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A Century of Craft, A Master's Voice
[No. 3] Learning from Repeated Failures—The Skills & Design Polished by Living National Treasure Mamoru Nakagawa
2025.06.19
[No. 3] Learning from Repeated Failures—The Skills & Design Polished by Living National Treasure Mamoru Nakagawa

Ishikawa

Mamoru Nakagawa
Map

Mamoru Nakagawa

Mamoru Nakagawa, Living National Treasure (Chokin metal carving) and leading figure of Kaga Zogan. He creates Kaga Zogan works by inlaying gold and silver into metal, earning recognition both in Japan and internationally.

Kaga Zogan

The process involves carving grooves into a metal surface and inlaying gold or silver into those grooves to form patterns. Materials include metals such as iron or copper combined with precious metals like gold and silver. It is used for decorative objects and craft pieces, characterized by highly detailed designs.

Living National Treasure Mamoru Nakagawa spoke about the countless failures behind mastering the Kaga Zogan technique. Through repeated experimentation with metal coloring and chemical mixtures, he refined his craftsmanship and learned the importance of thinking beyond conventional values during his apprenticeship years.
[No. 3] Learning from Repeated Failures—The Skills & Design Polished by Living National Treasure Mamoru Nakagawa
Living National Treasure Mamoru Nakagawa shared that his work as an industrial designer and his training in crafts were far more grueling than we might imagine. Though Nakagawa now looks back and speaks of it as a fond memory, he reflected on that period in his life by saying, "Life is just like running a full marathon."
To master the delicate technique of "Kaga Zogan (加賀象嵌)," it truly was a journey of a thousand miles that began with a single step. That's why Nakagawa likely felt the importance of making progress, even just a half-step forward, every day. That persistent effort propelled him to the status of Living National Treasure.
Still, the charm of Nakagawa’s works lies not only in their delicacy but also in his sense of design. In this installment, we focus on his apprentice days studying traditional crafts under Professor Takahashi Kaishu, when he confronted the difficulties of the discipline and discovered the importance of free thinking unconstrained by conventional values.
<Previously, we featured his difficult days as an apprentice and the insights he gained there. Read more here.>
[No. 2] Life Is Like a Marathon—What "Living National Treasure" Mamoru Nakagawa Learned from Balancing Work & Craft

A Century of Craft, A Master's Voice

[No. 2] Life Is Like a Marathon—What "Living National Treasure" Mamoru Nakagawa Learned from Balancing Work & Craft

Failure Is the Beginning of Success

"You know what they say—if you flatter even a pig, it'll climb a tree." Nakagawa shared this saying as the reason why he continues to pursue the time- and money-intensive craft of Zogan. He humbly explained that as his works began winning awards, he was motivated to keep striving to do better.

Behind his well-honed knowledge and Zogan skills, he says, are countless failures.

"It's often said, but I truly believe that failure is the beginning of success. Only by repeating failures does something become your own knowledge and skill. Even if you practice exactly what the books say, there is a lot you just can't do. There were times I even doubted the books, wondering if they were telling lies!

The hardest thing for me was a metal coloring technique. I would boil my works in a solution of copper sulfate and verdigris, but in the books, it simply says the piece will turn deep brown if boiled at high temperature, and to be careful since the color changes depending on the ratio of chemicals. But it doesn’t provide any specific numbers.

So all I could do was change the temperature myself, adjust the concentration of chemicals, and repeat the process until I achieved a color I was satisfied with."

It's easy to imagine just how many failures that entailed. "Even now, I still make mistakes—I wish someone could just teach me," Nakagawa confessed, revealing the profound depth of Zogan work.

Be Bold with Design

Vague knowledge found in books only becomes solid understanding through repeated trial and error. Yet, Nakagawa points out that in the world of crafts, technical skill isn’t the only thing that's valued.

"Professor Takahashi always taught me to create something ‘Haikara’—which means something stylish and ahead of its time. That’s why, whenever I brought a piece to show him, I’d always bring the design sketches, too, for him to review.

My teacher was born in the Meiji era, so to him, ‘Haikara’ referred to pieces unlike anything anyone had seen before. In other words, he expected us to create things at the cutting edge—objects that people would find enjoyable.

I believe it was a warning that simply following old designs just because you are working with the traditional craft of Kaga Zogan isn't enough. The past is the past—we need to move with the times.

These days, it's not like you see folks growing topknots or walking around with swords to preserve Japanese tradition.

Similarly, Kaga Zogan needs to be designed in line with modern lifestyles. In that sense, I feel my experience as a designer has proved useful, creating something fresh and relevant for people’s everyday lives."

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The 64th Nihon Dento Kogeiten<br>象嵌朧銀花器 「チェックと市松」
The 64th Nihon Dento Kogeiten
象嵌朧銀花器 「チェックと市松」

Present-day Beauty: Crafting Works to Suit the Location

After graduating from an art university, my experience working as an industrial designer at Matsushita Electric Industrial deepened my appreciation for crafts as well. Perhaps because of that background, I came to realize that "design isn’t just about making things look cool."

"What makes me glad to have kept creating is the reactions of people who pick up my pieces—they’re moved and delighted. That sensibility really varies depending on the country or the venue, so I have to study what kinds of things are loved in different regions."

For instance, when exhibiting in America, I keep in mind what Americans find beautiful. A piece I created with American audiences in mind is "象嵌朧銀花器『NY. 7:00 o'clock』." As the name suggests, this artwork is set in New York, but what was I aiming for with this design?

"The inspiration was the stunning cityscape I saw in Manhattan when I visited New York. I portrayed the reflections of the 7 a.m. sunrise and 7 p.m. sunset in the windows using subtle differences in the color of the metals.

An American novelist who saw this piece was so moved, they cried with joy. They said the view was exactly what they saw from their own building, and I truly felt the power of art at that moment."

This, I believe, is the stance a work of traditional craft should take. Of course, what makes this possible is the unique blend of technical skills I’ve honed through trial and error, as well as a fresh approach to traditional crafts.

What breathes new life into Kaga Zogan work is a fearless, challenging spirit unconstrained by the past.

The 69th Nihon Dento Kogeiten<br>象嵌朧銀花器「NY. 7:00 o'clock」
The 69th Nihon Dento Kogeiten
象嵌朧銀花器「NY. 7:00 o'clock」

(In Part 4, we’ll delve into Nakagawa’s signature refined designs, as well as how his overseas experiences enabled him to see things beyond conventional ideas.)

#Artisan#Living National Treasure#Ishikawa#Traditional Crafts#Kaga Zogan#History#Japanese Culture#Techniques#Metalwork
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