Kumano, Hiroshima prefecture. This area has been a production area for traditional calligraphy brushes for hundreds of years. It is here where a man has broken into the cosmetics industry with a line of professional makeup brushes based on generations of traditional brush-making skills. He may look like an easy-going chap, but his head is constantly churning out new ideas.
Interviewed by Takafumi Suzuki
Translated by Claire Tanaka
Mr. Takamoto, were you always in the brushmaking business?
No, after I graduated from university I planned on becoming a farmer, actually. But after I’d worked at a construction company for about two years, my family’s brush company got busy so I ended up working at that company, which was run by my two older brothers. My father died while I was a student. This place, Kumano, it’s very well known for it’s calligraphy brushes. If I wasn’t born here, I probably would have never even known about it though.
What did you have in mind when you started Hakuho-do?
When I was in the calligraphy brush business, I started to have some doubts about the whole brush business. At that time, there was a huge demand for all kinds of brushes – calligraphy brushes, art brushes, makeup brushes. So we divided the work up in order to make as many as possible. The original Kumano brushes are made from start to finish by the same person, but I was in the mass production business at that point. I thought to myself “This isn’t how it should be” and I founded Hakuho-do.
So did you have some kind of image of making an “old-style brush” when you started?
No, I didn’t have any kind of image. When I talked to people who use brushes in their work, I learned that they use their brushes as tools, first and foremost. If they are a person’s tools, then those tools should stand up to the job. If you’re in mass production, you can make your product affordable, but the brush can only be used so many times before it has to be thrown out. I didn’t think that was right at all. We used a trial and error method, rejecting this and that, and winded up increasing the number of the steps in the process where we had eliminated some steps before. That’s how we got to the method we use now.
Now, even though you’re the president of the company, you’re directly involved in making the brushes. Is that related to your trial and error method?
Yes, that’s right. I get a lot of ideas for new products and new methods when I’m at work making the product myself. But you know, the people down at the bank tell me, “A company where the president spends the whole day making brushes isn’t going to grow.” (laughs) But, the feeling you get when you hold a good brush in your hand, that feeling is what we aim for in our products. If you don’t learn how to create that kind of brush with your own hands, you’ll never figure it out. How to hold the shaft, how to angle the knife, you can’t teach someone how to do that with words alone. But, I don’t really know how I myself learned this sense (laughs).
When did you start making makeup brushes?
In 1982. Makeup brushes were so uncommon, they weren’t developed at all at that time. Most makeup brushes were basically paint brushes. That’s why I thought I could make a go of producing real, good quality makeup brushes. But the cosmetics world had a very closed-off distribution network, and it wasn’t easy to break into that. I was even turned away at the gate of one cosmetics company (laughs). Well, here I was, a little subcontracting company saying “this is our brand” expecting to negotiate directly with some huge manufacturers. It’s no wonder I had difficulties (laughs).
What finally got your foot in the door?
I met a Japanese makeup artist who was living in New York – Hiromi Ando. I mean, I read about her in a magazine and phoned up my nephew who was studying abroad and basically forced him to find her for me (laughs). And somehow we managed to meet, and I showed her our products, and she was really impressed by the quality of our makeup brushes. Then she said, “There’s an interesting company in Canada called MAC“, and introduced us. Then, I brought my brushes to MAC, thinking I’d just get their opinions. But MAC was really surprised and said “You’ve got this kind of technical skill?” and we ended up getting into sales negotiations.
Mr. Takamoto, as a man, how were you able to understand the needs of a makup brush user?
That’s where my wife came in. And my wife’s friends. They acted as monitors, and gave me their opinions. Hearing from people directly is really important. It was from that idea, the sense of wanting to have a direct connection to the customer and the idea of selling something of quality via mail order, we began online sales in 1996. I have a certain fondness for trying new things, so that was a help in getting into online sales quite early on. Mind you at first, our site only had one or two visitors per day (laughs).
What’s your secret for being able to succeed with your new ideas?
I think money is the reason. I have never really thought about money. I foray into Beverly Hills in the United States, I build a factory in China, if I think of doing something, I just do it right away. So I think serendipity is on my side. I’ve had a lot of big failures too, though (laughs). But it’s just not possible to make an elaborate plan and build something up from zero all in one go. You can learn a lot from making mistakes. People who have learned by doing and by making mistakes are different, they’re ready for anything. People who think a lot before they do something can do it with less risk, but they’re not going to get a whole lot done that way (laughs).
Finally, what are your plans for the future?
I think it would be interesting to re-brand the makeup brushes as art brushes. It’s usually the opposite. The art brush industry is huge. If we approach it from a totally different angle from the other art brush manufacturers, we could really have something interesting. Also, I’d like to make my brand name better known overseas.
Hakuho-do
Kumano-cho, 7062, Aki-gun, Hiroshima
Kazuo Takamoto
born 1942 in Kumano-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima. Founder, Hakuho-do.
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PingMag MAKE is the sister site to PingMag. We use an interview format to put the spotlight on a wide range of people active in rural areas. We document the voices of these unknown heroes and broadcast them to the world. It’s the Japan-based magazine about people and making things, coming out once a week. We’re passing on the passion, ideas, skills, and life stories of people who are building today and exploring tomorrow: craftsmen, engineers, entrepreneurs, and inventors. Stay tuned!
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Mr. Takamoto is as omoshiroi as it gets!
Posted by: Adriana on February 6th, 2008 at 5:25 am
[…] bookmarks tagged calligraphy Makeup Brushes from the land of the Calligraphy Br… saved by 4 others spazcorn bookmarked on 02/05/08 | […]
Posted by: Pages tagged "calligraphy" on February 6th, 2008 at 6:53 am
that man can make some nice brushes!
Posted by: Todd on February 6th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Fantastic portrait of an expert in one skill taking his experience and insights to make great products for a totally different customer!
Kathleen Lisson
Posted by: Kathleen Lisson on February 6th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
A really well done and presented interview.
Posted by: leo on February 6th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
This is the best website!
Felicia
www.nearandfar.wordpress.com
Posted by: Felicia Shelton on February 7th, 2008 at 9:02 am
[…] PingMag MAKE - The Japan-based interview magazine about “Making things” » Archive » Makeup Bru… (tags: design art) […]
Posted by: links for 2008-02-07 « My Weblog on February 7th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
living in canada, I can tell you that the makeup business he mentions, MAC (not to be confused with the computers) is HUGE here.
a great write up.
Posted by: rey-o on February 10th, 2008 at 12:20 am
[…] Makeup Brushes from the land of the Calligraphy Brush […]
Posted by: Art of making makeup brushes « Thoughts of a Idle on February 11th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
After reading this article I really respect Mr. Takamoto. I wish China would also implement this artisan-business relationship business mode, so that our products will be subject to the same detailed and critical care and attention as Hakuho-do. It’s easy to have a vision, but implementing that vision, and determination to carry on with the implementation, that is the hard part. Omedetoo gozaimasu to Mr. Takamoto’s company!
Posted by: Helen on April 16th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
[…] good use of spacing.. http://make.pingmag.jp/2008/02/06/hakuhodo/ […]
Posted by: Useful Links « www.nexusfreelance.com on October 19th, 2008 at 5:54 am
[…] are all handmade and I found an article online that has a few pics of how they are made in Japan: PingMag MAKE - The Japan-based interview magazine about “Making things” Archive Makeup B… The brushes are made in a traditional brush making method and go through many steps until the end […]
Posted by: Hakuhodo - makers of MAC brushes - Specktra.Net on September 16th, 2009 at 1:25 am