Official

According to Ikeda, Namiki Seisakusho, the predecessor of the pilot corporation, was founded in 1918, when Japan was advancing modernization at a rapid pace with the goal of Western advanced countries. The founders were Ryosuke Namiki and Masao Wada, two sailors who had found great potential overseas. With a strong desire to become a pioneer in the industry and a pilot, the first pen of the product was named "pilot" and it became the current company name.

The time goes back a little and two are student days. Both of them are from Tokyo Shosen School (later Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology). The meeting between the two was when Mr. Wada boarded the Ariake Maru, where Mr. Namiki was the director of the organization. The two met each other through a shared life for more than half a year on board, enthusiastically talked about their future dreams, saying, "I want to send something that can be proud of the world from Japan someday."

In 1906 (Meiji 39), Mr. Namiki, who got off the ship, was greeted by a professor at his alma mater. In addition to his teaching position, he conducted research on the prevention of wear at the tip of Karasuguchi (special writing instruments used for drawing) used to guide drawing, and to the production of gold pens that applied it. After that, Mr. Namiki quit his professor and devoted himself to the research and development of gold pens, but through a series of trial and error, the funds were bottomed out, and Mr. Wada worked on it.

3:00 p.m. on February 9, 1916 (Daisho 5). At this time, history moves. Finally, a purely domestic 14 gold pen is completed. As a result, Mr. Namiki decided to establish a full-fledged fountain pen company. Mr. Wada also quit the business he was doing and decided to spend his life on the fountain pen business.

It was a very nice episode, and I listened to the story like eating.

According to Ikeda, "ebonite", a material that combines sulfur and rubber, was commonly used as a shaft material for fountain pens. Over time, Ebonite had the disadvantage of discoloration and glossing of the surface due to ultraviolet rays and moisture. In order to make up for these weaknesses, Japan has developed a surface treatment technology called Laccanite, focusing on lacquer, a world-class paint that is proud of. Laccanite was the first in the world to obtain a patent in Japan and the United States in 1925 (Daisho 14) as a surface treatment method to prevent discoloration of ebonite with lacquer. In addition, by applying lacquerware, a traditional Japanese craft, on the processing of Rakkanite, it was decided to start producing lacquer fountain pens with beautiful decorations representing Japan.

By the way, what is "Maki-e"?

It is said that the origin of the lacquer work was "Makinru" in the pods of Tang Tachi (Kingindenso Tang Tachi / Kingindenkazari no Karatachi) in Shosoin, Nara period. I am. "Send gold pallet" is a lacquer that draws and fixes a pattern with gold powder or silver powder, then paints lacquer and sharpens it with charcoal. It is made with almost the same technique as "Togidashi Makie", which has been handed down to modern times. Later, in the Heian period, various maki-e techniques were born. It was liked by aristocratics and became used as furniture furniture. Furthermore, it has been used as the interior of the temple, and what is drawn has changed to Japanese style such as Sho-chiku-bai. The Byodoin Phoenix Hall in Uji, Kyoto, and the Golden Hall of Chuson-ji Temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate are typical of these.

The traditional technique of "Makie" will be generously used for decoration of fountain pens. In today's era, there is only awe in the wisdom and effort of our predecessors that we were doing innovations that might be called "fountain pen 2.0" 100 years ago.

According to Ikeda, there is still a group of maki-e artists called "Kokkokai", which has continued since 1931, and sometimes a craftsman spends more than three months to complete the maki-e fountain pen. It is said that it is done. The lacquer set "Seven Lucky Gods" produced by Pilot to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its founding was sold in a limited number of 25 sets, but it was sold out in a blink of an eye. You can see its beauty from the link below.

The 100th anniversary fountain pen "Seven Lucky Gods"

The 43rd Character Events and Japanese calligraphy Experience Course
Date and time: 2023/08/23 (Wednesday) 18:30-20:00 (Open: 18:00)
Venue: Museum Tower Kyobashi, 16th floor Café 16
Speaker: Yoshiyo Shinozaki, director of the Kenshin Shodokai, a member of the calligrapher Genjikai

Do you know that there are various types of fonts that you usually use? Also, with the spread of personal computers and mobile phones, the opportunity to write letters is decreasing, and there are few opportunities to have brushes. In this course, you will actually hold a brush and create one work while touching the occurrence and history of characters. It doesn't matter at all. Let's freely write your favorite characters using a brush.

Click here for details and application.

★Address: 1-7-2 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan

★Access

　A 5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station (Yaesu Central Exit).

　3-minute walk from Kyobashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (Exit 6 and 7).

　A 5-minute walk from Tokyo Metro, Ginza Line, Tozai Line, Toei Asakusa Line, Nihombashi Station (Exit B1).

※This blog has been approved by "Kyobashi Aya-ku Area Management".

Kyobashi Aya-ku Area Management: https://kyobashi-saiku.tokyo/