Hiyoshiya Craft Lab

Kotaro Nishibori, Director of Hiyoshiya Craft Lab began his path to the role when he became successor to head the failing business of Hiyoshiya, a Kyoto seller of Japanese-style umbrellas, or “wagasa.” His efforts to revive the business followed the credo, “Tradition is Continuing Innovation,” and thus focused not only on preserving tradition, but also on applying and adapting the accumulated skills and techniques of wagasa toward new product development such as lighting decor. This wagasa-based lighting is now sold internationally in 15 countries, and sales have soared to 50 times what they once were. Using this developed know-how and networking experience, TCI Laboratory was born to help traditional craft industries in Japan promote their trade and reach new overseas markets.