Sanjo Industry

  The origin of iron Framing squares is said to have started in Sanjo around 1781-1789. But for some reason, after a number of years this process was stopped and the blacksmith whom created the first Sanjo framing squares is also unknown. After a number of years, around 1804-1818, a local short-swordsmith took the challenge of producing a steel framing square, but was left uncompletely. Around the 1860s, numerous blacksmiths and master craftsmen mastered the secret of steel framing square making in Aizu-Wakamatsu and introduced the technique to Sanjo. By 1893, there were over 20 specialised framing square blacksmiths. Since then, a number of framing square manufacturing licenses were established and by the late 1920s, there where many factories whom were specializing in producing measuring devices. Unfortunately after the war, many begain to produce steel framing squares on their own with out a authorized license, and over time the number of framing square manufacturers has declined.