Local toys have been made in various parts of Japan since ancient times.
Born from the local climate and lifestyle, they are made using familiar items found in the community, with the hope that children will grow up healthy.
"Toy Workshop" is a local ceramic toy that is made with a modern interpretation and a stylish look. It is made by the Seto Togeisha studio in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, where artisans handcraft each toy.
We spoke to producer Yusuke Mizuno and his wife Mari Mizuno about their aspirations in starting up the Toy Workshop and what kind of products they create.
The Beginnings of Seto Ceramic Art
Photo: Mizuno Mari of Seto Togeisha and her husband, Mizuno Yusuke, producer of Toy Workshop.
Seto Togeisha was founded in 1951 when Mari Mizuno's grandfather started a ceramics factory to make ceramic dolls to meet domestic demand. In the early days, the company was so busy with requests for Fushimi dolls from Kyoto that it sent out deliveries to Kyoto almost every week.
As a result, he still receives many requests from shrines and is active as an expert on ceramic dolls related to Japan's four seasons, such as zodiac and Hina dolls .
"The Tortoise and the Hare" (1,320 yen including tax). Based on the old tale "The Tortoise and the Hare." In today's world, let's strive for harmony and cooperation rather than competition.
"The reason I decided to start a toy workshop was because I wanted to convey traditional Japanese customs in a proper way. However, if we kept the motifs from that time, people wouldn't pay any attention. So I remade the colors of the original toys and slightly redesigned them, and released them as an original brand of local toys. I think that if you live in a nuclear family, there are many people who are unaware of old customs, so I wanted to redefine them once again."
This is what Mari's husband, Yusuke Mizuno, producer of Toy Workshop, said.
As the successor to Hanjiro VIII of Seto Hongyo Kiln , a pottery maker with over 250 years of history , he usually creates handcrafted pieces using Seto clay and natural glazes, using a potter's wheel. This time, as a married couple working in both potteries, a miraculous collaboration has been realized. He has demonstrated his talent as a producer, demonstrating new creations.
"Seto Komainu (A-Un)" (1,650 yen each, tax included).
"Seto Shokunin Daruma" (1,150 yen including tax) and "Seto Hongyo Kiln" pottery. This is a true husband and wife collaboration!
"Seto Novelty" made for export
Now, some of you may have questions here.
Many people may think that Seto makes dolls, but it was a major industry that supported Seto's manufacturing industry after the war.
During the Meiji period, research into plaster mold manufacturing methods was advanced for mass production, and ceramic carving techniques were established. During the Taisho period, bisque dolls made in Seto became a hit, replacing German-made dolls during World War I.
It was popular in the United States, but due to the effects of the war, imports from Germany, the country of production, were cut off, and Seto was chosen to replace it.
From the Setogura Museum special exhibition "Development of Seto Novelty"
Products made in Seto are called "Seto Novelties," and their elaborate designs and delicate paintings have been highly praised overseas. In the 1960s, there were over 300 novelty-related companies in the city.
After the Plaza Accord was signed in 1985, the yen appreciated from 360 yen to the dollar to the 70 yen range, and many businesses moved to other businesses. Those that continued to operate moved their bases overseas where production could be done more cheaply.
As most of the products were for export, their existence was not known domestically and they quietly disappeared, but Seto Tougeisha has managed to survive by limiting production to meet domestic demand.
"Toy Workshop" How local toys are created
From here on, we will introduce manufacturing that makes use of the "Seto Novelty" technology that has been cultivated in Seto City.
First, we think about the concept of what Yusuke Mizuno wants to create.
In response, Toy Workshop designer Asuka Kibuse will turn this into a design drawing.
This is the original drawing. Our in-house sculptor will create a prototype based on this original drawing.
In the hands of a skilled sculptor, just looking at a single picture, a three-dimensional maneki-neko cat will appear in the blink of an eye out of clay. Because pottery shrinks when fired, it is a meticulous process that involves calculating the shrinkage percentage while creating the size.
* Reference video for making prototypes (Connell College of Ceramics)
Once the prototype is complete, the next step is to have a mold maker in the city, with whom we have an exclusive partnership, make a plaster mold in preparation for mass production.
This is the finished plaster mold. At Seto Togeisha, they use a method called "casting," in which they pour a mud called "slip" into this plaster mold and use it to form the pottery.
The appearance of injecting the slurry.
The clay injected here is called "Hakuun." It was developed in 1931 at the former National Ceramics Testing Center and was created to create novelty products for export.
Plaster has the property of absorbing moisture, and hardens from the outside of the slip. Once the dried slip has reached the required thickness, the mold is turned upside down and the excess slip is poured off. For this reason, it is also called "gaba-zukumi" (casting with a lot of water).
According to a veteran craftsman with over 20 years of experience, "The soil is alive!" He considers the speed and time of pouring the soil depending on the shape of the product, the season, the weather, etc. For large molds, he leaves it to dry for about 30 minutes.
Once it has hardened, remove it from the mold.
The shape of a beckoning cat has appeared!
When the product comes out of the mold, lines called burrs will form between the molds, so these need to be smoothed out.
Remove any burrs that remain when the mold is removed.
Use a damp cloth to make it even smoother.
Work is taking place just behind the casting site.
The pieces are fired at approximately 1,030 degrees in an electric kiln on the same floor.
Once baked, it turns pure white. This dough is then painted with ceramic paints.
There are no rough sketches, and the artist paints in one go with a brush while looking at a sample.
It's done!
When I toured the workshop, I was impressed by the careful and quick work of the craftsmen at each site.
That was very much conveyed.
I was in awe and impressed that all of these processes are done by hand and yet they are able to offer this price range.
It's interesting to visit the workshop and learn about the manufacturing process. I'm grateful.
