KYOTO >> As he twists together two copper wires, then two more and two more, a woven pattern of shiny metal hexagons takes shape.

Artisan Toru Tsuji produces kitchen utensils and other items by twisting copper or stainless-steel wire in this way at his workshop in Higashiyama ward, Kyoto. His craft is called kyo-kanaami.

“I hold my breath when I concentrate on it,” said Tsuji, the second-generation owner of Kanaami-Tsuji, a manufacturer of kyo-kanaami. He spends as many as 10 hours a day on his elaborate pieces.

The art of kyo-kanaami is said to date back 1,000 years. Tsuji, who has been in the family business for 21 years, makes a variety of products, ranging from traditional items such as tea strainers, tofu scoops and sesame roasters to Western goods, including lampshades and coffee drippers.

The traditional craft, woven in chrysanthemum or tortoiseshell mesh patterns, are made with the utmost care and attention to detail. They are beautiful, but also a pleasure to use.

A disagreeable business

Kanaami-Tsuji was founded by Tsuji’s father, Kenichi, in Kita ward, Kyoto, in 1985. According to Tsuji, his parents were so obsessed with their work, they never visited his school on open house days. “Partly because it made me feel lonely, I didn’t want to take over such a consuming business,” he said.

Shunning the family trade, Tsuji worked at a hip-hop clothing store after high school. His courteous approach to customers helped boost sales, but he left the job after about three years. He also traveled around Jamaica, the birthplace of reggae.

When Tsuji visited his parents’ workshop after his return, he was drawn to their honest approach to craftsmanship.

“I felt that it would be more interesting to make products and sell them myself,” Tsuji said. He joined Kanaami-Tsuji when he was 21.

At the time, the workshop was mainly making utensils for cooking and confectionery stores, and most of the products were sold to wholesalers. But once, when Tsuji was delivering the products, he saw them being handled carelessly. These were crafts he and his workshop staff had poured themselves into, and he realized he should sell his products directly to customers.

After persuading his parents to let him open a retail store in 2007, he settled on products that would be easy for the average person to use at home.

For example, when people cook hot pot dishes at the dining table, they often place freshly rinsed vegetables and other ingredients on a flat, wire-mesh strainer on top of a plate. Tsuji designed that type of strainer, but with sophisticated square and octagonal patterns. To keep the strainer from scratching the plate, he sheathed its legs in silicone.

The item, designed to be both traditional and user-­friendly, proved popular, and Tsuji gained confidence.

Orders from abroad

Motivated by the belief that craftspeople must continually take in new perspectives and update their own, Tsuji broadens his horizons by traveling to the United States, Europe and other Asian countries. This mindset led him to go beyond producing traditional kitchen products to create lampshades.

The lampshades are designed to create a patterned shadow on the wall when the lights are turned on. The charming pieces, which change in hue over time from a reddish-brown to amber, have attracted orders outside Japan.

“A person’s age, sex and career history are of no importance when working with your hands,” said Tsuji. “I want to create an industry that is diverse.”

His workshop has grown to seven craftspeople, some of whom had withdrawn from society or were mid-career hires. He also sells muddlers made at a facility for people with disabilities.

“I was not good at my studies, but with my current job I can satisfy customers, and sometimes they praise me,” he said. “Traditional crafts can create jobs, and these jobs support the local community.”

Tsuji is weaving himself into the craft’s traditions, expanding the possibilities of kyo-kanaami.

“There are many dynamic people in Kyoto. I want to show this to people all over the world through my skills.”