“We Make, Not I Make”: The 140‑Year Craft of Kyoto’s Kaikado

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Founded in 1875 at the dawn of Japan’s “civilisation and enlightenment”, Kaikado still makes tea caddies using the same methods and tin as 140 years ago. In this conversation, sixth‑generation owner Takahiro Yagi reflects on inheritance, patina, and what it means to design for the next hundred years rather than the next season.

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Kaikado 開化堂 by AGNES' SELECT

The phrase “craftsmanship spirit” has, unfortunately, become a cliché, much like many other overused buzzwords that no longer help us distinguish the mediocre from the truly exceptional. Today, even the most unremarkable objects eagerly claim this label for self-promotion, with one troubling consequence: not only has the term itself lost credibility, but many people have also begun to question what a true “craftsman” really is.

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