OBQP (OBITSUKEWPIE) Gold Leaf

As attention turns to the people who carry on the skills of handcraft, from traditional crafts to the small factories that supported Japan’s era of rapid growth, two companies committed to artisan handwork, one from Katsushika, Tokyo and one from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, both known as towns of manufacturing, joined hands. The result is the charity product “OBQP (OBITSUKEWPIE) Gold Leaf,” part of whose sales was intended to help the recovery from the Noto Peninsula earthquake and flood disasters.

Obitsu staff had long been repeat customers of 箔座 products and of items such as sake made with gold leaf, and had noticed how similar the two companies’ approaches to manufacturing are. Then the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck. More than a year after the earthquake and floods, recovery was still far off, and even some of 箔座’s business partners were affected. As people living in a town supported by the handwork of artisans, we could not treat it as someone else’s problem. Obitsu Plastic Manufacturing kept searching for something it could do for the affected area. What came out of that was “OBQP Gold Leaf,” covered in 箔座’s gold leaf. OBQP, which has been behind many collaborations, was born as a messenger from one town of manufacturing to another.

Offered in three body sizes, 5 cm, 15 cm, and 25 cm, each product was made by hand, one piece at a time, by both companies. These lovable figures, shining gold in every corner, were delivered as a symbol of hope for a brighter tomorrow and as a gift wishing for peace and calm. We would be glad if this collaboration between OBQP and 箔座’s gold leaf, two companies that know better than anyone the value of artisan handwork, can be of help to the people working to pass on their skills in the affected area.