Not just hanko
I stumbled upon a fabulous hanko shop in Osaka, just steps from the moth of Osaka castle.
Of course, I love traditional craftsmen and their ateliers, the air filled with history and the romantic scent of a lost world.
But this time it is different and it is even more uplifting.
Mr. Mitamura established this atelier some 30 years ago and although he has the skill of a sculptor, he calls himself “hanko designer”.
The reason his seals (made in wood, horn or marble) are so beautiful is not just because of his manual ability and mastery of the chisels.
His secret is the preparatory design that he conceives, brushes up, and after proposing 2-3 alternative versions to the client realizes with the quintessential tradition of the Japanese craftsman: where art and technique become one.
I would heartily recommend Mr. Mitamura (and his wife Kyoko) not just to realize Japanese seals but also to design logomarks, prints for fabric or other media, in any size (once the design is drafted it can be enlarged or reduced in size)
Also their homepage mitamura-inshouten.com is lovely laid out and is in English so no further comment is necessary from my side!
Enjoy!
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