03: Time and effort is what makes a person attractive. Isn't that the value of Genjimetal?
Ieyasu: Harada Shokodo has been featured in the media a lot recently, and one of the reasons for this is our stainless steel stamp called Genjimetal. Let's talk a bit about this. Mr. Arakawa, this is your first time seeing it, right? What do you think?
Arakawa: This is an incredible mechanism! The letters appear on the mirror surface. I've seen the video and I see why.
Harada: The seal is made to be a perfect mirror, so your face is reflected in it, right? That was Yamashita-san's idea.
Yamashita: I think it was originally a matte finish to make it easier to stamp, but I thought it would be better to have something that reflected me like a mirror. The letters appear out of nowhere. If your name represents your ego, then by disappearing, you can see your reflection and your true nature.
Ieyasu: I think it's a very unique product, but what is the appeal of Genjimetal?
Shimazu: I gave Genjimetal to my father, who is actually a fan of Apple products. He loves design and other things. When my father held Genjimetal in his hands, he was delighted by its beauty as a product and its weight, and looked happy when he stamped a document. Seeing that, I thought that a seal is something you can use for a lifetime, so I wish I had come across it at an early stage in life.
Ieyasu: Genjimetal is stainless steel, so it won't chip. That's another attractive feature.
Harada: Genjimetal tends to be featured for its gimmick of the letters appearing and disappearing, but I think that the letters, identity, feelings and behavior associated with the seal are more important. This seal requires maintenance, such as wiping the red ink off the surface every time you use it, so it's not a simple, convenient, or easy product.
Yamashita: But isn't it good to have things that require time and effort? We live in an age where everything is convenient, so don't you think that the time and effort and inconvenience that a person values really expresses who they are? I think it shows their character.
Shimazu: Maybe you need to have peace of mind. To love inconvenience and the hassle.
Yamashita: On the contrary, maybe people go to the trouble of going to the trouble of going to the trouble of making things easier in order to create more peace of mind. It's like when you're busy in the morning and you can make a quick cup of coffee, but taking the time to grind it and enjoy the aroma of roasted coffee gives you more peace of mind. I feel like everyone has some kind of inconvenience or time-consuming part.
Harada: You might be able to use a stamp easily, but this stamp needs to be looked after just like a mechanical watch. But a mechanical watch is the work of a craftsman. And the joy of winding it up and using it every day is something that has a different value from a digital one, right?
Harada: It's the opposite of today's convenience and ease. That's what makes it so popular. Genjimetal also stamps the seal and carefully wipes the seal. I hope that the process, including maintenance, will give people a sense of spiritual richness and a sense of superiority in owning it. Because stamping the seal is an important part of life. And someday I want to create a system that can be used forever, like a watch overhaul.
Is this a counter to the time-saving and convenient era?
The value of this product is likely to increase from now on!
There's more to come.
