The towns of Hokkaido - Muroran

Walked around and found it

Made it!

Experience 'Striking While the Iron is Hot'

In Muroran, you can experience for yourself the proverb "Strike while the iron is hot." Wanishi Hachijo Atelier, which is run by the nonprofit Tetsupro, is in the Wanishi district, where ironworks once prospered. I visited the workshop and made an iron key ring.
Words by Yajima Azusa
Photographs by Ito Rumiko
Translation by Xene Inc.

You can tell from the color of the iron that it is close to 900 degrees.

We will never give up on the idea of being an 'iron town'

Muroran is the first city that comes to mind when you mention Hokkaido iron-making. The Wanishi district, which prospered as an iron-making area beginning in the Meiji era (1868-1912), was one of the most crowded parts of Hokkaido at its peak, with 20,000 people living there. It was a town that never sleeps, with iron and steel men working in three shifts: morning, noon and night. After a while the amount of iron and steel produced gradually decreased and people began to leave. The nonprofit Tetsupro was formed mainly by young managers of shops in the Wanishi commercial district who were feeling a sense of crisis. Tetsupro is based on the idea of using iron for a town renewal project.

I heard that there is an authentic iron artisanry workshop available at the Wanishi Hachijo Atelier, which is run by Tetsupro, so I made a reservation. My instructor was industrial designer Sudo Daisuke. He is a former ceramics artist.

"To be honest, I dislike iron because I cannot process it the way I want to. That's why I chose ceramics, which are made from soft clay," he said laughing.

In the summer two years ago, Wanishi Hachijo Atelier held a "Wanishi Artisanry Workshop" for Muroran area elementary school students, and parents' eyes lit up.
"Both children and adults get excited when they experience iron artisanry. Muroran is a town that developed from artisanry, so I want to pass on that spirit," Sudo said.

Coke is mixed in so the fire in the oven does not go out.

The 'Iron Artisanry Workshop' Enthralls Even Adults

"Coke is made by baking iron in a pan, and it is an essential heat source in an ironworks. Iron is heated with coke to melt it, then foreign matter is removed by reacting with limestone and pure iron is left," said Sudo, explaining the fundamentals of iron making while giving me a lecture on how to use the tools and on the work procedure. Well, I wonder what kind of iron key chain I will be able to make.

How to make an iron key chain

  1. The material is a round iron rod 9 mm in diameter. There is a choice of three lengths.
  2. Place the iron rod in a coke oven and wait until it reaches an easy-to-work-with temperature of 900 to 950 degrees.
  3. Strike it with a hammer until it is flat. If it cools, heat it again and repeat the same operation three or four times.
  4. Heat the flattened iron rod in the oven, fix it in place and then turn it with a wrench to twist it.
  5. Heat it again, choose a carved seal and hammer it onto the iron.
  6. Remove the surface rust with a metal brush. The iron will still be about 400 degrees.
  7. Place the rod in water to cool it.
  8. If you polish the iron with the metal brush, it will get shinier.
  9. To prevent rusting, beeswax is rubbed in with a cloth and the metal takes on a black luster.
  10. Use a crayon to put color in the indentation created when you hammered the carved seal.

The iron key chain is finished. The more you use it, the more it will take on a warm texture from the oils on your hand, just like with leather products.

"Iron Artisanry Workshop" at Wanishi Hachijo Atelier
  • Key chain making 1,200 yen
  • Magnet making 2,000 yen

Target group: Elementary school students or older
Open: Weekends and holidays (reservations required)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3-10 2-chome Wanishi-cho Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
Tel.: 0143-84-5510 (noord design)
Website(Japanese)

There are more than 100 variations in the atelier’s classic series of products for Muroran's famous mascot Bolta. The military commander series is popular among foreign visitors to Japan.

Bolta Workshop
  • Factory model making workshop 1,600 yen

Referring to a model made in the image of a Muroran factory, participants will place bolts and nuts on both sides of a plastic case in any way they see fit.
Target participant: First-graders and older. (Elementary school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)
Hours: Starting at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (Reservations required one week in advance.)
Closed: Sundays and Mondays from November to April, and Mondays from May to October
32-6 1-chome Wanishi-cho Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
Tel.: 0143-47-8233
Website(Japanese)

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The towns of Hokkaido - Muroran
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