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SuwadaOpenFactory(Sanj¯oCity,NiigataPrefecture)aTourthisfactoryandseeartisanscraftingthecompany’smetalproducts,includingitsnailnippers,thetoolofchoiceforalmosteverynailprofessionalinJapan.Gyokusendo(TsubameCity,NiigataPrefecture)aWatchskilledartisanspainstakinglyhammersheetsofcopperintobeautifulandveryfunctionalcopper-wareusingtechniquesperfectedover200years.Migakiya-Ichibankan(TsubameCity,NiigataPrefecture)aLearnaboutTsubame’sworld-classmetal-polishingtechniques.Youcaneventryyourhandatpolishingyourownmetalcup–simpleandfail-safe!TsubameIndustrialMaterialsMuseum(TsubameCity,NiigataPrefecture)aTracetheindustrialevolutionofTsub-ameCityatthismuseumthroughitsdisplaysofvariousmetaltoolsandrareexhibits,includingauniquecollec-tionofspoonsfromallovertheworld.standingmetal-processingtechnologiesintheworld,withnumerouscompaniesproducinghigh-qualitymetalitems.ThesetechnologiesaresoadvancedthatthelateSteveJobsofUSelectronicsgiantAppleInc.adoptedthemforhiscompany’scomputercase,aswellasforthereflectivemetalcasesofitsproducts.VisitorscaneasilypurchasesuperiormetalproductsinandaroundTsubame-Sanj¯oStation.Evenbetter,theycanventureoutandobservethetechniquesofTsubamesanj¯o’sworld-classartisans.Manyshopswillevenletvisitorstrythesetechniquesthemselvestocreateanunforgettablesouvenir.技Waza(Technique)Tsubamesanj¯oRegionalIndustriesPromotionCenter(Sanj¯oCity,NiigataPrefecture)aTsubamesanj¯oisJapan’sleadingmetalware-pro-ducingarea.Thiscenteroffersbothmetalitemsmadeusingtraditionalcraftsmanshiptechniques,andproductsmanufacturedusingstate-of-the-arttechnology.Tsubamesanj¯oBoastsWorld-ClassMetal-ProcessingTechnologiesTsubameandSanj¯o,locatedinNiigataPrefecture,areneighboringcitieswheresomeofthefinestmetalgoodsinJapanareproduced.Theirentryintometalworking,withtheproductionofJapanesenailsknownaswakugi,occurredover400yearsagowhenfrequentfloodingofthelocalriversforcedtheagriculturalcommunitytoseekamorestablelineofwork.Sincethen,Sanj¯ohascometoexcelinmakingtools,knives,andproductsforhairdressersandbeauticians.Tsubame,ontheotherhand,specializesincastcopperware,amongothermetalcraft-work,andaccountsfor95percentofalldo-mesticproductionofcutlery.Theoverallarea,knownjointlyasTsubame-sanj¯o,ishometosomeofthemostout-34aMasters'Techniques