Peter: What is your name, the name of your leather business, and where are you located?

My name is Hajime Niwa, my business is Niwa Leathers. I live in Chiba, nearby Tokyo.

What type of leather goods do you make?

Notebook covers, pencil cases, key chains, watch straps, bags —

Everything?

Yes, everything (laughter)

A lot.

Do you have a purchases of $100 or less (or over $100) that has most positively impacted your leather crafting ?

For over $100, my camera. I have Pentax, Leica…. Lots. For under…books. My photo books. For Inspiration

[He then pointed to his large collection of photo books nearby his doorway, with 30-40 books neatly organized]

For me, on your Instagram it’s very hard to see mistakes or imperfections. But I’m guessing you have mistakes, even if they’re minor. Can you tell us about a setback, or seeming setback, that set you up for success later on?

So I don’t have experiences with big mistakes. But..so, a long time ago I couldn’t see details.

Back when I was a beginner, I didn’t look at all the finer points, I didn’t care. But the more I made the more I saw — the more details became apparent. And I wasn’t taught much by my boss, but the more I made, the more I could see. My eyes improved. And my products improved. And eventually I got to where I am.

You recently visited Europe and met with many crafters. What was something you experienced and took back to Japan?

I didn’t want to learn skills from Europe. I’m alone everyday. My motivation — it’s hard to keep my motivation high everyday. It’s only me. Motivation goes down. So I wanted to get something, inspiration, passion, passion for craft. I met many craftsman, and many craftsman enjoy their work. And we could share our passion. And so my passion went back up.

Many craftsman come here. But I wanted to know: why? Why did they come here? I visited Europe so I could know the reason. Why they came here.

Were you able to ask them?

No, but I could see. Many craftsman told me “the Japanese are crazy — crazy” — for European craftsman, the design is most important. But for Japanese craftsman, the details are what’s most important. European craftsman want to know our details, methodology, design.

So it’s a different way to work.

Yes.

Wonderful. Thank you.

It’s always heartwarming to see pictures of you crafting with your daughters, Sono and Soyo. Children are able to see things in unique ways. What is something you have learned from watching your daughters create?

Ahhhh — Sono. For example. When my daughter made this (Niwa-san showed us a dice he made with his daughter)…if an adult made this, the three would be like this [diagonal] but children, there’s more freedom. But on this [he points to another side of the dice, four, which is designed traditionally] my wife advised her on this side. (Laughter)

Yeah, it’s always good to keep a child’s mind. We maybe only think the 1-2-3 can be this way, but this is almost like a bowling ball (laughter)

Do you feel there are aspects of leather crafting that have made you a better father?

My daughter wants to become a leather crafter, just like me. And she sometimes visits me and looks at my work. So I want to be a good role model for her, and therefore need to grow and improve, develop my work to get it at an even higher level for her.

I was surprised to learn (with an interview you did with Rocky Taniran) that you have a degree in business administration. Is there something you learned from that profession that also helped with your leather business?

Do you know Toyota? The Toyota Way? I learned, for example, the Toyota Way — Kaizen — as well as Volkswagen’s system. I learned many systems in school. I know their ways, but now I do the opposite.

I learned about many companies’ methods to increase productivity and efficiency. I regarded it as important. But now I don’t care about that as much. I do the opposite.

But you had to learn their ways first before you could do the opposite.

Yes.

For your NL School, you come across many students – what is something that you feel is very important to learn as you begin crafting with leather? (Can be a mindset, a skill, a habit, etc.)

Maybe this ideology is unique to Japanese only, if you are making something, you need tools as well as leathers. And it’s not like you can just buy a tool it and it came from nowhere. There’s someone who’s made the tools for me. And with the leather — that’s from animals, and we can’t have this product without them.

And I keep in mind their effort and sacrifice and I’m therefore incredibly gracious and grateful for them. And I believe the appreciation is very important, and because of that, I don’t want to waste the materials.

Through that appreciation I become better at my craft, because it’s so dear.

This year (2018) you celebrated 15 years of Niwa Leathers. You mentioned, in a commemorative blog post, you felt like the first 10 years you progressed and grew a lot. And these past five years you “hit the wall”.

This is something everybody experiences, but maybe doesn’t share. When you have moments where you feel you are “hitting the wall” What sorts of things do you do to get past “the wall”?

If it’s only me, working, alone — I could not pass the wall. So one day, I accepted an apprentice. Then, I wasn’t alone. We were together. And my children got to know him. I had a community.

And having an apprentice helps you think differently. Instead of just doing a task, you have to teach it, which is totally different. And maybe that helped with your motivation. How long did you have an apprentice for?

Four years.

He was with you from the start of your tenth anniversary and he was with you for four years?

Yes.

[Niwa then showed us a book he has with pictures of his apprentice working, of playing with his daughters, of things he made.]

And even just thinking about other people helps get over the wall. If it’s just me, me, me, me, me, just Peter — I’m sad. But if I think about Berna (my girlfriend), my family, I’m happy.

Berna: I make videos, on Youtube, and it’s just me, alone. It’s always me alone. So I talk to other people, other videographers, with email. And just talking with them helps me with motivation. And I’m able to go and keep making.

[All of a sudden I notice that what I thought was a photo was actually a drawing by Niwa-san’s apprentice. And the pictures on the wall weren’t pictures, but actual drawings.]

Wow. He’s very talented.

He worked for four years. My first year on my birthday he made this, on my second birthday he made this one, and third and fourth.

Wow — very, very talented. What incredible presents.

For my last question: One year ago you met with Steve Gircys [of Oak and Honey Leather], and you said you had a two-year wait list for your products. Is that still the wait time for one of your products?

Ah yes. Two years for a custom leather product. But small goods are faster. [laughter]

[He showed us his card holders, and small goods for sale in his atelier]

Incredible.

And finally, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet and answer these questions. You are an inspiring leather crafter, not only for what you create but also for sharing your process with the world. Thank you, Niwa-san.



Translated by: Shikoh