【biz-seed】FUROSHIKI

YAMATO NADESHIKO Co., Ltd.
Wrapping Wonders-Wisdom of a Beautiful Square-



Presents are nice to give and be given. However, don’t you sometimes feel stressed about left over wrapping paper?
Here is good news to lessen your stress. Great Japanese ancestors have left marvelous ideas to “wrap your present with a present”! You should learn how to utilize FUROSHIKI, a square piece of magic that can wrap anything from chocolate boxes to wine bottles to teddy bears, and be used again and again. Nowadays it comes in different shapes and types of fabric to make it casual or chique, depending on who you are surprising. FUROSHIKI can be used by the person you gave it to, or you can always take it home with you..


YAMATO NADESHIKO will provide you beautiful and tender FUROSHIKI. The owner, Keiko Kikuta was previously a food coordinator. Fascinated by this square cloth while using them for professional wine wrapping and table coordination, Keiko decided to open her own shop in Kagurazaka with the mission to spread FUROSHIKI as something nearer to daily life. Her experience in France while studying food coordination let her reevaluate traditional Japanese culture, which now gives Keiko the ability and passion to choose for you the best FUROSHIKI from the various assortment - all with different meanings in behind.

【biz-seed】UMEZUMI Crepe Paper

Sanyo Paper Co., Ltd.
Paper That Deodorize, Absorb Humidity, and Reduce Waste?



A large amount of apricot seeds would have been disposed as industrial waste through the UMEBOSHI production process had Sanyo Paper not seen an opportunity to turn them into their unique paper product. The company has a history of 80 years with abundant experience and technology accumulation for creating recycled industrial wrapping paper. Since founded by Rakuichi Harada, its positive corporate culture has been descended for three generations, now led by Rokujiro Harada with 51 loving corporate members.


In 2003, in search for a new and original product, Sanyo engineered a prototype of UMEZUMI by mixing standard pulp material with charcoaled apricot seeds. After the success, today Sanyo regularly obtains disposed Japanese apricot seeds from Minabe City (Wakayama Pref.) which distributes approximately 60 percent of apricots in Japan. UMEZUMI crepe paper is essentially recycled pulp, apricot seed charcoal and water, making it an entirely recycled and natural product. The included charcoal will absorb humidity and harmful substances and also deodorize. It will be a partner of your shoe box, refrigerator and curtain, while helping to decrease the amount of industrial waste.

【biz-seed】Spectacles between Art and Craft

RYO YAMASHITA
Spectacles that Open Up a Dialogue



RYO YAMASHITA is the last heir of an old EDO KINWAKU* artisan family. Pride and philosophy of ancestors and his established technique gave birth to his simple yet fashionable spectacles. The whole process is handiwork from molding to casting. The radical form will surely inspire the wearer with a crisp tension.
　Following an old saying –“listen to the voice of the material,” YAMASHITA will search for the most suitable function that materials could play, thus coming out in each different shape. “I want to create a tool that keeps dialogue with its user.” Spectacles that increase value the more you use, not like other usual consumer goods. His spectacles are not merely a reappearance of retro eye glasses of Edo era but are an outcome of a seeking for his own new form. The result was this unique pair of glasses, a craft closer to artwork, or vice versa


　 So this is the best harmony of function and form. The all handmade spectacles will naturally induce you to elegant carriage. This work born from 350 years history, never to be found in the West, will surely inspire your excitement.

*EDO KINWAKU was a profession of craftsmen making unique gold eye glasses during the EDO era.

【biz-seed】Plaster Wall Material SUISHI

PAPER WORKS Inc.
Milk Cartons Turned into a Soft-colored Wall Material


Mr. Matsuzaki, executive director of PAPER WORKS Inc., is originally a ceramicist. When he was teaching ceramic at an institution for the disabled, he came across with postcards made from pulps taken out of used milk cartons by the disabled. Handmade WASHI-like texture drew his attention. Making postcards did not pay enough due to limited demand. Mr. Matsuzaki thought of an idea to make a wall material from used milk cartons, and by adding his own clay-used coloring technique as value, he believed it could pay for independent life of the disabled persons suffering from low-income.


　After repeated tests for improvement, SUISHI (wall material) was finally born. It contains nothing else but vegetal glue, recycled pulp, food preservatives, colorant clay and water. It is safe because the pulp is from milk cartons-- originally a food container--, carefully taken out by the hands of the disabled without using chemicals.
　It is a firm policy of PAPERWORKS to make workplace with no discrimination between disabled and non-disabled, all working freshly together.
SUISHI is sending a message ”to make a new sustainable society where people can devote themselves in most human-like work through resource recycling.”

