This morning we left Kochi early and headed for Hida Takayama in Gifu Prefecture.
First, we went to Kashiwa Mokko, a furniture manufacturer.
This is a manufacturer that I also worked for at my previous workplace.
Photography was not allowed inside the factory, but we were greeted by a clean factory and energetic workers.
The next main event of the day is a trip to Kanemoku to choose materials for this year's toys.
The difference with the sawmill in Kochi is that it has access to a wide range of hardwoods.
Since he is a specialist in this field, when I told him how I wanted to use it,
The advice is also given from a professional perspective, so it is reliable.
Pure white horse chestnut wood. It looks like the color will be beautiful when made into a toy.
It seems that Hida Takayama has an abundance of horse chestnut trees.
As the sun started to go down in the evening, we headed to our final destination, Oak Village.
This company started as a small woodworking shop and now sells its products nationwide.
They are involved in various wood-related projects, including architecture, furniture, toys, and aromas.
It's one of the companies I want to aim for.
The staff are all craftsmen. Everyone is really polite and kind.
As we walked up the snowy road, a wooden-looking building came into view.
However, the car stopped before they reached their destination.
Even though I was wearing studded tires, I kept slipping and couldn't move forward, so in the end the staff helped me...
He said that he was suddenly causing trouble.
Then we changed to walking.
This wooden house from when the store was first established has a certain atmosphere.
There are about five houses, but this is a workshop.
However, each and every machine is well maintained, making it a factory that is worth emulating.
Original woodworking machines are used in a clever and innovative way.
Rather than relying solely on cutting-edge machinery,
It's amazing how much production capacity can be increased.
I would love to go back and apply what I've learned to my own company.