This time we visit Aichi Prefecture, a national hub with connections that stretch east and west across Japan. A focal point for culture and technology from other regions, Aichi has developed its own unique culture. Explore deeply original traditional foods, astonishingly precise mechanical dolls and a cocktail shaker born from the processing technology used to manufacture car parts. Join us on a design hunt in Aichi where exceptional traditional skills are paired with flexible creativity to shape wonderfully original designs.
We're going on a design hunt to track down unique, regional designs around Japan.
This time we're in Aichi prefecture, which sits between Tokyo and Osaka.
It has its own rather unique customs.
Like spreading traditional sweet bean paste on toast.
There's a lot of love for local food design called "Nagoya Meshi."
That looks delicious!
This dark, rich miso is unique to this region.
Aichi is also home to some of the world's top car manufacturers,
as well as many skilled aerospace and robotics engineering firms.
Its history is filled with traditional craftsmanship.
That is a true masterpiece.
Bold, yet delicate, old and new: join us on a design hunt for Aichi designs!
Our first stop is the city of Okazaki.
Okazaki Castle was the birthplace of renowned shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who forged nationwide peace in the 17th century.
At the foot of the castle is the Hatcho neighborhood.
For nearly 400 years, the people here have made a unique kind of "miso," that was apparently a favorite of Ieyasu's.
What a beautiful traditional architecture.
This must be the miso storehouse.
Those must be the ventilation.
I think they're in there for fermenting the miso.
So this is very beautiful, wow!
The miso is made with a special technique inside this storehouse.
Miso is a fermented food that's a core part of Japanese cuisine.
It's generally made from soybeans, "koji," and salt.
Koji is created by growing a specific kind of mold on rice or wheat.
There's a dizzying variety of miso flavors and colors, depending on their origin.
But the miso made here is especially dark.
Neither rice nor wheat is used.
Instead, koji spores are grown directly on the soybeans.
Considered the forerunner of all other Japanese miso, the result is a very rich, slightly bitter and acidic flavor.
Two manufacturers, situated right across the road from one another, have preserved traditional miso-making techniques here for centuries.
- Asai-san? Hello!
- Welcome, Andy!
It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Thank you for coming.
- I can't wait to explore!
The firm is headed by Asai Nobutaro, an innovator who's pushing to raise the profile of their unique miso around the world.
Time for a tour!
- Here we are.
- Yes, this is a storehouse.
We have a lot of vats.
- They're quite close.
- That's right.
Just look at the size of them!
Each contains over six tons of miso.
- Six tons!
- That's right.
Miso is made by fungi.
- This is a treasure house of microbes.
- It must be, yes.
We've used these premises
for centuries.
Generations of microbes have
lived here, making new spores.
That's what determines
the flavor of our miso.
These huge cedar vats are home to the microbes that make fermentation possible.
They've been used for centuries.
They sit atop raw earth, surrounded by traditional earthen walls.
The wood and earth help to maintain a consistent temperature...
providing a comfortable environment for microbes, without the need for modern heating or cooling.
But I'm curious about these heaps of rocks.
They just go on forever!
This is a centuries-old technique.
There's probably about 500 stones on each.
What an extraordinary sight.
The regular miso most of us
know isn't made like this, is it?
- No, it's softer.
- I thought so.
- Our miso is firm.
- Firm?
We only use a little water.
Piling up stones helps that small amount
of water rise to the surface.
This water has to permeate the entire vat.
Having three tons of stone pressing down from above helps this process along, encouraging fermentation throughout the mixture.
Those three tons of stones are all placed by hand.
The stones were originally brought here from a riverbed by earlier generations of workers.
It takes four hours to pile them up.
The fermentation process changes with the seasons.
In the summer, the lid and stones rise dozens of centimeters with an audible noise, and fall back down in the winter.
It's vital that the stones are carefully balanced to account for this, and of course for Japan's many small earthquakes.
Someji Ichiro has been stacking stones for 23 years.
How long does it take to master?
About ten years.
Progress is a bumpy road.
Two steps forward and one step back.
Choosing the right stones must be key.
Here we heap the stones in a circle.
That requires these outer stones to be
angled inwards toward the center.
The inside stones support
the weight of the outer ones.
They're all different shapes.
We talk about "showing" their faces.
That's quite a process.
- It's hard?
- Yes, it takes a long time.
- Angled inward.
- Yes.
Perfect fit!
- How long have you worked together?
- He's in his fourth year.
He looks very competent!
- Well, we'll see!
