Poké Ball and Ditto tin handicrafts by traditional maker Nousaku will transform your tableware

You can also experience metal-casting your own Pokémon chopsticks rest using a traditional crafting technique at Nousaku’s main factory shop.

We love a collaboration between modern Japanese pop culture and traditional artisanal crafts. Luckily, Nousaku, a Japanese company which sells metalwork handicrafts based in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, is the latest such partnership to pique our interest.

The Nousaku Pokémon Collection goes on sale on July 1 at the 18 physical Nousaku store locations, the Nousaku online shop, Pokémon Center Kanazawa, and the Pokémon Center Japan online shop. Buyers at any of the Nousaku locations, including the online store, will also receive a specially crafted mirror aluminum Pokémon sticker as part of a commemorative campaign while supplies last.

The collection features two exquisitely crafted Pokémon-themed items for use in dining or decor. First, the 100-percent-tin Poké Ball containers retail for 11,000 yen (US$70) each. They’re perfect for storing small objects or for use as tableware, as tin is resistant to oxidation, therefore not rusting easily, and has antibacterial properties.

Open one of them up, and you’ll see a surprise Pikachu silhouette on the bottom.

Each container also comes in a fancy red Nousaku box with a Poké Ball icon.

Second, the 100-percent-tin Ditto trays retail for 7,150 yen each. Just like the shapeshifting Pokémon they recreate, the trays are malleable and can be bent in any way you’d like. Use them for serving small bites of food, as coasters, or for displaying accessories.

They also come in a stylized Nousaku box.

Furthermore, the release of the Nousaku Pokémon Collection comes with a limited-time opportunity for those interested in the metal-casting process to try it out for themselves. From July 1 through September 30, visitors to Nousaku’s main factory shop in Takaoka can experience a traditional casting technique using a sand mold with a history of over 400 years in the Takaoka area. Participants will make a Pokémon-themed hashioki (chopsticks rest) from 100-percent tin using this technique.

You can choose your favorite Pokémon from the following four hashioki designs to make for yourself.

▼Fire/Flying-type Charizard, the Flame Pokémon
“It uses its wings to fly sky-high. The more experience it gains in battle, the greater the temperature at which its flames burn.” (Pokédex entry from Pokémon Violet)

▼ Ground-type Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokémon
“It loves to bathe in the grit of dry, sandy areas. By sand bathing, this Pokémon rids itself of dirt and moisture clinging to its body.” (Pokédex entry from Pokémon Sword)

▼ Normal-type Ditto, the Transform Pokémon
“While it can transform into anything, each Ditto apparently has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to transformations.” (Pokédex entry from Pokémon Ultra Sun)

▼ Psychic-type Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokémon
“It uses the sucker on its head to hang from a tree or from eaves. It can produce seven different tones.”  from Pokémon Scarlet)

Note that the casting experience requires advance reservations via Nousaku’s website or phone. It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, with up to 18 people allowed at each of eight timeslots throughout the day, and costs 1,100 yen per person. The recommended age for participation is elementary school students and older.

We’re certainly excited to see what other novel collaborations Nousaku comes up with in the future. After these new Pokémon designs and that gorgeous Totoro wind chime in partnership with Studio Ghibli last year, we’ll certainly keep our eye on Nousaku’s creations to come.

Shop information
Nousaku Main Factory Shop / 能作本社工場
Address: Toyama-ken, Takaoka-shi, Office Park 8-1
富山県高岡市オフィスパーク8‐1
Duration: July 1-September 30, 2024
Open: 10:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. (earliest and latest starting times)
Phone: (+81) 0766-63-0001
Website

Source, images: PR Times
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