No.3 Mounting craftsman-Koukichi

Koukichi began to work at the umbrella workshop. He made a lot of Japanese waterproofed-paper umbrellas. The progress of production of umbrellas were as follows, cutting bamboo, drying, assembling, and sticking paper. Koukichi experienced construction of umbrella. His experience was the most important technique and based on how to make an airplane for his future. And, Koukichi began to show his ability in this work day by day. But, he was still young.

He recollected his happy life in Hachihama ago every day. He always looked depressed. He was anxious about his mother, sister, and brothers, who came apart at last. Koukichi was crying every twilight at stone steps where approached to Shinto shrine. And, he saw several eagles flying in the sunset. He thought that if he could fly, he would visit his mother and brothers over mountains and sea as a bird.

His uncle, Manbei who was the owner of mounting crafts-shop in Okayama, heard that Koukichi was very skillful. Then Manbei asked Koukichi to work in his shop. Koukichi was very happy at his request, because he would live with a younger brother, Yasaku.

Koukichi moved from Hachihama to Okayama when he was 14 years old.
Manbei's shop was favorably situated in a center of the Okayama castle town. Koukichi began to work very hard in this shop and lived with Yasaku.

His first task was kneading a large quantity of glue from morning till night. This task was very hard for Koukichi, so he was only 14 years old. And, Koukichi worked patiently.

Several years had passed. Koukichi improved his skill day by day.
And he was in the confidence of his master and customers. Then he became the first class of mounting craftsmen, and he was a well-known craftsman in Okayama.