Hello, I am Takada, a MITUBACI craftsman.
Last month, I went to Singapore on a business trip. This time, I would like to talk about that time.
Although I traveled a lot in Southeast Asia when I was a student, this was actually my first visit to Singapore.
Singapore is a relatively new country that was founded as a British trading post and gained independence in 1965. From there, it has experienced rapid economic development and is now known as one of the world's leading financial centers. The city is lined with skyscrapers, orderly, efficient, and clean. I had such a strong image of the country and had never been strongly attracted to it as a travel destination.
When I travel, I am always drawn to places where people's lives ooze out rather than tourist attractions. Culture that is connected to the history and climate of the land, and activities that have been handed down through the hands of someone else. I wonder if such things can be found in this sophisticated city. But if I were to go all the way there, I wanted to find something that caught my interest.
In fact, the first thing that caught my eye upon arrival was the bold modern architecture that is hard to see in Japan. Large curved buildings and skyscrapers with unique geometric forms. They were all so interesting that I found myself looking up all the time as I walked around.
When I looked back at my photo folder later, all I saw were pictures of buildings. The scale and form of the city left such a strong impression on me.
On the other hand, if you go a little further away from the area lined with skyscrapers, you will find Hindu temples standing quietly, and streets that retain traces of a traditional architectural style called "kampong". It was interesting to see the contrast between the temples and traditional architecture and the skyscrapers simultaneously in the frame when I pointed my camera at them. In this multi-ethnic country, people with different roots live while cherishing their own culture. I was able to see this in action. I had an image of the city as "industrial and cold," but that preconceived notion slowly began to fade away.
And Chinatown, where MITUBACI's sister restaurant, KOBO, is located. This is the destination of this business trip. I arrived in Singapore about two weeks before the Chinese New Year, and Chinatown was completely enveloped in the Chinese New Year mood. At night, the streets are lit up with lights, food stalls line the streets, and people are so busy that it is hard to move. Karaoke performances start on the streets, and festivities are held every night.
I had the impression of a tightly regulated nation, but I was relieved to see that such a free scene is also commonplace.
Singapore is a city with more layers and depth than I had expected, with signs of human life in the modern urban landscape.
KOBO is a sister store of MITUBACI.
KOBO is a jewelry workshop store in Singapore. On this business trip, I participated as an artisan in the "Artisan Event" held several times a year at KOBO. At the event, we add limited time items to the workshops and offer a service whereby the craftsmen finish the stone setting on the spot, instead of sending it to Japan and keeping it for a few weeks. I was in charge of the workshops for the stone clasps and limited items.
KOBO's twisted and wavy designs are popular, and we tried our hand at multiple stone setting on twisted parts, something we have little experience with at MITUBACI.
This is a single twist ring in 18k pink gold. Two stones are clasped at each end. While carefully measuring the distance between the gems, we search for the position where the overall balance looks beautiful. This work looks simple, but requires delicate adjustments.
Facing a slightly different design than usual was a valuable experience for me to broaden the scope of my skills.
I was in charge of the workshop as well as stone setting. I was nervous at first about proceeding in an unfamiliar environment, but I was relieved to find that some people asked to take a picture with me after the completion of the work, indicating that they had enjoyed it.
Lunch was at the Hawker Center with KOBO staff.
Hawker centers are like food courts bustling with locals, where you can enjoy authentic cuisine at affordable prices.
It was nice to have dinner together with staff members whom I met for the first time and to deepen exchanges through various conversations.
It was a great challenge for me to be in charge of stone setting and workshops in an environment without senior craftsmen of MITUBACI. Although I was a little nervous, I was able to gain a lot of experience and gained a great deal of confidence.
I would like to apply the learnings from this trip to the MITUBACI workshop.