- Too early to say!
- Still a way to go.
- A long way!
We inherited these skills from
earlier generations.
He'll eventually do the same.
I hope it will continue.
There's real love in the work.
Hard work and the power of nature coming together to make this wonderful miso.
When it's ready, it's time to break out the shovel!
Instead of using machinery to empty the tubs, the team stays hands-on till the very end.
The microbes are invisible.
But humans and microbes all
work together on this miso.
If we treat it well, it responds well.
If we don't, it won't.
My biggest focus as president is to
ensure my staff love their work.
If they love our miso like family,
then we'll make good miso.
A miso that embodies the dedication of its makers.
I'm going to pay a visit to a restaurant that I hope will give me a taste of that dedication.
This is "miso oden," the soul food of Aichi.
Beef and vegetables, simmered in a miso sauce.
- Here you are.
- Thank you!
What a portion!
Here goes.
It's good!
This is delicious.
Would you say Nagoya is synonymous
with this color and flavor?
Nagoya is miso.
Usually you mustn't boil miso.
But the longer you cook this miso
the better it tastes.
Interesting.
It's reminiscent of a French demi-glace sauce, but the taste is unmistakably miso!
Aichi is also a manufacturing hub.
The city of Toyota is home to one of the world's largest auto makers, and many other high-tech companies.
This company makes parts for car seats.
It boasts exceptional skill in metal processing.
They've actually taken that craftsmanship, and put it to use somewhere rather unexpected.
- Yokoyama-san?
- Yes.
Hi, I'm Andy.
Product Planning Manager, Yokoyama Tetsuya.
So this is it.
- Our cocktail shaker.
- It's very beautiful.
From auto parts, to cocktail shakers.
The unique features built into this shaker took bartenders around the world by surprise.
The fluid form and large lid are similar in shape to a rugby ball.
Surprisingly, no one in the industry had ever attempted a redesign of the classic cocktail shaker.
By eliminating the "shoulder" of the standard design, Yokoyama's version allows for smoother mixing.
There's even more going on inside the shaker.
And professional bartenders have fallen hard for the new design.
The sound is totally different.
With the right motion
the liquid spins on its own.
It takes no effort.
Truly extraordinary.
So what is an auto parts manufacturer doing making cocktail shakers?
It's so unexpected!
Why did you turn to
this particular product?
We have a unique technique
for honing and polishing metal.
So I started looking for items
that could be improved by that process.
We tried all kinds of things.
But I'm a bit of a barfly.
- You enjoy a drink?
- I do!
I thought polishing the inside
of a shaker might be interesting.
So we tested one and made a cocktail.
The shift in flavor was night and day!
Shaking mixes, cools, and adds air
to its contents.
This improves the texture.
The biggest difference after
polishing is the amount of air.
Yokoyama turned his attention to the niche polishing techniques used to maintain the firm's machines, not its products.
It's work that requires the skills of an artisan.
Yokoyama applied the idea to a cocktail shaker,
using tools of various roughness to polish by hand.
To prevent stressing the liquid, the shaker's polished vertically, in the direction it's shaken.
The secret lies in not making the surface perfectly smooth.
Leaving tiny ridges allows the liquid to absorb smaller particles of air, smoothing out the flavor.
But does it really taste that different?
Well, let's see what Andy thinks.
Yokoyama produces three prototype shakers, each polished to a different degree.
The first is only 10% polished.
He makes the same cocktail in each.
Gin and lime juice: an unsweetened gimlet.
And about the same volume of ice.
20 shakes.
This is 10% polished.
Okay.
Oh, it's good.
- Already?
- Yes.
I'm glad!
Next, 50%.
The extra air makes it a little cloudier.
Can you see?
Oh yes, you're right.
50%, let's try it.
Oh, it's different!
And, back to the 10%!
Totally different!
A different liquid.
It's so smooth!
It's all about the fineness of
the air bubbles trapped inside.
Finally, it's time to try the finished shaker.
It's so good...
Incredibly different.
It's so smooth and gentle.
Really delicious.
I can't believe how much of a
difference polishing makes.
So this is the true flavor of a gimlet?
I have so many questions!
We wanted to provide people
with more options.
A chef uses different knives
for sashimi and meat.
Sure.
A bartender only has one tool,
but makes so many different flavors.
We think of it as providing
a new, very effective tool.
Aichi is home to so much expertise.
The car industry is undergoing
some very rapid changes.
The next decade will be a turning point
for the industry, I think.
Aichi manufacturing is truly world-class.
