Narration: Kensuke Ishii (craftsman and technical instructor)
Series: "Thoughts Passed Down"
Episode 1 – Portrait of Founder Takamasa Komiya –
Episode 2 – Meeting with the second-generation president, Takeshi Komiya –
Episode 3 – In a rapidly changing market, "Komiya Shoten's Western-style umbrellas" take shape -
As I mentioned last time , I joined Komiya Shoten and began working under Takeshi Komiya in 1974.
In the 1970s, the number of employees began to increase little by little, and the company grew to seven people, including executives.
Komiya Shoten has changed from a privately owned store to a company, and the "New Komiyamaru", led by second-generation owner Takeshi Komiya, has embarked on a new journey towards further growth.
Second generation president: Takeshi Komiya
While we were streamlining our internal organizational structure, the domestic market was also changing rapidly.
While sales at umbrella specialty stores dropped sharply, sales at footwear stores in Ginza such as Komatsuya and Awaya grew steadily. As they shifted their target from retail stores to mass merchandisers, they focused on cultivating the market for more fashionable men's clothing.
To achieve this, it was necessary to create an authentic Western-style umbrella with meticulous attention to detail.
The home of umbrellas is England. And the true essence of the umbrella is the men's umbrella, called the "bat umbrella", which is particular about the silhouette. It is a stylish umbrella with a deeper tension than the umbrellas we had made up until then, and is slimmer when folded. It was very important that the tension was beautiful.
After much trial and error, we arrived at this
If the fabric was pulled too tight in an attempt to achieve the right tension, the umbrella would become difficult to use, so adjusting the tension was a very difficult task.
Through repeated trial and error, the craftsmen were able to adjust the curve of the wooden mold used when cutting the fabric, and thereby create umbrellas that had a beautiful silhouette and were also easy to use.
Katsumi Sugasawa, a craftsman who would later become a traditional craftsman
Since its founding, Komiya Shoten has pursued the beauty of style in Japanese umbrella making, such as "dabo-maki", where the joints of the ribs are wrapped in cloth, and "rokuromaki", where the parts where the ribs are bundled are wrapped in fabric. The beauty of the silhouette and ease of use were added to this, and the current style of "Komiya Shoten's Western umbrellas" was created.
Around this time, we formed a cooperative relationship with Kojima Shoten in Yokohama, a store that shared the same passions as us.
The owner of Kojima Shoten, Kojima Shoji, is a master craftsman who follows in the footsteps of "Isekan," an umbrella specialty store in Motomachi, Yokohama, and is known for his unrivaled attention to creating beautiful silhouettes with unique shapes.
Around 1985, following Mr. Kojima's retirement, Komiya Shoten's craftsmen took over the production of umbrellas for Maruzen and Shinanoya. Inspired by brands that pursued high-quality men's fashion styles, Komiya Shoten's umbrellas became even more sophisticated.
Kensuke Ishii talks about the history of Komiya Shoten
Series: "Thoughts Passed Down"
Episode 1 – Portrait of Founder Takamasa Komiya –
Episode 2 – Meeting with the second-generation president, Takeshi Komiya –
Episode 3 – In a rapidly changing market, "Komiya Shoten's Western-style umbrellas" take shape -
