Staff writer

OSAKA -- Screw maker Kawabata Neji Seisakusho sits on a corner in Higashi Osaka's small manufacturing center. Visitors to the small factory will hear the rhythmic hum of machines under a dim light.

But farther inside, the scene comes alive -- screws of all shapes and color are artistically displayed on shelves and desks.

Kenji Kawabata, 46, is president of the company, which has been making industrial screws since 1953. But he also claims to be the nation's first "art screw" designer.

Kawabata started making art screws in 1990 and enjoys a 100 percent share of the market.

Although Kawabata would not disclose annual sales or the capital of his company, which has five workers including himself, it was on a nationwide list of 548 "small top-share firms" recently compiled by a Ministry of International Trade and Industry-affiliated think tank. Some of his products have won "good design" awards from MITI and other prizes.

"The use (of the art screw) is expanding, and I sometimes receive orders from people I never thought of, such as ikebana artists."

He now makes about 40 types of art screws. They are used to build houses, office buildings and shops, and for interior goods and art projects.

His company now conducts business with about 40 firms, but his career path has not been easy.

After graduating from high school at 18, Kawabata started to work at the company founded by his father.

Though he learned how to make screws from his father, he did not like the job. He thought he had to do something that would differentiate the business from others.

His chance came in 1990, when he took control of the company due to his father's illness. He suddenly began to wonder what it would be like to make colorful screws, and rushed to a nearby shop to buy spray paint.

Although his instinct told him the screws would sell, most people did not show any interest at first. Neither they nor Kawabata really knew what to do with them.

So he took his creations to industrial exhibitions and asked people for advice. Gradually, he began to receive orders from architects and interior designers, and his screws started to receive awards. He now makes screws to order and wholesales them to Tokyu Hands stores.

Kawabata stresses that the techniques and skills he acquired making industrial screws have enabled him to make different types of art screws.

"High-level skills are required at the processing and finishing stages," he said. "I can handle any material, though most screws are made of iron, stainless steel and brass.

"One of the reasons other companies don't enter this market is that there is no guarantee you will receive orders on the level of 1 million units. The business suits small companies like us, which make small quantities in a variety of types."

Although his work has been featured on TV programs and in magazines, the market is still too small for his company to shift completely to art screws. Art screws account for about 20 percent of his firm's total profit, he said.

"As the economic slump is hitting the industrial screw market, the overall business is quite hard," he said. "Since I'm not making art screws as a hobby, I have to try to expand sales."

While he is now focusing on the domestic market, he is also considering selling his products overseas. He has already obtained a patent in the United States and Italy on some of the screws.

Kawabata designs the screws himself, despite never having been trained in design.

He stresses the importance of exchanging information with people from other business sectors. His lacquered screws were created as a result of such exchanges.

"Talking to people in different fields encourages me and gives me innovative ideas," he said.

In order to increase sales at shops, he is now thinking of designing packages for his products that appeal to customers and telling them how the screws can be used. He is also trying to sell his products as independent works of art, rather than for their function as components.

"While I initially did not like my work as a screw manufacturer, I now find my work very fascinating," he said. "Doing new things has enabled me to come out of my shell."