Making lacquerware was the first product development I did after joining the company.

After I, Haruhiko Asada, graduated from the Kyoto College of Traditional Crafts and the Yamanaka Lacquerware Industrial Technology Center, I joined Asada Shikki Kogei and the first product I developed was the [Plug Wood Plate], which is a pasta plate with a rim.

I had no idea what I needed to create to create a product that would sell, so I started with a simple motivation: I wanted to create a bowl that would go well with my favorite pasta and curry.

When we think of lacquerware, there are many traditional items such as bowls and trays, but at the time of development, there were few plates with rims, and this design was light and easy to use. I consulted with a woodturner to see if it would be easy to hold and hold, and it took two years to complete.

This vessel is made using Yokogidori, a lumbering method in which a round board is hollowed out.Obons and plates are basically finished using Yokogidori, which produces various wood grains and beautiful wood grains called moku. there is.

In 2018, we finished the rim part with metallic paint, which is cute even for the younger generation! Beautiful! This is a product that would make a great gift as a gift.

Youth is not bound by boundaries. ``I love pasta and curry, so I wanted to think of a bowl that would go well with it,'' he says, and his motivation is simple. However, if you are stuck within the established framework, you will not be able to come up with the idea of making Western tableware using lacquerware. A dining table, not a dining table. Pasta, fried rice, and salad instead of one soup and three dishes. ``Western lacquerware'' blends into the modern dining environment.

The pasta plate is made up of smooth curved shapes. We strived to make it as easy to use as possible, with features such as the "R" edge of the bead that fits comfortably in your hand, and the matte texture that brings out the sizzle of your food. The cup has comb-like lines. This is placed in the area where your middle finger hits when you place your hand on the table and hold it, which has the advantage of preventing it from slipping. The roundness of the spoon fits perfectly to the curve of the pasta plate, allowing you to enjoy eating until the last scoop.

“Easy-to-use designs are cool,” says Asada. The design was designed keeping in mind current living spaces and fashion trends, and the result is a versatile bowl that can accommodate any kind of cuisine. His creed is "coolness" that anyone can use comfortably.

 

(Quoted from Ishikawa Prefectural Design Center)

The first thing I tackled was a plate for pasta. In fact, during his training days at the training center, he had created the plate that would become the base. It was shaped like a salad bowl, with no rim (the brim around the edge of the plate) or a raised platform, but I was thinking about how to commercialize that image, and I approached the project sponsored by Ishikawa Prefecture. It was a ``proposal ability development course''.

In the course, we first learned the framework of product creation, such as concepts and targets. Managing Director Asada learned the golden rule that instead of thinking about who to sell to after making something, you should first think about what kind of people you would appeal to and get them to buy. I started working on a prototype.

First, make a rough sketch into a design and draw it up to actual size on graph paper. Based on this, we have a woodturner saw the bare wood, check the shape, and make subtle adjustments. This process was repeated, but along the way we had to review the fundamental design, including its shape and size, many times.

The first design was a large plate with a diameter of about 30 cm including the rim, and the rim had a raised edge. Following the advice of the designer, who said, ``It's too big, it's difficult to use, and it doesn't have a good design,'' the next prototype was made a little smaller at 24cm in diameter. The rim part is about 5cm wide, making it slightly wider. Although the plate was stylish, the center part for serving pasta and other dishes was too small, making it unsuitable for everyday use. ``Something is wrong...'' I thought to myself the third time, and continued to worry and repeat trial and error.

What we paid particular attention to was the thinness of the edges. In the end, we did not compromise until we reached 5mm, and together with the woodturner, we were able to create a plate that we were satisfied with. The current shape is 24cm in diameter, 3.5cm in height, 4cm in rim, and weighs only 150g.

It's not just the design that has been improved. When you hold it in your hand, we changed the outer part of the hill from a gentle curve to a sharp curve with an angle, which affects how easy it is to hold. We continued to improve the product from both its beauty and practicality, such as making it easier to hold. After much struggle, Managing Director Asada commercialized the wood plate, which was announced and released as the new face of the company.

We received high praise from many people, such as ``It's innovative,'' ``It's extremely light,'' and ``It's amazing that it's made of wood!'' This lightness and thinness is also a skill achieved by woodworkers.

Quoted from Monthly Chamber of Commerce, October 2016 issue, P33-35, Publisher: National Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Masterpiece Story GOOD PRODUCT STORY vol.5 Asada Lacquerware Crafts Co., Ltd. (Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture)

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