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Yoshio Sotokawa

外川 良夫
JOINED
1979
BASED IN
Toyama Prefecture
BIRTHPLACE
Toyama Prefecture
BORN
1954
ROLE
Sales

I want to deliver the sound of Orin beyond the object.

Mr. Yoshio Sotokawa moved from his hometown, Toyama city to Takaoka city to join YAMAGUCHI KYUJO Co., Ltd. in 1979 when he married one of the daughters of the Yamaguchi family. As he got involved in the family business, he gradually became fascinated by the deep culture of traditional Buddhist objects that the company deals in. Being an experienced sales person, he not only visits his customers but also the manufacturers. He carries half-finished pieces from the metal casting factory to the processing studios in town and deliver them to his office when they are finished. Normally, the artisans have little chance of seeing the finished product as each process is performed in a different place. In Mr. Sotokawa’s case, he often visits the artisans of each process in order to show them the finished products. He would like to share the sense of accomplishment that their actual products are being sold and by doing so he hopes that this communication will further help in the development of good products and stability of delivery time. He had started this job during the high-growth period of the Japanese economy and sales was good but now, the business situation underwent a significant change and sales can be difficult at times. However, the presence of “Kyujo Orin” which is a new brand of the company encourages his sales activities. “I would say- please stroke it even if it’s just once to hear its sound. I’m selling the sound rather than the product itself, ” says Mr. Sotokawa. He strives to support the progress and evolution of Orin in the world of sound of Kyujo.

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KOGEI STANDARD is a cultural online media introducing Japanese crafts to the world which include ceramics, lacquerware, textiles, woodworking, glass and many more.