SHITAMACHI – The name of area in Tokyo ,and City-Workshop is concentrated inside.

The community which keeps the old age style streetscape, and also a blend of housing and industry. People create a special atmosphere with their neighbors, and holds a old-time Edo era mood with strong humanity and bond to each other. This is the cause from, since the trade and industries are active, which resulted in rooting the disposition and spirit of classical craftsperson. You can see  and hear carpenter working commonly. Originally, the community of samurai family placed in highland was called “Yamanote” and community of merchant and craftsman placed in lowland was called “Shitamachi” in Edo era.

Machi-kouba(City-Workshop) – Many of them can be seen is Shitamachi area.

A small factory standing in Shitamachi-area. Their workplace and worker’s living space are closely placed, or sometimes sits together. One of the main characteristic is that working members are small, less than three most of the time, or ran by family. However, the number of workers are unregulated and there are some cases that workshop with more than 50 members are grouped as city-workshop. The scale is not big, but these workshops are specialized in producing the basis of huge variety of merchandise, and trial manufacture or development of advanced technology. Currently, city-workshop has been using their expertise to produce their own brand and consumer products.

City-workshop has experience and techniques that covers designing instruction can not indicate. Workshops cooperate each other, and scene that workers walk to other workshop to discuss with plans or parts of machinery in their hands can be seen. In this way, city-workshops cumulate in narrow region and with their unique technique, form a strong network. Many workshops apply their own specialities such that workshop with strength in metallic processing: cutting, abrasion, welding, sheet metal, forging, laser, electric discharge, press, heat-treatment, plating. Some has specialities of cutting metals depending in various shapes or materials.

O-ta ku(Ota Ward) – One of Tokyo’s 23 prefectural ward, and sits at southernmost of Tokyo.

There is International Air Terminal, Haneda Airport in the east. As of 2013, the ward has population of about 700,000, and the total area is 59.46km^2. The eastern side of Keihin-canal is filled ground, and physical distribution base and is a factorial campus. The western side of Ikegami-street is wooded hills, and there are 50 name given slopes. Southernmost region is a boundary line between Kanagawa prefecture Kawasaki-city. There is Tamagawa river, and citizens enjoy playing soccer, baseball, golf, and etc along the river bed.

Videos of Ota Ward