In a society that prioritizes the manufacturing industry and promotes mass production and consumption, production efficiency comes before an object’s beauty. We defy this practice. Instead, we value the culture of kogei (authentic crafts) in which beautiful, quality products are used for a long time. Craftsmen use their exceptional skills to bring out materials’ distinctive characteristics, painstakingly turning the materials into products with specific users in mind. The users, sensing the craftsmen’s thoughts in the products, treat them with care and pass them on to the next generation. We are engaged in creative activities with a view toward a future where kogei culture is permeated throughout society.
The architecture of HOSOO FLAGSHIP STORE — the company’s headquarters located in Kyoto’s inner-city district — converges exceptional craftsmanships of individual craftsmen and brings out the potential of each material and technology. It is a “kogei architecture (architecture imbued with the spirit of authentic crafts)” that weaves together diverse materials into a three-dimensional beauty, an approach also integral to Nishijin textile.
GO ON is a project we initiated in 2012 with six other traditional kogei companies. It aims to implement the culture of kogei into society by revitalizing traditional kogei and finding its connection to art, design, and technology. We envision to realize a society where craftsmen can feel a more profound joy in making things with their hands. We also hope to inspire children to want to become a craftsman when they are older. The act of making things is joyous in itself, and we believe we must spread to the world the beauty of craftsmen’s work.
