Ginryoku Teaware／#About Us
I. Actions Guided by Materials
British-made antique furniture can still be used even after more than a hundred years. Take it apart, tune it up, and reapply beeswax, and it quietly regains its luster. What’s there is the memory of a culture of “repair and use.”
The Shimakuradō hammered copperware*1 milk pan*2 that I’ve used and loved for years is the same. After continuing to use it for 30 years, when scorch marks had built up and the tin lining inside had worn down, I sent it to the maker. They carefully re-tinned it and polished the surface until it looked like new, then sent it back to me. Like an old friend you’ve reunited with, it returns to everyday life once again.
By properly engaging with materials, you come to feel that “tools aren’t disposable; they become something you stay in relationship with.” This sensibility is one of the core ideas at the root of Ginryoku Teaware.
II. Actions Triggered by Products
When I put on Edward Green*3 double monks*5 “Westminster”*6, I naturally straighten my posture. On snowy days, the sound of hunting shoes crunching into snow feels satisfying. On travel mornings, when I pull my RIMOWA*7 suitcase, adventure begins.
Good products have the power to move people. It’s not only about function and beauty; I believe it’s the power to “trigger” actions and emotions.
Ginryoku Teaware’s tools, too, aim to turn the act of “making tea” into a slightly more special time. A small tea bag stand on the desk, a silver lid that doesn’t let heat escape. In each and every form like these, we embed design that changes behavior.
III. What Design Is
Even more than fully bespoke shoes fitted to my own feet, I find the famed Edward Green last 808*8—an industrial product—more beautiful. The Jaguar Mark II*9, the Tyrrell*10 racing car “Tyrrell P34,” the Supermarine Walrus*11 used by the Royal Navy as an amphibious reconnaissance aircraft. What they all share is a beauty that lies beyond refined function.
Ginryoku Teaware likewise values forms born from function rather than ornament. When you touch it, when it catches the light, it changes the user’s actions just a little. I think that the accumulation of those tiny changes brings richness to everyday life.
IV. Between Art and Crafts
Art conveys ideas. Crafts dissolve ideas into daily life.
They are completed by being used, and they come to wear time through being repaired. I believe it’s precisely this “unfinished beauty” dwelling in the process that is the appeal of craft.
What Ginryoku Teaware aims for is not tools that are talked about like art, but something that gradually deepens its relationship with people within everyday life. Repairable materials, behavior-inviting design, and a structure that can stay close to you for a long time—an equilibrium of those three is the ideal.
V. Making, and Nurturing
“Nigiri-ishi Dharma”*4, which we once made, was also born from that kind of feeling. Just by holding it in the palm of your hand, your thoughts come together and you feel calm—it was a small tool to keep reassurance close at hand.
Ginryoku Teaware is an extension of that. Materials that can be nurtured, design that functions beautifully, and a structure that grows more beloved the longer you use it.
Crafts are not about “owning,” but about “nurturing.” Through tea time, I want to quietly bring that sensibility back to the present once again.
Notes
*1 Hammered copperware: A traditional Japanese technique in which copper sheet is raised and formed by hammering with a metal hammer. It has been passed down in places such as Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture.
*2 Shimakuradō: A copperware manufacturer in Tokyo. A long-established maker that also offers repair services, characterized by craft-based support premised on long-term use, such as re-tinning.
*3 Edward Green: A British shoe brand founded in 1890. It is globally acclaimed for its fusion of industrial beauty and craftsmanship.
*4 Nigiri-ishi Dharma: A product by Museo Factory. A hand-grip-shaped object made using silver, created with the theme of “reassurance in the hand.”
*5 Double monk: A style of leather shoe with two buckles. While more formal than lace-up shoes, it combines ease of putting on and taking off with a strong presence.
*6 Westminster: The model name of Edward Green’s signature double monk strap shoes. A dignified name evoking the UK Parliament.
*7 RIMOWA: A German luxury suitcase brand founded in 1898. Known for robust, functional designs made from aluminum and polycarbonate.
*8 808: Edward Green’s last (shoe mold) number. With a slim, elegant silhouette, it symbolizes the brand’s aesthetic standard.
*9 Jaguar Mark II: A British Jaguar luxury sedan manufactured from 1959 to 1967. A renowned car that combines flowing body lines with high performance.
*10 Tyrrell: An F1 constructor active from 1970 to 1998. Known for innovative designs such as the six-wheeled P34.
*11 Supermarine Walrus: A British Royal Navy amphibious reconnaissance aircraft that first flew in 1933. A biplane that launched from shipborne catapults and was used for sea rescue and reconnaissance missions. Characterized by a rugged design focused on functionality.