important when the blade needs sharpening. As it is used with natural wood, it is not possible to establish a standard rule for sharpening any blade after a certain number of times. Our craftsmen judge the best time to sharpen blades based on the sound of shaving and touch.
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