Journeys in Japan

Industrial artisan craftsmanship (2x3)

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This week's "journeys in japan" focuses on the small factories that helped to lay the foundation for Japan's postwar manufacturing prowess. Our reporter Adeyto visits four factories in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Tokyo, to meet craftsmen whose products are in demand all around the world, and to discover their skills and artisan spirit. The first workshop, in Tokyo's Ota Ward, specializes in metalwork, producing a range of products from wine cups and pans to components for Japan's aerospace industry. Thanks to their long experience and remarkable precision, the highly skilled craftsmen can produce these items by hand, to specifications accurate to the nearest 1/100th of a millimeter. Adeyto's second stop is at a foundry in Saitama, just to the north of Tokyo, where craftsmen handle molten steel at temperatures up to 1,510 degrees. Visitors can try their hand at casting small metal objects, such as personalized bottle openers. Next she visits a factory that makes shots used by Olympic champions and shot-putters all around the world. 77-year-old Masahisa Tsujitani's shots are in demand because he can produce them with a center of gravity precisely in the very center. His craftsmanship is so precise he can make them without even looking at his lathe. The fourth and last workshop that Adeyto visits makes high-precision components for aircraft seats. As a sideline, the company also makes a range of exclusive products that are prized by top international celebrities. The company president began making these items for his own amusement, but now they are known worldwide.