Information for touring Hakuba Village.

When you think of Hakuba Village, you may think of winter sports, camping, and mountain climbing, but there are actually many other spots and activities that are less well known. That's why Sierra staff, who know Hakuba Village inside and out, will visit various spots and carefully select information that will be helpful for your trip!

This time, we visited a shop called "Tetsukobo Mura no Kajiya." When you think of a blacksmith, you might imagine a manly shop, but here you can actually experience making accessories using iron wire and glass. What's more, the owner is a skiing expert who is well-known among those in the know in Hakuba Village! If you're interested, be sure to check it out!

Ironworks along the national highway Village blacksmith

Mura no Kajiya Ironworks is located about 4km from Hakuba Station on National Route 148 towards Omachi, at the Iimori intersection. It is about a 15-minute drive from Hotel Sierra Resort Hakuba.
There is a huge flower-like object outside the building, which some of you may have seen when driving by.

Who is the legendary store owner?

On the day of our interview, the shop owner, Mr. Zama, greeted us with a cheerful smile. He is actually a ski expert who goes by the nickname "Zamaaan" (The Man). He is originally from Iidabashi, Tokyo, and has experience as a construction worker. The steel frame of Ikebukuro Sunshine was also made by Mr. Zama. He became addicted to monoskiing (※1) and funskiing (※2), and moved to Hakuba Village 20 years ago to start this blacksmith shop.

If you would like to know more about Zama's snow life, please click the link below.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN PARADISE – THE NORTH FACE Winter magazine PARADISE Vol.3

*1: Skiers slide with both feet on one board. A ski that is twice the width of a regular ski.
*2: Skis are made with short boards that are about half the length of regular skis. They are also called "skiboards."

A wide range of playful creations

The shop is not particularly large, but there are many pieces lined up in a small space. They are all made with precision and full of playfulness, and looking at them makes you feel happy. According to Zama, he cannot draw, so all the pieces in his studio were created by imagining them in his head and through trial and error.

Among the miniatures placed in the middle of the shop, there was a lamp that could be turned on, and if you looked closely, you could see a glass cup on the table. There were also glass miniatures of various shapes, cute handmade earrings, and unique iron nameplates that you won't find anywhere else, so it was fun just to look around.

What kind of experience can you have?

Now, let's get to the main topic. Please take a look at what kind of experience we actually had this time.

Experience Menu

Here you can experience two types of crafts: making iron nameplates and making wire and glass accessories. (As of June 2023)

・Nameplate making experience: from 5,000 yen
・Accessory making experience: from 1,000 yen

We heard that making nameplates is quite difficult, so this time we tried our hand at making accessories that people can easily take home!

A look at the experience

Step 1: Choose a frame:
First, choose a frame shape you like. There are simple circles, squares, musical notes, numbers, alphabets, etc. You can also make a round frame into a teardrop shape by stretching it with pliers.
 

Step 2 Choose your glass:
Next, choose your favorite color of glass. There are three types of glass: transparent, opaque, and translucent. The frame is small, so you can basically create a beautiful piece with just two colors.

Step 3 Melt the glass and frame it:
This is where the real work begins. The glass molten by the flame of the burner is poured into the wire. This burner may look small, but it is actually very powerful. It is also a delicate task, so it requires a lot of concentration. It may look difficult at first glance, but there is no need to worry as Zama-san will be by my side to help me.

Finished! Your original glass accessory!

The experience took about an hour, including making and cooling. By attaching earrings or straps to the round holes, you can create unique and cute accessories. There seem to be many people who make a lot in one go, and many who come back for the experience multiple times.

A comment from the Sierra staff:

・Maybe it was because of the flames or because I was concentrating too hard, but halfway through I was completely soaked with sweat. The experience itself, as well as what I made, will be a memorable experience.
・I was a little scared of fire, and because I had to make different movements with my right and left hands, I was shaking at first, but with Zama-san's help I was able to do it well! Also, there are lots of interesting works in the shop, so it's fun just to look at them.

summary

That's all for today's introduction. Next time you come to Hakuba, why not try this unique iron and glass handmade experience? If you're a fan of crafts, or even skiing, be sure to stop by the store to have a look around and talk about playing in the snow with Hakuba's ski legend, Zamaaan! By the way, Zamaaan sometimes goes to the ski resort or is away on business during the winter, so we recommend that you make a reservation by phone before visiting the store.

[Ironworks Village Blacksmith]
Address: 24857-3 Kamishiro, Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture
Phone: 0261-71-8264⁡⁡⁡
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tetsukoubou.muranokaziya/?locale=ja_JP