Hudson Shoe Store: We carefully examine each shoe and repair them as if we were making them ourselves.

Manufacturing
Creating things
Craftsman's Landscape

This issue's location
[Job Title] Shoemaker
[Craftsman's Name] Rui Murakami, Hudson Shoe Store
[Location] Yokohama, Kanagawa Ward

Carefully, thoroughly, and with heartfelt intention.
This section introduces manufacturing sites that utilize handcrafted techniques.
This time, we received a request from around the world for a repair that other shops couldn't fix.
Shoes that have been rejected are gathering here.
He could truly be called the savior of the shoe world.
I went to the shoe repair shop, "Hudson Shoe Store."

Mr. Murakami, who became the second-generation owner of "Hudson Shoe Store" seven years ago, inherited the legacy of his predecessor, who was said to be the last handmade shoemaker in Yokohama. Shelves in the workshop are lined with shoes awaiting repair, and the surrounding area is overflowing with shoemaking tools such as leather knives and crocodile leather, all waiting to be used. While observing his predecessor's movements and stealing his techniques, Mr. Murakami has mostly self-taught himself how to do detailed repairs. "I sharpen my own leather knives, and I also customize the needles and threads to fit the shoes," he says. "I value listening attentively to the feelings and requests of my customers regarding their shoes, so I make sure to have a thorough consultation beforehand until the customer is satisfied," he says, and spending ample time on this is the Hudson way. "A shoe repair shop with many consultations"...the love that goes into shoes runs endlessly deep.

"In a niche location in Yokohama," says Murakami, referring to Hudson Shoe Store, which is located in a corner of the Matsumoto 3-chome shopping street, a 5-minute walk from Tanmachi Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. This is where the store was established in 1961 (Showa 36) by the previous owner, Masatoshi Sato, who made shoes for many prominent figures, including former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, and it has been in business for 56 years this year. "It seems that most of the people in this shuttered shopping street didn't know that there was such an amazing shoemaker in this location. They never imagined that the person who made shoes for the Japanese Prime Minister was here." After the previous owner passed away, Hudson Shoe Store was closed for about a year, but Murakami took over seven years ago.

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is where shoes that have been turned away from all over the country gather. Shoes that have been deemed too difficult to repair by the increasing number of franchise shoe repair shops in town are brought in through word of mouth and the internet. It seems that Mr. Murakami's reputation as a shoemaker has spread overseas as well, and just the other day, shoes were sent to him from Belgium.

Shoe repairs at Hudson Shoe Store begin with a lengthy "reception" process. Especially for first-time customers, it takes two to three hours per pair of shoes. "Of course, technical skill is important, but since customers have gone to the trouble of researching online and finding our store, we believe it's only natural to treat them with care and attention. Initially, some people around us were worried that we were wasting time or reducing our earnings (laughs). But we decided to dedicate as much time as possible to the reception process until the customer is satisfied. Once we gain their trust, the time required gradually decreases from the next time onwards."

Mr. Murakami's shoe repair skills are self-taught. Of course, the foundation is built upon the experience he gained from working his way up from his predecessor, but what truly matters is facing the shoes of the day...that's where the unique, once-in-a-lifetime relationship between the craftsman and the shoes begins.

"My approach to repairing shoes is to do it as if I were making new shoes. I see it as 'remaking,' not 'repairing.'" With the shoes to be remade in front of him, the "dialogue with the shoes" begins. In front of him are shoes that other shops have given up on and brought to him. What is the best way to remake them? What materials should he use, what tools should he use, and what process should he follow... In short, he says he "spends a lot of time just looking at the shoes."

For example, this one. A pair of leather sandals that I was about to start working on during the interview.

He gazed at the sandals for a while, picked them up, placed them on the workbench and looked at them again, stared at his tools, and silence continued... Finally, he decided on a repair method.

"These sandals have a leather upper but a rubber sole. So even if you make holes with a regular awl, the rubber closes up immediately. I was struggling to figure out how to solve that problem," he said. Even though he had a way forward, he said he would still need to proceed cautiously, checking the condition of the shoes as he went along.

That's Mr. Murakami for you. He says he doesn't accept every order. "I don't want to repair shoes to the point of ruining their character. My original profession was manufacturing, so I know how many craftsmen put into making those shoes and what kind of feelings they had, and I can't do a quick fix. I'm sorry, but there are times when I have to decline a request because I really can't accept it." I think that's a stance that comes from his sincere approach to shoes.

Anyone who has visited Hudson Shoe Store will notice the beauty of the tools that Murakami uses. For example, this leather knife.

"For a craftsman, tools are everything. I actually visited a sharpener in Asakusa to learn how to sharpen knives using whetstones, and I now sharpen my own blades. It's said that a shoemaker's career truly begins when they can properly sharpen their own leather knives. That kind of foundation is essential for shoe repair."

In addition, Murakami uses needles and threads that he has modified himself to suit the shoes he is repairing.

The tool box used by the previous owner.

The machines that the previous generation used are still going strong and are working perfectly.

When asked about his future plans, Murakami gave the welcome news for Hudson fans: "Next year, I'll be opening a made-to-order shoe store in an apartment room about 200-300 meters from this shop. I plan to have about 72 pairs of shoes made to order." The logo for the shoe brand has already been decided.

"Since becoming a shoemaker and taking over this shop, I've come to realize even more how much the craftsmen of old Japan risked their lives for their work. As a craftsman myself, I want to work carefully so that customers will recognize me as a 'professional among professionals'," says Murakami. The well-maintained tools, the large machines waiting for their turn to shine, and above all, Murakami's hands covered in pine resin, all speak volumes about his love for shoes.