Myochin Hibashi are iron fire tongs made in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. Hibashi are metal chopsticks used to pick up charcoal in a hibachi brazier or an irori hearth. Their makers, the Myochin family, come from a line of armorers (craftspeople who make armor and helmets) said to date back to the late Heian period, and in the Edo period a branch of the family was also in Himeji. When the age of the samurai ended and demand for armor disappeared, the family began making fire tongs, putting its iron-forging skills to use. Their greatest feature is the clear, high-pitched tone that rings out when the tongs touch each other. When kerosene heaters became the main form of heating and demand for fire tongs declined, the 'hibashi wind chime', with four fire tongs hung together, was devised in 1965 and spread throughout Japan. Its tone is loved by musicians in Japan and abroad. Today, production centers on items for enjoying sound, such as hibashi wind chimes and door chimes. In 1993 (Heisei 5) Myochin Hibashi were designated a Hyogo Prefecture Designated Traditional Craft.
Origin
The name of the Myochin family is said to derive from an episode in the late Heian period, when the founder presented armor and a horse bit (kutsuwa) to Emperor Konoe and, in praise of their workmanship, was granted the title 'Myochin'. However, some dictionaries say there is no firm evidence for this origin. Armorers of the Myochin school spread to various regions in the Muromachi period, and in the Edo period they were found in Himeji as well as in Edo, Kanazawa and elsewhere. Besides armor, the Myochin family also made sword guards (tsuba), horse bits, fire tongs and other items.
History
On the beginnings of fire tong making, Hyogo Prefecture carries both an account giving 'the beginning of the 19th century' and one giving 'the Meiji period'. When the Meiji Restoration ended the demand for armor, the Myochin family made fire tongs, which drew on its iron-forging skills, the mainstay of the family business. When fire tongs stopped selling as kerosene heaters spread in the 1960s, the 52nd head of the family, 明珍宗理, devised the 'hibashi wind chime' in 1965, and it spread throughout Japan. Myochin Hibashi were designated a Hyogo Prefecture Designated Traditional Craft in 1993, and the family business has been passed down to the 53rd generation.
Features
The appeal of Myochin Hibashi lies in the clear, high-pitched tone and long reverberation produced when the tongs touch each other. Because the iron is heated to a high temperature and hammered again and again into shape, each tong is finished by hand, one at a time. There are about 20 shapes of fire tongs, and the four representative ones are the Tsukushi, Tsuzumi, Warabi and Kawakugi types. Today they are enjoyed as crafts for appreciating sound, in the form of four-piece hibashi wind chimes and door chimes.
Techniques
Forging (tantetsu)
An iron rod heated to a high temperature in a forge is hammered again and again to forge it, and finished in the shape of fire tongs. It is based on the iron-forging techniques handed down through armor making. The control of each hammer blow is said to determine the clarity of the tone and its reverberation.
Shapes of fire tongs
There are about 20 shapes of fire tongs, the four representative ones being the Tsukushi, Tsuzumi, Warabi and Kawakugi types. In the past, when fire tongs were practical tools for picking up charcoal, many shapes were made to suit different uses and tastes.
Hibashi wind chime
A wind chime made of four fire tongs hung together, for enjoying the sound they make as they sway in the wind and touch each other. It was devised in 1965 by 明珍宗理, the 52nd head of the family. It is characterized by a high, ringing 'chiriin' sound, and the idea has also been applied to door chimes.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
明珍本舗
The maker of Myochin Hibashi, located in 伊伝居上ノ町, Himeji City. It is run by the Myochin family of armorers, said to date back to the late Heian period. 明珍宗理, the 52nd head of the family, devised the hibashi wind chime, and today the skills have been passed down to the 53rd generation. Hyogo Prefecture's materials list it as the maker under the name '明珍火箸本舗'.
How to Buy
- じばさんびる 播産館 (Harima local products shop)
- A shop for Harima specialty products inside じばさんびる at 南駅前町123, Himeji City, a short walk from JR Himeji Station. Besides Myochin Hibashi, it carries local crafts such as Himekawa leatherwork (姫革細工), Himeji papier-mâché (姫路張子) and Himeji spinning tops (姫路こま). Open from 9:00 to 19:00, every day.
- Himeji Castle shops / ピオレ姫路おみやげ館 (souvenir shop)
- Myochin Hibashi are also sold at the shops of Himeji Castle and at ピオレ姫路おみやげ館 in Himeji Station. The selection centers on gift items such as wind chimes and door chimes. The range of products varies with the time of year.
FAQ
Q. Where does the name 'Myochin' come from?
A. It is said that in the late Heian period, the founder of the Myochin family presented armor and a horse bit to Emperor Konoe and, in praise of their resonant sound and luster, was granted the title 'Myochin'. However, some sources say there is no firm evidence for this.
Q. When was the hibashi wind chime created?
A. In 1965. As demand for fire tongs fell with the spread of kerosene heaters, 明珍宗理, the 52nd head of the family, devised it. The clear sound of the tongs touching each other became popular, and it spread throughout Japan.
Q. How is the tone of the hibashi wind chime regarded?
A. The clear high notes and long reverberation of forged iron touching iron have won acclaim in Japan and abroad, and it has been reported that the singer Stevie Wonder and 冨田勲 (Isao Tomita), a pioneer of electronic music, are among those who have praised it.