Confronting Destiny, or the Start of an Adventure

Kyukei Goto's workshop sits in a tranquil spot near Kamakura's Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Generations of his family have carved the history of Kamakurabori here ever since his great-grandfather acquired the land in the Meiji era. Goto says that from childhood, everyone called him the "heir," and he grew up with a nebulous sense of his destiny.

In the spring before graduating from junior high, Goto was called in by his father, the master artisan at the time, who asked about his future plans. "If you're going to pursue Kamakurabori, you're already cutting it close to start." His father had lost his own father (Goto's grandfather) at just four and had begun training at age six.

Forced to become the head of a workshop with many artisans at a young age, Goto's father grew up under immense pressure to "master the craft quickly." He likely found himself torn—wanting to spare his son the same struggle, yet unable to let the tradition fade away. When his father finally broke the silence with those words, Goto simply replied, "I'm ready," and set foot on the path of an artisan.