Narrator: The secret to making
some of the best bonsai scissors in the world
lies in learning how to forge samurai swords.
Narrator: Hirakawa Yasuhiro is one of the only blacksmiths in Japan
who still makes these scissors using methods
that date back to the fifth century.
Professional gardeners are willing to pay thousands
and wait a whole year to get their hands on a pair.
Narrator: Yasuhiro's family workshop, Sasuke,
has been around for 155 years,
but he worries it may end with him.
Narrator: We went to Sakai, Japan,
to see how this bonsai-scissor-making craft
is still standing.
Narrator: Yasuhiro's family business is one of the last in Sakai
that specializes in bonsai scissors in addition to knives.
Narrator: Like knives, these scissors
start with a small piece of metal.
Yasuhiro cuts it down about 10 centimeters.
He uses Japanese Yasugi steel
because it's more durable and helps the blades stay sharp.
He starts with a softer kind to make the handle
and the base of the blade.
He heats the metal in an old wood-burning furnace
instead of a modern gas burner
because he believes the heat is more concentrated that way.
It takes about an hour
for it to reach the perfect temperature.
Narrator: Yasuhiro starts with a power hammer to stretch it.
Then he switches to a manual one
to perfect the round shape of the handle.
Narrator: To make the blade,
he forges a hard piece of steel
over the softer base he started with.
This is called forge welding.
It's one of the oldest and most essential skills
in blacksmithing.
Yasuhiro uses powdered borax
and iron oxide to bind them and help prevent oxidation.
He heats the metal once more
and hammers it again to flatten it into the shape
of a blade.
These short taps at a low temperature
make the particles finer and smaller
and the metal denser and stronger.
Slowly, it'll start looking like scissors.
Yasuhiro files the handle
to make it slightly rough and uneven.
This will help people keep a tight grip on them.
He uses this mold to bend the handle
into its signature butterfly shape.
Narrator: He files a straight line onto the blade
to complete the signature Sasuke look.
The most crucial part is a technique called quenching.
Yasuhiro heats the blade one last time
at 780 degrees Celsius.
He can tell it's the right temperature
just by looking at the color of the fire.
Then he immediately submerges it in water.
The sudden change in temperature will harden the blade.
He prefers to do it in the morning before the sun is up.
Narrator: If done incorrectly, the metal can turn brittle.
Today, he's the only person in his family
who's mastered all of the steps, and he often works alone.
He buffs the scissors to make them smooth.
Yasuhiro says this can be exhausting.
Narrator: Both sides have to fit perfectly together.
Narrator: Bonsai scissors have to be as sharp as a razor
to make precise, clean cuts.
It can take him up to a month to make one pair,
but it can last a lifetime.
Yasuhiro also repairs scissors
that are more than 100 years old.
Narrator: The city of Sakai has been famous
for its metalwork since the fifth century.
People from across the country
would come here looking for knives, swords, and even guns.
Yasuhiro himself comes
from a long line of blacksmiths spanning 22 generations.
But it was his great-great-grandfather Sadajiro
who made scissors the focus of the family business in 1867.
And when Yasuhiro took it over in the late '60s,
he was determined to grow the business.
Narrator: But it wasn't always easy to find new customers.
Narrator: Today, Yasuhiro is one of the few people in the country
making such high-quality scissors.
Bonsai specialist Yoshikawa Masakazu
was willing to wait a year to get his hands on a pair.
Narrator: Without clean cuts, needles can turn brown,
and branches can wither.
And sometimes, bad blades can stop small buds from growing.
Narrator: Using good scissors is also essential for Masakazu
because bonsai are an important symbol
in Japanese Zen Buddhism.
Narrator: Yasuhiro says he's always learning from his customers.
Narrator: He's most proud of this $26,000 pair
that took him three years to make
and is decorated with gold.
He dreams of making another similar one
coated with a wine-red lacquer.
But it would take him at least four years,
and orders keep piling up.
Narrator: People can order custom scissors online
or visit his workshop in person.
But there may not be another successor to the brand.
Yasuhiro has two sons,
but he isn't sure they'll follow in his footsteps.
Narrator: Meanwhile, he carries the responsibility
of crafting better scissors on his own.