The craftsmen at Kato Stone Masonry have won several awards by the government for their skils, including the "Spring Medal of the Sacred Treasure Medal of Honor", "Certified Traditional Craftsman", "First Class Technician" and "Chairman of the Makabe Stone Lantern Inspection Committee".
The three famous mountains of Kanto - Tsukuba, Kaba, and Ashio, produce high-quality granite, and the Makabe and Yamato districts at the foot of the mountains have long been known as stone production areas. That high-quality granite is called "Makabe" stone.
The hard, durable, and beautiful Makabe became more popular over time and was used by influential institutions like the State Guest House, the Ministry of Justice, the Bank of Japan and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Most of the tombstones in Eastern Japan are made of the beautiful Makabe stones.
Today, Makabe craftsmen are creating a variety of products that add a new sense of traditional beauty to granite, using new techniques and designs for people to enjoy at their own home and garden.
Currently, there are about 10 companies mining Makabe stone.
This is a scenery of a mining site (called "choba").
Makabe stone crafting has been designated as a traditional craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry based on the "Act on the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries" in 1974.
The following five conditions must be met to get recognized:
1. Using technologies and techniques that have been around for more than 100 years.
2. Use the same raw materials as before.
3. Created by the craftsmanship cultivated over many years.
4. Products that are still used in daily life.
5. Producers gathered in a designated area.
"Makabe stone lantern" was recognized in 1995.
Production Process
First, the rough stones that match the dimensions of the final design are identified and selected. Ink is applied to the rough stone that has been split according to the dimensions and cut with a cutting machine. After the initial cutting by machine, almost all steps are done by hand. Sky, wind, fire, water, and earth are used to finish the beautiful final craft.