【biz-seed】KEISOU-KUN－Breathing Wall

One Will Co., Ltd.
Breathing Wall with Commitment to the Health of Residents



One Will started off as a supplier of imported houses with a vision to “provide houses that are cool in summer, warm in winter, and healthy”. The trigger to start develop this original natural wall material was an incident back in 1993. They noticed the unnatural smell emitted from the plastic walls of constructed houses, and with faith to their vision, baked out the harmful substances and built in extra ventilation to prevent health problems of customers. Sick-house syndrome is a set of symptoms such as headaches, throat ache and eventually weakened immune systems, resulted from exposure to indoor pollutants – an issue not yet acknowledged at the time.

Since then One Will started to seek a 100% natural, healthy wall material and comes across diatomaceous earth. This natural material consists of numerous sponge-like holes that “breathes” – absorbs and exhales large amount of moisture, keeping the indoor air at a moderate humidity. Noticing its ability to breathe in harmful substances, One Will succeeded to create a wall material that neutralize and literally absorb the acid substances by using alkaline lime paste to solidify the earth materials. The company has done further R&D in partnership with Kanagawa Pref. to improve the effect dramatically.

【biz-seed】NAMBU TEKKI

OIGEN Foundry Co., Ltd.
NAKED PAN A Ferrous Casting Pan Perfect for Baking and Sauté.



Nambu Tekki (ferrous pan) was born in Iwate Prefecture dating back about 900 years in Heian era. Since known to public in Meiji era, it gained high appreciation as traditional Japanese handiwork. Production process of mold casting method makes stale or damaged products reusable by simply melting it down again. NakedPan is 75% made of such recycled ferrous materials.
　　


OIGEN Foundry CO.,LTD, established in 1852 during Edo period, is a cast iron manufacturer of Nambu Tekki since its foundation until present time. OIGEN develops multiple new products and striving for ever fresh iron-product in order to keep up with lifestyle variations. Recently OIGEN obtained a patent for “JOTOYAKI*”; a technique to raise oxide film steadily on iron surface, and developed an eco-friendly and most organic pan. Compared to standard Nambu Tekki the color is lighter gray. The pan, domestically called “Joto Fry pan”, or overseas “NakedPan”, conveys heart of traditional eco-friendly culture of Japan to the world.

*The anti-rust technique by oxide film was established 300 years ago in Nambu iron kettle.

【biz-seed】NANO PURE (nano silver)

Japan Ion Corp.
Antibacterial & Deodorizing Effect by Nano-sized Silver Powder

Silver is recently in the spotlight for its high antibacterial effect while harmless to human. Many of you may have seen silver ion* treated goods. Japan Ion is a pioneer in this area, using the power of silver for public facility hygiene management over 50 years. There are 28,000 hot spring sources, and the technology to install and maintain silver ion sterilization systems to cope with various spring qualities is something no other company can match.
The NANO PURE series is a new product line of nano silver** developed out of their long research on the key technology of silver ion. They prepare silver nano particles in the shape of powder or liquid, for easier utilization in new daily-goods development. It is usable as an alternative to ordinary antimicrobial / deodorizer in cosmetics, soap or textile goods like underwear or socks, also suitable for sterilizer-spray for kitchen items and pet products, safe and effective for a long time. Why not benefiting from Japan Ion and their silver power for your new product development replacing chemical antibacterial or deodorants?

*Silver Ion (Ag+). Charged Ag dissolved within a solvent.
**Nano Silver (Ag). Silver atomic assembled at nano level.

【biz-seed】Towels Weaved by Wind Power Only

Ikeuchi Towel Co., Ltd.
Towels weaved by Wind Power Only with Utmost Safety and Reliability

“Imabari” is a town known for textile production since EDO era. Ikeuchi Towel Co., ltd. is a towel producer with 25 employees based in Imabari since foundation 56 years ago. Starting off in towel-for-export business, they withdrew from overseas due to 1980’s depression. When the Japanese towel industry was suffering from cheap products pouring in from other Asian countries, they decided to pursue “quality” as their competitive advantage.
Aiming first priority “safety” and “quality”, they switched to organic materials, got ISO9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and were accredited the strictest class-1 of ECOTEX STANDARD in 2001. They also started to purchase green electricity certificates from 2002, which explains why the towels are called “Weaved by wind power only”.

In 2002, they appeared at the Home Textile Show in New York with the sensational display saying “Cotton should be Herbicides Free”. Won the Best New Product Award, distribution in USA at high-end interior shops was realized. Their success abroad came through to Japan, and since after Prime Minister Koizumi (then) mentioned about Ikeuchi Towel in his administrative policy speech, they enjoy a burst of popularity.
Good quality and durability is the most important for the environment. Accumulated trust under a motto “Utmost Reliability and Minimum Environmental Load” gained strong customers’ confidence!　　

