The Professionals

Shipbuilding developed as one of postwar Japan's foremost industries, and giant Japanese ships are considered the best in the world. The key is their streamlined forms. A single ship consists of hundreds of individual steel sheets. But the shape of each one is unique, so it's difficult to make them by machine. For half a century, a 69-year-old artisan named Koichi Kuzuhara has handcrafted the required complex curves. First, he heats the steel with a flame to expand it, and then cools it with water to make it bend. Kuzuhara's mastery of the art known as "line-heating" allows him to form ideal shapes that are precise down to the millimeter. His skills have earned him admirers at overseas shipyards, who call him "the king". Even after such a long career, Kuzuhara gives the job his full attention, and always does his best. In line heating, there's never "a right way" to do things, says Kuzuhara. "It's up to you to find the solution to a problem. It's difficult, even after 50 years. But maybe that's why it's so interesting".