Fusing the high level of skills of craftspeople with state-of-the-art technology.

This stylish showroom is furnished with Takata’s own products.

Takata Factory is a casting company known for its manufacture of Buddhist altar fittings and elegant interior brand items of Takaoka copperware. Vice-President Koichi Takata showed us the new showroom completed inside the company’s building. It’s a truly stylish space, like a cafe.

“This is where we meet with customers and designers. Together with 3-D printers and sample products, on its walls, the space features displays of samples of various material finishes, including brass, aluminum, and copper. It’s intended to allow direct manufacture by facilitating discussions on how different kinds of materials can be finished.”

The floors and tabletops are covered in Aldecor tile, Takata’s own brand of cast aluminum tile—the first of its kind in Japan. Inside the showcase, the counter features a lineup of popular products including its Shirokane accessory stand, cups, and nut bowls. Mr. Takata has proactively exhibited the company’s products at trade shows in Japan and around the world, including the Milano Salone, Maison & Objet, and Ambiente. Takata Factory was founded after World War II by Mr. Takata’s grandfather. The company laid the foundations of its future growth through the manufacture of Buddhist altar fittings.

“I’m the sixth generation in the family business. The first, Keiho Takata, studied in Kyoto at the end of the Edo Period. He was a painter who also worked in Takaoka copperware and Takaoka lacquerware, as well as designing Buddhist altars. He was a valued apprentice of Keishu Horikawa, said to have been the first full-fledged town artist in Takaoka. The second generation was a sculptor who used inlay technique, the third a metal casting craftsperson, and the fourth, my grandfather, started this company. Industrialization has advanced a long way since my father’s time. I’ve adopted new materials like aluminum and brought our technologies in house. We’ve faced numerous difficulties, but we’ve always tried to move forward to find and tackle new challenges.”

One strength of Takata Factory is its stress on quality materials. It refines the metals it uses in house. Of its 35 employees, 20 are craftspeople with advanced polishing skills in areas like mirror polishing. Takata Factory creates a line of state-of-the-art products by fusing refined skills with the latest in 3-D and laser technologies.

Mr. Takata is both a manager and producer who chooses and promotes new projects. He builds his manufacturing projects of the future based on interactions with a wide range of parties from inside and outside the prefecture and Japan. After meeting with people from the community and the greater Tokyo area, he developed the products of accessory stands and nut bowls made using lumber from forest-thinning projects on the border between Toyama and Gifu prefectures. He’s also ventured into collaborative projects with global brands, including Disney. Mr. Takata says his guiding words are “Making things is a way of cherishing people.”

“I want to make things in a way that’s like cherishing somebody. I don’t want one-size-fits-all products. Nothing makes me happier than making something people will feel close to, something they’ll find useful. My goal is to pass on the DNA of Takaoka’s techniques into the future by developing long-selling products. That’s a key theme in my life

Takata Factory

Address：54-7 Toide-sakaemachi,Takaoka-city,Toyama-prefecture

Tel：0766-63-6800

Metal casting craftsperson
Vice-President

高田晃一／KOICHI TAKATA

Takata Factory

【Profile】

Graduated from the Department of Design at Takarazuka University. Emerged as a pioneer in the industry, exhibiting independently at the Milano Salone international trade show in Italy in 2004 by making profuse use of casting techniques associated with Takaoka copperware and aluminum, a major industry in Toyama. Has exhibited repeatedly in recent years at Ambiente in Germany in partnership with sister company Takata Lemnos. Opened a joint showroom in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward in December 2013, at which Takata have private exhibits to promote its product technologies and local specialties. Incorporates unique Takata technologies into products sold widely across Japan and around the world, including products produced with metallic fittings under contract to Monzennakacho Naritasan Fudodo and renowned department stores and restaurants.