The roots of Aichi's manufacturing expertise live on in capital Nagoya.
Good morning, how are you?
- I'm Tamaya, hello.
- A pleasure.
Tamaya Shobei is the ninth-generation head of a 280-year-old mechanical doll workshop.
- What is that for?
- A tea-serving doll.
Oh wow, I see.
Invented back in the 1600s, the tea-serving doll is a famous example of a Japanese automaton.
It turns around after the length of one tatami mat.
The weight of the cup acts as a switch.
It was a toy for wealthy households...
and very stylish way to greet guests!
It's made almost entirely of wood: seven different types, chosen for their various properties.
The doll was recreated by Tamaya's father, the seventh Tamaya Shobei, based entirely off plans found in a centuries-old book.
Tamaya is currently busy piecing together some parts he's made.
The stick and wheel control the speed.
I see.
The spring is very powerful.
But the doll must move at
a uniform speed without spilling.
- Over bumpy tatami!
- Exactly.
The stick is ebony, a heavy wood.
Perfect for a pendulum.
The thinner it is,
the faster the doll moves.
Interesting.
But the guest must
be able to pick up the tea.
It has to be so precise!
Oh, that's how it moves!
Without the pendulum, it moves freely.
It would take off across the room.
Spilling tea everywhere!
A mechanical doll maker must be both a seasoned woodcraftsman and a talented engineer, with the expressive skills of a Noh mask carver.
Dolls from the 19th century are considered the pinnacle of the craft.
Tamaya has successfully recreated one.
The complex mechanism in the box causes the archer to fire four arrows in sequence.
There's a touch of humor in the child, who seems to be turning the mechanism.
It opens like this.
A little doll here.
This is incredible!
It's all clockwork.
Here.
He's turning it.
Oh wow!
Look at that.
The little head tilt too!
What delicate movements.
What's astonishing is how
the right hand lowers.
- And the thumb closes.
- Oh yes!
He gives a little nod.
Yes, I see it.
He stares at the target.
Takes aim.
The doll picks up the arrow
and strings it before firing.
Seeing it in real life
is giving me chills!
I totally understand why
this is considered a masterpiece.
I could watch this for hours! What astonishing skill!
So why has the expertise for making mechanical dolls survived here?
One reason is the popularity of float festivals in Aichi.
Many towns build their own floats.
And on top?
A mechanical doll.
Each local deity is offered a mechanical performance as a gift.
These dolls are decades old, and deeply rooted in local culture.
Aichi alone has over 400 floats.
So many!
A third have mechanical dolls.
My family is the only one still
making them since the 18th century.
We began with floats.
Tamaya's history began in
those float automatons.
For generations, the Tamaya family has made float automatons.
Tamaya himself was a third son.
His oldest brother took the name Tamaya Shobei VIII, but died young of illness.
The name fell to the current Tamaya Shobei.
My father said, 'Make them so
they return for repairs in 200 years.'
- Truly farsighted!
- Indeed.
- Have you made such repairs?
- I have.
I've repaired dolls made by
the 2nd and 3rd Tamaya Shobeis.
One Tamaya did exceptional work,
the sixth was gifted at carving faces.
You discover all that?
The hardest thing is training myself
to live up to their legacy.
It's an important job that carries the weight of local history and culture.
The dolls use seven strings to move.
Held in one hand, it turns left,
and also right.
Incredible.
'Hello, Andy-san!'
Such delicate movements!
There must be expert puppeteers, too.
Oh yes, the towns have their doll masters.
A float will have someone to steer,
to play music, and for the doll.
Each person has a role.
It's ranked. You begin by steering,
then music, finally a puppeteer.
You need to know it all to do this.
To know when and how to move it.
Of course, yes.
Would you like to try?
It's a training doll.
I'd like to turn the face.
Like this? It's not easy!
They must train to make the movements smooth.
To make them as human as possible.
Our conversation today
was truly fascinating.
It seems all of this is rooted in
local festivals and local people.
Very true.
- Will all this continue?
- Oh, yes. Festivals always survive.
They're a thank-you to the local
temple or shrine for the past year.
The local deity rides the float
with the doll and tours the town.
It's the heart of Japanese culture.
Neither the festival nor the doll
will change with the years.
- I've really enjoyed meeting you.
- I'm glad.
- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.
Tamaya observed the work of his father and brother before him.
Now, it's his son's turn.
The people of Aichi carefully pass down their wonderful designs, that can only be made by hand.
I was charmed by every one.