Redesigning traditional industries. It was under this theme that we met Mr. Kaito Kikuchi, the seventh generation of "OITOMI" for an online talk.
Nambu ironware, which began in the Heian period and has been handed down for 170 years under the protection of the Date clan.
We visited his workshop in Iwate to see the manufacturing process.

Molten iron is poured into a "sand mold" made of sand.
I was surprised because I had imagined something like a cement mold.
Each time, the sand mold is broken and removed, so they make a mold from sand every time.
If the body and lid are off by even 1mm, it will not fit together, so the craftsman's sense is everything. This is how they make them...!
I was amazed at how the technique is passed down from hand to hand.

The Swallow Pot, which won the 2021 Good Design Award, was designed in the late Showa period.
The water boils quickly because of the good heat conduction and the water is mild and tasty.
Boiling water in the Swallow Pot has become my daily routine.
I didn't cook at all, but recently I started using it to make my own food along with my doggy food.
It’s vegetable-based simple dish but delicious. I think the taste of hot water is important same as the ingredients and seasonings.
Because it’s iron, it’s heavy, but it can be used with Induction Heating and is simple to clean.
Pour out the hot water and open the lid while it’s still hot.

It’s enjoyable to use good things for a long time.
The world is moving toward convenience and ease, but is it right to keep buying new things and then throwing them away?
I hope that the daily enjoyment of using good products will support Japanese craftsmanship, and I hope it will spread.
To make you happy every time you use it, tamaki niime has created a set of "tetsuko" handle covers made of deer leather that can also be used as pot holders.
Please try one for yourself or as a gift. Your life will change from there.

Niime Tamaki

Changing the image of Nambu ironware, it’s designed in the late Showa period, it’s sleek and modern Swallow Pot.
The name comes from its swallow-like shape.
It has been out of production for a long time, but the 7th generation tweeted "It's strange that it was made in the Showa period and was not recognized by the world.”
And the tweet received as many as 40,000 "likes," and the product was reissued after more than 30 years.
Winner of the Good Design Award 2021.
Finished in wipe lacquer by Marusan Lacquer Ware Studio in Iwate, the lid has a wooden knob to make it easier to use and more beautiful.

In tamaki niime we created as a set of handle cover called “tetsuko” for hot handles that can also be used as a pot holder.
It’s our original which was made from deer leather that were hunted down in Taka-cho Hyogo Prefecture.
It’s said that water boiled in an iron pot becomes mellow and is ideal for iron replenishment.
Enjoy the pleasure of using good products in your daily life.