Fukushima natural lacquer metal spray aircraft interior
Through the combination of traditional Aizu Urushi (Japanese lacquer) skills and uniform metal spraying technology with accuracy measured in units of grams, Sakamoto Urushi Manufacturing Company developed a surface treatment technology for FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) materials that provides both a fireproofing function and aesthetic appearance. Their products comply with the aircraft fireproofing standards stipulated by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and have been used for the first-class seats aboard aircraft operated by Japan Airlines (Boeing 747 and 777). In addition, the company also offers a wide range of products made of various industrial materials on which urushi paint is applied.
Their high technology and sophisticated design are highly evaluated both within Japan and abroad, and thus they have firmly established a position as being a trendsetting manufacturer who utilizes the skills of traditional industries.
Sakamoto Urushi Manufacturing Co., Ltd. http://www.eyes-japan.co.jp/
Established in 1900. The company became known as a long-established wholesaler of urushi (Japanese lacquer) products as well as urushi refiner. In 1978, Mr. Asao Sakamoto became the company’s third president, and changed the company’s business from wholesaling to the production of unique products. In time, their urushi works gained worldwide popularity, some of which are included in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art, and the company has been awarded many prizes such as the Design Plus Award at International Frankfurter Messe. The top management executives of many world-famous manufacturers have visited the company’s main office to order limited-production products.
Aircraft seat made of fiber-reinforced plastic (left) and machine for precision metal spraying in units of grams (right)
Undiluted solution taken from the urushi plant
Urushi is purified in a special Kurome Bachi (“urushi jar”) that has been used for more than a century.
Urushi may conjure up images of beautiful wood handicrafts such as soup bowls or multi-layered food boxes. Mr. Sakamoto is the one who expanded the world of urushi art by applying it to the latest industrial products and maximizing the material characteristics of urushi paint.
“Our production of aircraft seats began as follows: First, we received orders for an urushi finish for a limited line of certain car models. The design became extremely popular and was adopted as a standard feature of a new model. Until then, we received orders for 20 to 50 vehicles a month, but it suddenly increased to 1,200 a month. However, the sales of a new model tend to be most active right after the model is released, and gradually declines over the passage of time. Thereafter, the capacity of the production facility and the labor force necessary for full production are no longer fully utilized. This poses a serious setback for small companies like us. We decided that we wouldn’t receive any more mass production orders for automobiles (laughingly). However, we wanted to capitalize on the technology and experience that we have acquired by applying that technology and experience to other fields. The fact that the first-class seats aboard aircraft were not mass-produced proved to be a blessing. Moreover, it proved to be the only job I ever solicited through my sales promotion activities, which I had never attempted before or since.”
In 1996, the company’s urushi technology was employed for the unique silver finish design of the interior of first-class passenger compartments. Four years later, however, they were confronted with a new problem posed by upgrading of the seats. They now were required to develop a surface treatment technology for 3-D honeycomb FRP materials, which are completely different from conventional flat metal materials. Although the company was given three years for its previous development, they were only allotted one year for this new development.
“The air pressure is 1 atm on the ground but 0.7 atm in the air. Even the minutest bubbles or unevenness in the surface treatment must withstand the repeated changes in air pressure, as well as the thousands of times that an aircraft takes off and lands during its service life. The first-class passenger compartment is located toward the nose of the pointed-shape fuselage, thus entailing a slightly different seat shape and size to fit in such a compartment. The painting that is uniformly conducted on a complex, 3-D shape requires exactly the same precise painting skills that we have acquired in the handicraft of urushi art.”
Mr. Sakamoto carried his favorite suitcase with urushi samples painted using a similar painting method and flew repeatedly between Fukushima and Okinawa to subject the samples to actual in-flight testing. After a repeated process of trial and error, his product was officially adopted one year later. The basis for his conviction of “sure success” was the accomplishment and experience in handling a variety of products, as well as his passion.
The company has no sales representatives. This is because Mr. Sakamoto made a drastic change in management policy when he took over his wife’s family business of wholesaling urushi products 28 years ago.
“The wholesaling business that focuses on sales volume was not compatible with my temperament. Conversely, one cannot hope to acquire the traditional craftsman skills necessary for authentic urushi art, even if spending the rest of your life on it. Thus, I thought about starting my own new business by concentrating on products that I could develop from start to finish. The baffled employees chose to become independent, happily taking our longtime customers with them. Though this approach was difficult from a management standpoint, I was not tied up with any tradition as a young president (laughingly). I made up my mind to create what I really wanted to create: something that no one else could do.”
The unique urushi works utilizing the material characteristics of urushi and its traditional painting techniques were first highly regarded abroad, and then were reverse-imported to Japan. The company’s urushi painting technology has been applied to fountain pens, cameras, audio equipment, home appliances, interior designs, religious objects, mobile phones, automobiles, aircraft, and many other products. Mr. Sakamoto himself designs the painting patterns of all products except for accessories. “Designing is my hobby, and I make money from it,” he says smilingly. However, his hobby is not just a simple hobby. The camera is a good example of illustrating just how deeply he is involved in that hobby. Upon receiving an order, he first purchases all models of that line of camera, and then uses them to the fullest extent possible. He overhauls the models, checks the materials used for parts, and then reassembles the models to learn about the various mechanisms employed. He also learns how to use the cameras as used by professional photographers.
Only after doing all this does he think about the functions and designs that please him, and then materializes them into a shape having both functionality and beauty.
“The one who orders the work is impressed about how much I know about the product, and then readily agrees to let me do the job. It is important to immerse yourself in a product until you acquire an in-depth knowledge about it. It is not just painting urushi on a product. Upon receiving an order for interior painting from Rolls-Royce, they told me that Japan is very good at the division of labor, part by part. But products made using such a method don’t satisfy their customers in Europe and the United States who are well acquainted with real value. I was requested to design the interior as if it is completed only by one man who knew all the details of car designing rather than through division of labor.”
If you make a product that you would want to buy yourself, it will certainly sell. You need to make the kind of products that you like so much that you don’t actually want to sell them. This is Mr. Sakamoto’s way.
“In the world, there are people who share your same values and tastes. If your products are not popular, perhaps they reflect a lack of maturity. Japan is capable of making products of the highest quality and which are recognized as such worldwide. It doesn’t matter if you are a small or medium-size business. You can impress your customers. Isn’t that exciting? That leads to the next job order.”
Mr. Sakamoto’s hobby of designing has not reached its limits at all, just like urushi art.
Page Top
