A craftsman in Kameoka, Kyoto, specialising in natural whetstones excavated from the mountains. A hearty lunch is enjoyed where a fire is lit near the cave being mined and the ingredients brought along are grilled on a net! 2024/10/3
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00:00ご視聴ありがとうございました
00:30It's very good
00:31It's lunchtime for Mr. Tsuchihashi, the whetstone artisan
00:39Kameoka Kyoto
00:45We've come to the Tamba Highlands to visit Mr. Tsuchihashi's home and workshop
00:52And here's a work of his
00:57This is natural whetstone
00:59Oh, you're filming already?
01:02Sorry, I can't see something weird now
01:04Mr. Tsuchihashi works exclusively with natural whetstones that are dug out of the mountains
01:13Most whetstones on the market are artificially made with abrasive agents
01:17So these are valuable
01:19Natural whetstones cost tens of thousands of yen at the very least
01:25They not only make knives sharper and last longer
01:28They can also greatly improve their appearance
01:31The particles in artificial whetstones are jagged and pointy
01:43The particles in natural whetstones are round
01:47So if you can get the amount of water and pressure just right
01:51You can make the particles smaller when you sharpen a knife
01:54The small particles are what make the knives very clean and sharp
02:03Natural whetstones are favored by artisans ranging from chefs, carpenters to Japanese katana sharpeners
02:11Lots of natural whetstones were produced in this region starting in the late 1800s
02:18But now, Mr. Tsuchihashi is the only artisan left
02:21He continues to dig them to this day as the fourth generation owner of the business started by his great-grandfather
02:28I've been coming to this mountain for 30, 40 years
02:33But it's becoming harder now
02:35It's a tough walk
02:37We've arrived at the digging site that Mr. Tsuchihashi has been coming to for some 35 years
02:46Here we are
02:54The mine starts here
02:58Let's go in
03:03Watch your head and don't bump into the sides
03:06Wow, it looks like a secret hideout
03:11Mr. Tsuchihashi told us that he dug most of this mine himself
03:18With his own two hands
03:19Behold the fruits of his hard work for 35 long years
03:24Take a look
03:26Why did you start digging here in the first place?
03:34There were some places that had been dug out around here
03:37So I thought I might find something
03:39Well, turns out I was lucky and I was able to find some good stone here
03:45Thank goodness
03:47It's sort of like gambling in a way
03:51Luck is a huge factor in this job
03:55Kind of like treasure hunting?
03:59Yes, in a sense
04:00This stratum was formed about 250 million years ago
04:06From volcanic ash and dead plankton
04:08There are about 30 types of wet stones that can be found here
04:14Their characteristics like hardness and particle size differ
04:17So he can dig wet stones for different purposes like knives, hand planes and razors
04:22The key is to figure out where and how to cut out the stone
04:27I'm trying to create a crack here and let this part fall
04:34That's my plan for getting this one
04:37One wrong move can cause the mine to collapse
04:46He relies on his experience to discern the location of the stake
04:50And how hard he strikes it
04:52It's about to fall off
04:58Here I go
05:01You see this?
05:14Isn't it beautiful?
05:16Ones that look like this are high quality
05:19It's sort of round here
05:21This one is looking really nice
05:24It'll turn into a good whetstone that people will be happy with
05:28It just puts a smile on my face
05:33He started going to the mountains while he was in middle school
05:41He says he vividly remembers how excited his father and grandfather were while working
05:49Almost like they were treasure hunting
05:53However, the rise of artificial wet stones almost put him out of business
05:57But all that changed about 20 years ago when he started online sales
06:06Word about his high quality wet stones spread throughout the world
06:11And now he has a steady flow of orders
06:15This one's good
06:21I'm happy
06:23Don't hear that
06:26After I started direct sales
06:31I was surprised at all the positive feedback I received from customers
06:35I've met a lot of people thanks to my wet stones
06:40And I'm having so much fun in life
06:42My father didn't see this business take off like it has
06:47If he were here today, he'd be very happy
06:50All smiles
06:52He really loved talking to people and truly loved wet stones
06:57More than I do
06:58Oh, this is great
07:02I love the texture
07:06The value of objects like wet stones that have been around for ages can be rediscovered as times change
07:15Ah, lunch
07:20When he's at the mine, he eats on the mountain
07:23Yes, the grill that we saw in the beginning
07:27He says an artisan must know how to start a fire
07:35Because they have always started fires in the cave during winter to warm up
07:41This is Shishamo
07:46I love this fish, so I grill it up on the mountain a lot
07:51These are Manganji peppers
07:55I had some good ones
07:56He also brought shiitake mushrooms that he grew himself
08:03He's got rice balls made by his wife, too
08:09How great is this meal?
08:15He just uses wood from the mountain for his grill
08:18But he says they impart a smoky flavor that takes the food to a whole new level
08:24It's looking good
08:30Let me try some
08:32It's hot
08:42The peppers are great
08:47When I'm in the cave, I think only 30 more minutes till my lunch
08:59And that motivates me to work hard
09:02I think this is good enough to be served in a restaurant
09:08But you can't get this great fire in a restaurant
09:12The rice balls are delicious, too
09:15He usually has a regular bento made by his wife
09:21But he also looks forward to his grilled lunches he has once in a while
09:26He sure does seem to be enjoying himself
09:29That's so good! I love it!
09:40We see that, Mr. Tsuchihashi
09:43Thank you for showing us your lunch
09:45Thank you so much!
09:55Thank you!
09:58Stuck!
10:02Tuck!
10:05You
10:05You
10:06You