DAI MAKERS ARCHIVES
INOMOTO-SAN
Mr. Inomoto's shop is in Sanjo, Niigata prefecture.
Inomoto-san grew up in a dai making family has
been a working professional dai-ya since he was 15
years old, his entire adult life.
been a working professional dai-ya since he was 15
years old, his entire adult life.
As a young man working in his fathers shop he said
that the competition to get contracts for making dai
was very stiff. In those times because the foundries
were so busy there were over 300 dai-ya in the
Niigata area.
that the competition to get contracts for making dai
was very stiff. In those times because the foundries
were so busy there were over 300 dai-ya in the
Niigata area.
All of the dai-ya in his fathers shop, he said, had to
be very fast and accurate to keep their prices down
so they could compete with the other dai shops.
be very fast and accurate to keep their prices down
so they could compete with the other dai shops.
I watched him measure, cut and finish a white oak
dai in 25 minutes. He claims is it a 2 hour process,
but in any case he is a fury of a worker. The photo to
the right shows one of his drying rooms complexes.
dai in 25 minutes. He claims is it a 2 hour process,
but in any case he is a fury of a worker. The photo to
the right shows one of his drying rooms complexes.
Inomoto-san has in stock about 30,000 blocks, or 10
years worth of oak blocks drying in sequences.
Inomoto-san says he air dries his wood 6 years
before making it up into dai.
years worth of oak blocks drying in sequences.
Inomoto-san says he air dries his wood 6 years
before making it up into dai.
INOSHI
HON (Boar
origin)
HON (Boar
origin)
Front of
Usui kanna
w/Inomoto
dai
Usui kanna
w/Inomoto
dai
Wall
of
Tools
of
Tools
Foot
operate
d vise
for
holding
wood
dai
block
operate
d vise
for
holding
wood
dai
block
Inomot
o with
student
o with
student
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