How did Kawashima become Kazari-shi?

Could you tell me why you became Kazari-shi?

 
 I graduated from a junior high school right after the war in 1951. It was the time when people said, "It is better to acquire useful skills than to study at schools." Although my father said, "You should study at a high school," I did not. A person who came to my house in Gifu Prefecture and helped my family plant rice asked me, saying, "Someone in Tokyo is seeking an apprentice. Are you willing to go to Tokyo?" Then, I readily accepted the offer, and came to Tokyo. I was determined to be a craftsman. I served my apprenticeship for 10 years. Then, I was trained by some masters for about two years, and became independent. After that, my business went splendidly. I had worked from 7:00 a.m. to around 7:00 p.m. from the age of 35 or 36 to 55. I suffered chronic shoulder pains four times. It was so painful that I could not sleep. The pain persisted up to a half year.
 

How many Kazari-shi do exist in the present day?

 
 There are about five to seven in Tokyo. They do not have lateral relations. There used to be about 50 Kazari-shi in the Kansai Region, but now the number drops by about half. When I visited their houses, I could just talked with them at entrances, and could not see their work spaces because "machiya" houses in Kyoto are long and narrow. They did not show their skills. Moreover, division of labor is established in the Kansai Region, so each craftsman is doing different work, such as cutting materials, carving patterns, and putting parts together. Craftsmen cannot be independent in that system. Secret skills are handed down only to their eldest son.
 

Kawashima's works

Could you tell me about the creation process?

 

 First of all, I draw a picture and make a paper pattern. Then, I put it on a metal and make marks on the metal with sumi ink. When I make a family crest, there is a book of family crests, so I sometimes enlarge the image with a copier, modify the shape, and use it as a paper pattern. I cut a shape out of a sheet of metal with a cold chisel. I occasionally use scissors. I emboss patterns, file them, and give the "Kisage" finish, in which surrounding portions are cut off with a knife. Then, I send it to a metal plating factory. After that, I complete it by applying fluorine to it or painting it depending on the intended use.

Could you tell me about materials?

 
 Some wealthy people have asked me to make their family crests out of gold or silver. Crests made of copper or brass have usually been ordered by temples and shrines. Those crests are plated. Copper is softer, so it is easy to engrave and bend. Brass is hard. Portable shrines can be decorated only with brass because copper becomes darker when it is finished. I make pipes out of brass. I plate pipes with rhodium. They are glossy, aren't they? Silver is more dull. Moreover, rhodium and chromium do not peel off. I think, nowadays, rhodium is mainly used. Chromium is very expensive. It costs money even when disposing of water that is used for purification. Rhodium also gives off smoke when it melts. So, nowadays, metal plating factories also do not melt those metals by themselves. I have recently only used commercially available metals. Therefore, colors of those metals have also changed.
 

Could you tell me about patterns?

 

  Generally, a basic pattern is an arabesque. However, there are many arabesque patterns, including a standard, goldthread, mugwort and peony arabesques. In the past, there were some customers who specified a type of arabesque because they did not like a standard arabesque. For example, they said, "Could you make this type arabesque?" At customers' requests, I make a variety of patterns. However, I do not like to break with the tradition. I engraved nontraditional patterns on export items, but I consistently maintain the tradition of ornamental patterns for temples and shrines. Each pattern is so distinctive that you may identify who engraved the pattern. It differs depending on masters' hometowns and usage of cold chisels. It is also different in the Kanto and Kansai Regions. However, most of the basics are the same.
 

Tools

Could you tell me about tools that you are using?

 

  Let me explain about hammers. There are about 50 hammers, including ball-peen and straight-peen hammers. There are also 20 to 30 wooden hammers. When connecting two metal parts, I rub the parts together and solder them. I use cold chisels to cut metals and beat out patterns. I have about 5,000 cold chisels. There are many boxes containing cold chisels in my work space. I know which box contains which type of chisels. I also know their characteristics, so it flashes into my mind that "this chisel can be used to engrave this part." If I cannot find the one, I have to search it. Chisels with patterns were made by specialized craftsmen. Other chisels were made by myself. I still sometimes make new chisels, or join new parts to frequently used chisels. Chisels are made out of steel, but hardening of each chisel is adjusted according to materials, so each chisel has different character. If hardening is well done, a chisel is not worn away for a lifetime. Even though it seems that I use chisels casually, tools are important, so I try not to hit tips as much as possible.

 

 This base is also made out of steel, but it is not hardened. I use a wooden table top under the base. The wooden table top does not bounce even when I beat materials with big hammers. The table top is made out of Japanese zelkova. When carpenters build temples and other buildings, a lot of wood waste is produced, and portions near roots are discarded when sawing logs into pillars. In my work, I have socialized with carpenters, so I take those kinds of wood. I have about 10 pieces of such wood. This is one of my favorite. In order to carry it, I put handles on it. A desk lamp can be connected to this side of the table. I also use dangerous chemicals when making ornaments. Cyanogen, potassium cyanide, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid are needed to process ornaments. Metals become stained with oil if touched by hands. Also, if hard metals are annealed until they turn red, they are blackened. I use sulfuric acid to wash out the stain. Also, if I do not wash out, I cannot solder. In the past, potassium cyanide was used. Craftsmen used it after breaking up a lump of potassium cyanide. Some of them died from mistakenly putting it in their mouths. Although it seems a funny story, I know such kind of danger, so I carefully use chemicals. (In front of his favorite worktable that can be carried)