【biz-seed】NOBORI Shopping Bag

Additional
Fashionably Re-use


ADditional is a brand managed by an eco-designer, Kayoko Yonaga, with the concept of “fashionably re-use.” She is creating eco-bags by reusing NOBORI, advertisement banners often seen waiving outside of stores in Japan. NOBORI is unique to Japan, with a shape different from orthodox flags-- a vertically long colorful cloth attached to a rod. Its origin is said to date back to the YAYOI period (BC10-AD3 century). Throughout the history of Japan, many types of NOBORI were made as marks to differentiate allies from enemies, with patterns or KANJI characters or family emblems printed.

Ms. Yonaga focused attention on the fact that NOBORI are disposed after a short advertising period, and started to gather pieces from shops to remake them into eco-bags by handiwork. She is integrating “Additional” value as a bag on the NOBORI “AD,” which is the origin of her brand name. The virtue of ADditional eco bags are that they use otherwise disposed NOBORI textile, resulting in waste reduction. Another aspect is the way of production. Since they are hand made, you can even ask for your own original made-to-order bag from the unique patterns.　Start a Stylish Eco-life with This Only One Eco-bag.

Don't Lose your Earrings

Do you have the experience of losing your pierce earrings because the post came off? Well, I do, and it is quite disappointing when there is only one side left and you can't use it anymore. Posts tend to get looser as time goes by, and it is difficult to find just the post that fits your earring.
Ms. Kikunaga, a 28 years old lady in Tokyo, came up with earrings posts that don't come off AND fits whatever kind of earring. She came up with the idea of "a post that doesn't come off" a few years ago, when her boyfriend became angry at her because she lost an earring that he gave her as a present. She drew the design of a post that can fit any diameter and strong, gaining a hint from mechanical pencils. After three years of development, finally she launched a earrings post in cooperation with 8 small companies from Nagano Pref. They all provide tiny tiny parts of the post, crystalizing in this 3mm piece of idea.

If you don't want to waste your earrings anymore by losing the post or one side, try out the Chrysmela post!

Chrysmela Catch
Sold within Japan
http://chrysmela-catch.com/

We are on TV :)

I was on "Business Entrepreneurs", an internet TV program hosted by itv-japan.com, as a guest of Mr. Dave Mori.
First time on TV, and it was a great experience. I actually enjoyed talking with Dave that I forgot about the camera...
The story was mainly about how / why we started this business, but you will also be able to get a glimpse of our magazine and some products that are on it.
Please take a look!

http://www.itv-japan.com/Business-Entrepreneurs.asp

KOMAWARI

KOMAWARI means:
1. ability to turn in a small turns (radius)
2. can adapt quickly to new circumstances because of small organization

The first meaning will apply for compact cars or bicycles. I'm not a driver with technique myself, so I always rent compact cars on vacations...
The second meaning is applied for companies or any kind of organization. KOMAWARI is realized because the organization is small, or has a smooth decision making process, or because everyone is looking in the same direction (or vision).
In the modern world, when things change so rapidly, KOMAWARI is the keyword to success. If you are an owner of a small company, keep it small... and enjoy its ability to turn in small turns.

Small is beautiful!

Lunch with Elaine Young

Elaine, the founder and designer of LABrynth, will be leaving Tokyo in the end of March. We've known eachother since last June, when she arrived in Japan.
She will be in our next issue of Ecotwaza Times, and we really want you to read the full article, of what she is trying to achieve. We had a small fare-well lunch on Friday.
She calls herself an "INITIATOR" rather than a fashion designer, because she is trying to initiate dialogues using her DNA jewelry as a tool (see the previous post to find out what it is). It is not coincidence that Elaine and I randomly started talking at a cafe in Omotesando because I was sitting next to her table and became interested in her artistic bag and jewelry catalogue. That was what her designe work is all about!

So a comment from Elaine about Tokyo...
“I’ve always been very comfortable and attracted to Tokyo ever since I first came here when I was 13. I think that the role aesthetics play in the rituals of Japanese culture historically and in modern lifestyle naturally attracts curious personalities – specifically those in the arts. And, as a result of this, I think I’ve gained a new appreciation for the role that aesthetics can play politically and socially. I’ve met numerous of inspiring people from all over the world during my stay – and am happy to say that I’m sure many of them will be life-long friends.”

Yes, I am pretty sure that our friendship will be life-long!
Good luck, and we will see eachother again... for sure!