GAROU｜AWAJI ONIGAWARA CRAFTS

Brand

The deciding factors clay and reliable technology

Tatsumi Corporation

• 1976
• AWAJI ONIGAWARA CRAFTS
• Yusuke Okitsu

History

With the island's ancient bounty

GAROU is the in-house brand of Tatsumi Corporation, located in Minami Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture.

It was an Awaji tile kiln that had been in operation for generations since the Edo period (1603-1868), but once went out of business.

In 1976, his grandfather reestablished the kiln as Tatsumi keramic.

The company continued manufacturing as the first onigawara manufacturer on Awaji Island, and in 1997 became a designated Hyogo Prefecture traditional crafts kiln.

Awaji tiles date back to 1610, when Tadao, the third son of Terumasa Ikeda, lord of Himeji Castle, asked Ribei Shimizu, a master Banshu tile maker, to burn tiles in order to build a castle on Awaji Island, which was his territory.

Awaji Island was the bottom of a huge lake until two million years ago, and the clay deposited over the years has fine particles and excellent plasticity, making it ideal for making roof tiles.

As a result, Awaji tiles have been valued for their low shrinkage and high precision, as well as their vivid colours and beautiful shine that lasts for a long time.

Onigawara were originally a type of decorative tile used on the roofs of shrines and temples, and were more meant to ward off fire than to provide protection against evil spirits.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), onigawara came to be used to decorate the ridges of private houses to bring prosperity to families, and Awaji's onigawara developed into a local industry.

Characteristic

Onigawara with quiet splendour

Craftsmen who make onigawara by hand are called ONISHI, and they are gradually becoming fewer and fewer throughout the country.

Our company is made by a group of five ONISHI, which means that every step of the process is carried out with the utmost care and skill.

Awaji Onigawara is made from fine-grained, high-quality clay, which is kneaded many times to the perfect blend of crispy SAKUIDO and sticky NEBAIDO.

The clay is repeatedly heaped on top of the base, and various tools such as gold spatulas and wooden spatulas are used to form the masks and decorations of the demons.

Each craftsman uses his or her own tools, which are either modified or made by the craftsman to suit his or her own needs.

The temperature at which Awaji tiles are hardest miraculously coincides with the temperature at which they are most beautiful, resulting in high-quality tiles that are both functional and beautiful.

The unique black, bright, smoked silver has a deep and beautiful shine.

For Customers

Bring a playful spirit to your daily life

We are involved in products that allow onigawara, which are manufactured by hand by demon masters, to be incorporated into familiar interior products.

Table-top Onigawara tiles, beckoning cats, coasters and other items were painstakingly created with a playful spirit.

Tiles are a valuable cultural asset that have developed in humid Japan.

Onigawara, in particular, not only prevent rainwater from entering buildings, but have also been used to protect houses from evil spirits.

There are different ways of thinking about ogres: some people see them as evil, scary monsters, while others see them as strong allies who protect them from misfortune.

It can be placed at the entrance as an amulet, displayed in a room as an objet d'art or as a gift for a loved one.