CHUSHIN NO KOBO

CHUSHIN No KOBO STUDIO

Masuda Hisanori opened his studio in Yamagata in 1997 with the belief that the Japanese traditional crafts are innovative rather old-fashioned, and they should be integrated into everyday life to make it more enjoyable at any time. No matter how people’s lifestyle changes from time to time, the traditional crafts should accommodate it to keep the tradition alive.

Masuda Hisanori

Founder/Designer

Masuda Hisanori was born in 1949 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. He studied Fine Arts and Design at the Musashino University of Art in Tokyo under Prof. Yoshitake Mosuke. Prof. Yoshitake is the person who successfully blended the aspect of design into the old-style traditional iron casting for the first time.

After graduation, he successfully got involved with the Design Development Project for Regional Industries led by the Japanese Government in 1970s as an assistant of Prof. Yoshitake for 5 years. He then moved to Yamagata where there is more than 1000 years of history of metal casting. He gained the traditional techniques and knowledge under the artisans of Chagama, a metal pot or kettle used in the Japanese tea ceremony for over 20 years and designed more than 600 items during that time.

His design and works are based on the traditional knowledge and techniques with a contemporary twist yet elegant and timeless.