Photo/Illutration Ryo Yamamoto in Tottori on Sept. 5 (Photo by Katsuhisa Saito)

TOTTORI--To order a custom-made fountain pen from Ryo Yamamoto, expect to wait 18 months for delivery. 

Yamamoto, 50, said he is overwhelmed with orders. Many of his clients are celebrities both in and outside Japan.

One of them, a renowned author, expressed deep gratitude for Yamamoto’s craftsmanship, saying it enabled the writer to “work with it on a myriad of titles together as a lifelong partner.”

Yamamoto’s specialized fountain pen shop, called Hakase, was established by his grandfather about 100 years ago.

Seeing demand for fountain pens shrink in the commercial market around the mid-1980s, Yamamoto’s father, now 81, hit upon the idea of producing tailor-made items to survive.

Yamamoto initially did not have any plans to take over the family business because he wanted to race motorbikes.

He set up a medical equipment enterprise but at the age of 28, his business failed. His father urged him to return to his hometown.

Yamamoto set about developing better fountain pens under an artisan working with his father.

“My mentor did not provide me with detailed guidance at all, so I had no choice but to see and steal techniques,” Yamamoto recalled. “This process allowed me to refine my sensibility.”

Committing himself to training for seven years, Yamamoto ended up becoming independent when his teacher retired. He became responsible for managing the business at the same time.

Yamamoto goes the extra mile to satisfy his customers. He pays close attention to how they intend to use the pens and their writing style before starting work.

For instance, a man visiting his shop from Portugal told Yamamoto he suffered from chronic numbness in his hand due to a disease. Yamamoto met the customer’s needs by perfecting a pen that was easy to wield with little writing pressure.

“I will continue to create tools that capture my patrons’ hearts,” Yamamoto said. “As it would be unacceptable to make my customers wait any longer, I am careful not to injure my hands. I never use my dominant hand to carry heavy loads.”

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