Born into an artistic family—a painter father and a piano teacher mother—Taro Washimi grew up surrounded by exquisite works of art that stimulated his senses. His innate DIY spirit led him to create leather bags, which, over the years, have matured and evolved into the popular brand Taro Washimi, known for its jewelry based on Native American techniques. We visited Taro Washimi in his atelier, the very place where his creativity thrives.

Event Information

TaroWashimi Promotion

□September 12th (Wednesday) - 18th (Tuesday)

□ Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st Floor = Men's Accessories

My style involves hammering into the metal and carving beautiful curves.

"My father was a painter, but he took me to various places to show me not only paintings but also sculptures and all sorts of other things. Perhaps because of that, I was the kind of child who would create something whenever I had free time."

Later, during the DIY boom of the 1980s and 90s, Washimi, who was more interested in making things than buying them, began making leather bags at the age of 17. Eventually, she became strongly drawn to Native American jewelry as "wearable sculpture."

"I admired jewelry after seeing it in magazines and such, and I actually worked at a shop where I was entrusted with the finishing touches. But I wasn't allowed to do the sculpting, and I didn't go to school. I think it's fair to say that I learned all of my jewelry-making techniques through self-study."


In 2009, Washimi finally launched Taro Washimi. While his work is based on Native American jewelry techniques, he has incorporated various creative ideas to build his own original style. He is particularly particular about images and motifs inspired by the great outdoors in which he plays and frolics. Furthermore, he does not use the lost-wax casting method, instead hammering each piece of metal and carving delicate lines with a chisel.

"Right now I'm completely absorbed in production, but I love playing in the outdoors, like climbing and freediving. I try to express what I've seen and felt in those fields. Wax has its own merits, but what I really love is metal engraving. I find it interesting and unique to me to hammer directly into the metal and engrave with a chisel."


To express the beautiful curves he envisions, he makes all of his chisels himself. This immense passion, as if he is engraving his soul into every single line, may be the reason why so many people are captivated by Taro Wasimi's jewelry.

"The more time and effort I put into creating something, the more satisfied I am with the final result."

One of the signature features of Taro Washimi's jewelry is the use of opal. This is a unique and original combination in Native American jewelry, where turquoise and other similar stones are more common.

"I simply love the unique color of opal, which can express the endlessly deep and clear blue that nature shows in the sea, air, and sky. Nowadays, you can see many similar products, but I think I was the first to start this combination. In fact, I use my own original pink gold (PG) for the base metal. Generally, PG used as a material looks a bit grayish, but we have made efforts to make ours look beautiful without any processing, so we have to consider not only the color and brightness, but also discoloration and durability, so alloying is not as simple as mixing paints."

While belonging to the category of Native American jewelry, Mr. Washimi's craftsmanship is characterized by a serene yet innovative approach that avoids being eccentric. This is precisely why the effort involved in creating new pieces is so great.

"Jewelry is something you wear in different places every day, so it can't be completed solely within the atelier. I check it by changing the lighting conditions indoors and outdoors, and even my own perception can be completely different from day to day. It's a continuous process of trial and error. But when you take the time to carefully create something like that, you can be satisfied with the finished product. That's why it can easily take me six months or even a year to complete a single new piece."


Now you have a chance to get your hands on the Taro Washimi New Collection, a masterpiece proudly presented by Mr. Washimi. From Wednesday, September 12th to Tuesday, September 18th, an event will be held at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st floor = Men's Accessories, where new jewelry with arabesque motifs will make its debut. Furthermore, there will be ISETAN MEN'S exclusive model, so you won't want to miss this. Mr. Washimi himself is scheduled to be in attendance on Saturday, September 15th, so be sure to experience not only the captivating products but also his profound worldview.

TaroWashimi Promotion

September 12th (Wednesday) - 18th (Tuesday)

Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st Floor = Men's Accessories

inquiry
Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 1st Floor = Men's Accessories
03-3352-1111 (main representative)