Yoshihiko Takasu (高須 義彦) / Manjiro Cabinet Maker
Self-Introduction
When I was a kid, I used to take apart machines and never manage to put them back together. I'd mess around with my dad’s DIY tools, hammering away until I cut my finger and turned pale. I’d crawl under the temple at my kindergarten, peer into an old jar, and scare myself. Playing war games on terraced fields, I once got my little brother hurt and got scolded for it. That was my childhood, growing up in the countryside of Fukuoka back in the Showa era.
When I first saw the landscape of Kamiooba in Mashiko, where my workshop is now, I felt an odd sense of nostalgia. Something about it just felt right.
But back then, I couldn’t rent a place here. So, I wandered—through places like Itoshima in Fukuoka, Kiryu in Gunma, and Nasu.
After some time, a space finally opened up in Mashiko.
So I moved here, started making things, selling them here and there, and before I knew it, the years had flown by.
I've been lucky—helped along by so many connections.
I’m truly grateful.
And now, people actually come looking for the things I make.
That’s something I’m grateful for. It’s all about connections, isn’t it?
"Manjirou" was my great-grandfather’s name. My grandmother used to tell me all kinds of stories about him.
He seemed like a free-spirited and amusing old man—though, to be honest, most of the stories are a bit too wild to share (haha).
The name always felt close to me, so I decided to take it. Even gave it to my dog.
These days, more and more people call me "Manjirou," and that makes me happy.
I bet my great-grandfather would be pleased too.
Lately, I've been thinking that maybe I'm not the one shaping these things.
Maybe the wood is just letting me bring them to life.
I hope I can keep doing this for a long time.
Biography
| 1968 | Born in Fukuoka Prefecture |
| 2015 | Started activities under the name "Manjiro Cabinet Maker" |
Introduction from the Shop Owner
I met Takasu-san in 2020, thanks to an introduction from Mori-san. Takasu-san also enjoys fly fishing, and especially loves dry-fly fishing on Lake Chuzenji, so it didn’t take long for us to hit it off. His beloved car is a Volkswagen Type 2 Bay Window, and he travels to exhibitions all over the country in that one vehicle. Why are taxes so high on old cars? It's unreasonable! That's a common topic between us.
I’ve visited his workshop in Mashiko many times, and whenever I show up, Manjirou still lets me have it with a full chorus of barks—without fail.
When we first met, I was looking for curry plates for my kids. I asked Takasu-san if he could make a sample, and five months later, he brought one over. I liked one of the pieces and bought it on the spot, then asked him to make four more.
He contacted me to say the four additional plates were finished—one year and three months later (laughs).
And then, I actually went to pick them up ten months after that (laughs again).
So in total, two years and one month. I guess we were both equally responsible. Once fly fishing season starts, everything else takes a back seat.
Each plate is 25 cm in diameter, made of Japanese mountain cherry, and finished only with oil. They’re just the right size for growing middle and high school kids eating curry. Since they’re not too deep and have a flat bottom, they also work perfectly as all-in-one lunch plates. (The first curry photo is my lunch. The second is my high school son’s dinner. This is how a hungry teenage boy loads his plate.)
Takasu-san’s plates and small bowls have become everyday favorites in our home. I hope you’ll enjoy using his pieces too—lightly finished so you can feel the wood itself, and they only get better the more you use and care for them..
