The next form of "global luxury" presented by an engraving studio established in 1970
Why is New York now so keen on Japanese "handiwork"?
New York City is home to talent and wealth from around the world. The massive luxury brand flagship stores that line Manhattan's 5th Avenue are now facing a kind of "change.
In the past, the status quo was "everyone knows the logo. However, the coolest values in New York today are transparency and storytelling: who made it, where, and with what in mind.
This is why our "Engraving Studio," which was born in Sangenjaya in 1970, is preparing to pop up in New York City. We are not a "retail" store selling finished products. We are a place that offers the "experience" itself, where customers sit at the bench with the artisans and forge the metal. This culture of "co-creation" is beginning to be seen as the most luxurious time for the sensitive people of New York.
Chokin and Forging: The Science and Art of Breathing Life into Metal
We have stubbornly maintained the "forging" process, which is unique to Japan. This is an extremely scientific and stoic process that cannot be simply dismissed as "handmade.
- Prepare metal crystals: While casting is a "static" process in which molten metal is poured into a mold, forging is a "dynamic" process in which a lump of metal is placed in a fire and beaten with a hammer. By beating, minute air bubbles (soot) inside the metal are crushed and crystals are densely aligned. This is called "work hardening.
- DNA of the sword: This process is in the exact same vein as the techniques of the Japanese swordsmiths who forged the famous swords of the past. Discerning New Yorkers respect the term "Japanese Forged" because they perceive in it the philosophy of Japanese bushido and craftsmanship that has lasted for a thousand years.
In Italy, Fujimori learned the Western sensibility to enjoy jewelry as "an art to color your life. He then combined this with the "engraving technique that does not allow even a minute deviation," which he had cultivated in Sangenjaya. This is the new standard we present to the world.
The "12 Years of Brilliance" proves the aesthetics of disposability.
Recently, a touching event occurred in our workshop: a client who had a ring made 12 years ago came to Sangenjaya for maintenance.
A ring size is changed from 5.5 to 7.5. The strength of "integrated production," in which one craftsman is in charge from start to finish, is demonstrated in this kind of maintenance over a period of several years. The craftsman in charge remembers with his "fingertips" what kind of hammers were used and with what kind of feelings the ring was struck.
The size is perfect, it's shiny and polished, and I'm so excited about the shine and color it had when I first bought it. I will wear it with great care for many years to come."
This message contains the answer to everything we want to bring to New York. In a city as rapidly changing as New York City, to maintain a value that does not fade over time, even after 12 or 20 years, means that the history of the brand itself becomes a part of the customer's life. The history of our brand is part of our customers' lives, and our history since 1970 is the length of our customers' trust.
Sangenjaya, 1 minute walk from the station. Workshop experience as a "sanctuary
Our New York pop-up is our challenge. However, the fundamental energy is always in our workshop in Sangenjaya, Tokyo.
One minute walk from Sangenjaya Station. Our studio is located at the foot of Carrot Tower. Once you step into the studio, you will forget the hustle and bustle of the city, and you will find yourself in a "sanctuary of metal engraving". The local scenery of the Setagaya Line tramway and world-class jewelry making coexist in this place.
We invite you to experience ring making at this "place of beginnings" before the big swell of our expansion into New York is in full swing. Using professional tools used by artisans, you will feel the hardness of the metal with your own hands and engrave the hammers. The ring completed through this process is no longer just an accessory, but a part of your personal identity.
From Sancha to the World. A "Lifetime" Story Made with You
We are proud of our Sangenjaya metal carving studio, which has been in operation since 1970. We believe that our honest, if inefficient, style of "integrated production" here results in the most sought-after value in the world.
From Sancha to New York.
Our challenge has just begun. The first stroke you two take in Sangenjaya will one day shine brightly on the streets of New York and around the world. Why don't you join us in telling such a story?
About the Author / Content Reviewer
Takashi Fujimori
CEO of MITUBACI TOKYO
Inherited "Fujimori Engraving Studio" founded by his father in 1970. After training in Italy to make jewelry, he established a unique style of "hands-on atelier" where craftsmen and customers interact directly with each other. Sublimating the traditional "forging" technique into a modern style, he is strategically expanding from Sangenjaya to the global market, especially the New York market.
