Refinement of techniques
117 years Tsuboe History

Founder : Kotaro Kasahara
2nd : Eiichi Kasahara
3rd : Eiji Kasahara
4th : Shinji Kasahara

Refinement of techniques
117 years Tsuboe History

From the Meiji era to the Reiwa era, from the founder to the 4th generation through the past 117 years, our spirit of manufacturing reflects the history of local industry of metalware and western tableware.
Originally, it was in 1907(40th year of the Meiji era) that the founder Kotaro Kasahara began a business as a file manufacturer. We gradually converted from hand operations to a mechanized system to improve mass production and as we moved on to our grater OROSHIGANE from files. As we enthusiastically work to preserve and pass down the techniques for future generations while constantly improving, the range of our products expanded from the tools to daily utensils.
We will always strive to explore new challenges with the spirit of manufacturing.

Founded
in 1907

In 1907(40th year of the Meiji Era)

The founder Kotaro Kasahara began a file manufacturing business in Tsubame city.

June, in 1928(3rd year of the Showa era)

The founder Kotaro Kasahara passd away in age 48. Kotaro’s children Eiichi(the next generation later on) and Kouji were taken in by Oguni family (Tanaka family), the main branch of Kasahara family.
Eiichi was still in high school student, but he restarted his father’s factory as “Oguni Yasuri Koujo” and continued file manufacturing with his younger brother, Kouji. At that time, mechanization was already becoming mainstream in the file production.

In 1940(15th year of the Showa era)

The second generation Eiich Kasahara changed the company name from “Kasahara Yasuri Seisakujo” to “Tsuboe Yasuri Seisakujo”.

In 1950 to 60(the 20th to 30th of the Showa era)

The second generation Eiichi Kasahara’s child Eiji Kasahara joined in company.
The tools that are indispensable for the production of files are modified day by day and jigs were made when necessary.

In 1976(51st year of the Showa era)

Upon the request from a trading company, we started developing a new product for a file to use at a construction site, selling it in the next year. This product sold a total of over 150 million units.
At the same time, around 1977(52nd year of the Showa era), in response to the increased demand for gypsum board as a building material, we produced and sold a non-clogged board file called “Mentry” for gypsum boards. This product also sold total over 150 million and it’s still a long-seller product. Around this time, Eiji Kasahara, the third generation, felt a potential for file manufacturing in the future so that he produced a prototype of a special purpose file in variety and small volume. This was the turning point for the production of OROSHIGANE.

In 1979(54th year of the Showa era)

The third generation Eiji Kasahara changed the name of company.

In 1980(55th year of the Showa era)

The third generation Eiji Kasahara developed a file with wooden handle. Generally, the file part and the handle component were produced separately, so this single step technique was considered revolutionary and led to an increase in the number of orders.

Oct., in 1983(58th of the Showa era)

After the second generation Eiichi Kasahara passed away, the third generation Eiji Kasahara took over the CEO of the company.

In 1984(59th year of the Showa era)

We incorporated to Tsuboe LLC.

March, in 1993(5th year of the Heisei era)

We canged from Tsuboe LLC. to Tsuboe Co., Ltd.

May, in 1993(5th year of the Heisei era)

The third generation Eiji Kasahara’s oldest son Shinji Kasahara (the present owner as the fourth generation) joined the company.
We started manufacturing with different kinds of material for OROSHIGANE, like stainless steel, copper, hard aluminum alloys and even titanium that is difficult to process.
Besides that, we also extended our work to design and manufacture large size products for business use, a grater plate of food processor and a grater blade. Through this experience, we tried to ensure the inheritance of techniques and to enhance our product to customer needs, and finally we succeeded in recreating the same peformance of “Honmetate(sharpening files)” by machine to be of the same quality as handcrafted ones.
The user of OROSHIGANE was expanded from households to professional environments.

July, in 2010(22nd year of the Heisei era)

The third generation Eiji Kasahara was appointed chairman.
The forth generation Shinji Kasahara was appointed CEO of Tuboe Co., Ltd.

Dec., in 2017(29th year of the Heisei era)

The logo of Tsuboe Co., Ltd. is redesigned.

Nov., in 2019(1st year of the Reiwa era)

The first edition of the Gokujou seriese 「Tsuboe Gokujou OROSHIGANE – hako -」 started selling.
This product that combined our technology in the past, was introduced in many media and become Tsuboe’s flagship product.

Oct., in 2020(2nd year of the Reiwa era)

The new colorful grater started selling, 「irogami -piece of grater “Hitohira no OROSHIGANE”」 that you feel like grating in the palm of your hand.

Jan., in 2021(3rd year of the Reiwa era)

The sister product of the Gokujou seriese 「Tsuboe no SHIRO」 started selling. The sponges for grater, condiment grater and domestic bamboo condiment brush(scraper) started selling.

Feb., in 2021(3rd year of the Reiwa era)

The fourth generation Shinji Kasahara was certified as 「Central Niigata Meister」. As a highly skilled technician involved in “manufacturing” in the central region of Niigata, he received the certification title of “Honmetate technique(OROSHIGANE manufacturing)”.

March, in 2021(3rd year of the Reiwa era)

The company received the “Tsubame Women Support Award,” which recognizes company that promote the creation of an environment where women can work happily.

July, in 2021(3rd year of the Reiwa era)

As a series of products in the 「Tsuboe Gokujou OROSHIGANE」, we started selling 「Tsuboe no Gokujou OROSHIGANE plate – maruzara -」 for wasabi with an eight direction (dual quattro) blade, and 「Tsuboe no Gokujou OROSHIGANE – kakuzara-」 for ginger.