IKUSAGAMI
IKUSAGAMI (God of War) refers to an ancient Japanese god worshipped by many feudal lords in the Warring States period, who bestowed blessings of luck and victory in battle. During the Warring States period, warlords would wear the power of gods and Buddhas on themselves to boost their own and their soldiers' morale, and to believe in victory and go beyond their own limits. IKUSAGAMI revives that spirit in the present day, and was born as jewelry that gives courage and strength to the wearer. It supports the proud figure that lies beyond overcoming the difficulties of life.
By incorporating the advanced techniques used in high jewelry, which are made with a precision of 1/100 mm by traditional Kofu jewelry craftsmen, into IKUSAGAMI items and passing them on to the future, we hope that the blessings of luck and victory for those who fight in battle today will be powerfully passed down across generations.
The company was founded in August 2011 in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the world's three largest jewelry processing centers, with the goal of passing down jewelry and gemstones from parent to child and grandchild through generations under the motto of "3 generations, 100 years of assets."
Founder Ken Watanabe reexamined his life after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, and came to the realization that "people don't know when their last moments will come," so he gathered a small group of trustworthy craftsmen and started a company with seven people.
The company name B.L.S. is an acronym of Bonds Linking for Success. This is Watanabe's personal belief and the foundation of the company's management.
The company philosophy is to pass on traditional techniques handed down from ancient times to the future, and to ensure that Kofu's jewelry industry continues for 100 or 200 years to come. To achieve this, we have developed our own brand, which allows craftsmen to use their skills at a reasonable wage, while protecting current craftsmen and nurturing future ones.
Yamanashi's jewelry industry was born from the crystals produced in the area centered around Mt. Kinpu. Kofu City has a long history with crystals, dating back to the Paleolithic period (more than 16,000 years ago). In terms of jewelry history, the combination of crystal polishing and metalworking from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period led to the creation of more sophisticated products with high marketability. This led to the development of the jewelry industry as a major production center.
Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture is also a city that has all the elements necessary for jewelry manufacturing, centered around jewelry artisans who procure raw materials, design, polish gemstones, and do metalwork. For this reason, it is known as one of the world's three major jewelry processing centers, along with Idar-Oberstein in Germany and Vicenza in Italy.
Awarded in the Silver Accessories category at the 2024 Japan Cultural Grand Prix