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The chopsticks that Nakajima-san crafts are works of art: hand-planed, eight-sided utensils perfectly balanced and surprisingly heavy. The chopsticks made of Indian ironwood will cost about 15,000 yen, but are so durable your grandchildren will be using them.
The eight-sided form of these chopsticks is an old Edo-period design. They are extremely easy to use and much better at gripping slippery foods such as tofu and kuzukiri.
Nakajima's atelier, if that word can apply to his rickety wooden shack, is on Tsukudajima, the only island in the Sumida river. Tsukudajima was an old fishing village and still retains a quiet, sleepy feeling. Nakajima-san is a lively, vibrant man, the 11th-generation of his family to make chopsticks and lacquer ware. He has been selected as an important cultural asset and may someday become a living national treasure. His lacquer ware bowls, trays, and plates are stunning, including a rare greenish finish..
His cherry wood chopsticks are about 2000 yen; red sandalwood 3800 yen; and ebony 5000 yen. When you buy a pair of chopsticks from him, he'll file down the hard wooden tips to make sure they fit your hand. And for a nominal fee he will repair your chopsticks should anything happen to them. Nakajima's pieces are not cheap, but they are exquisitely made and will last a lifetime or several.
The most interesting way to walk to Nakajima atelier is to take exit number 6. Cross the street and walk past the fenced-in parking lot on your left. Walk down to the T-intersection (follow the arrows on the map) and turn right. Walk along the left side of the residential street until you find two red banners framing a very narrow passageway between the houses. Enter here and pay your respects at what may be Tokyo's smallest shrine -- built around a living tree completely surrounded by houses. Continue to the end of the passageway and you'll see another small shrine just as you exit. The small round stones in the shrine were used as weight-training stones for Edo-period firemen. To the right of the shrine, some 30 meters away, you'll see a red curved bridge. Cross this bridge and notice the fishing boats in the canal below. After the bridge, Nakajima's atelier will be some 40 or 50 meters ahead on the left. If he is open, his wares will be arranged on a rickety table under a sheet metal eave.
Call before you go to make sure Nakajima will be there. He is often out at different locations demonstrating his craft.
Another place to check out is the 150-year-old tsukudani shop past Nakajima's place down by the levee and around the corner to the left. Entering this shop is trip back in time. Ask for a free taste. A walk along the Sumida river is also very lovely.
--mjk
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