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Saturday 14 November 2015

An Overview of Nafudakake for Individuals


The Nafudakake is a frame of wooden name tags of members of a Dojo.
You will see many variants throughout Japan using either a frame or pegs and hooks.
Most are usually basic in construction and the Nafuda are reused by sanding down and writing the name of a new member over the top.
Soto Sabisu's Nafudakake for Individuals is designed as a presentation piece and the Nafuda are fixed in the kake (frame).
We can incorporate almost any information you want, Association logo and or Kanji,Club logo or kana, titles, rank, name etc.

How to order your Nafudakake
Step 1. To make an enquiry E-mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com with the following details:
1. Rough idea of what you want, Club / dojo name in English
2. Current translation if you have one, photo of logo with Kanji on etc.
3. Select the materials for the Nafuda and the Kake.
4. Deliver address – it will be sent as a “signed for” parcel.
Step 2 Soto Sabisu will complete the graphic design and send you an image for approval along with an Invoice. This usually takes a number of E Mails back and forth while we develop your commission with you.
Step 3 Approve the image and make a payment either by BACS or via PayPal with a 5% surcharge Step 4 Soto Sabisu will dispatch your Nafudakake approx 4 to 6 weeks after step 3.
100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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JKA Norway celebrates 10 years of Clementsen Sensei at Chugi Dojo

In April 2015 we completed and shipped a Nafudakake to Norway. The client selected Maple for the Nafuda and a black kake.
The Nafudakake celebrates Clementsen Sensei's 10th Anniversary of the Chugi Dojo.
The Japanese for founder is "soritsu-sha", a photo of his belt provided the katakana for Sensei's Surname and the Kanji for Sensei were added.
10 Ar 2015 in English reads 10 years 2015, but more accurately it reads 10 years and then Heisei 27th year. This is the imperial calendar counting from and including 1989. We are in the 27th year of the Emperor = 2015.
Soto Sabisu send our best wishes to Clementsen Sensei and the Chugi dojo, Osu!





Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Craig celebrates Yondan with a Nafudakake

In April 2015 we completed a Nafudakake for Craig Williams of Seibukan Karate Club in Nottingham.
A gift from his parents to celebrate his passing "Yondan" with Kagawa Shihan in March.
The Nafuda are made from Maple, this light coloured hardwood is an ideal background when a club logo is being incorporated in the design and the black kake provides a strong contrast to the Maple.

The Logo was traced in our graphic design package and converted to a vector image.
Each of our Nafudakake are custom made and we like to pride ourselves on detail and producing just what the customer wants.

Craig's Nafudakake took approx nine hours from start to finish.
If you are interested in commissioning a Nafudakake for yourself or a "special gift" for an instructor, please E Mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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A Nafudakake Birthday gift

In March 2015 we completed a commission for the Slaney family, a special birthday gift for Kevin Slaney Sensei, from the Highland Karate Association in Scotland.
We were asked to incorporate Funakoshi Sensei's "Hatsuun Jindo" = "Parting the Clouds, Seeking the Way" The montage shows how the commission slowly comes together - enjoy - Osu!



Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Fonts

In 2015 Soto Sabisu extended its range of available fonts.
DF Block and Brush font will remain our two core products, but we will be able to translate into any of the fonts listed below.
 In addition, we are also able to "trace" kanji in any font that you currently use, to incorporate in either a Nafuda or Hanko.
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A Nafudakake for a Shuseki Shihan

In December 2014 I was working on a project that required something a little bit special.
I had just purchased a very special "AAAA" grade quilted maple board.
Quilted maple ratings go from "A" to "5A", "3A" is High quality and "5A" is premium. "4A" quilted maple is used extensively in custom guitar and musical instrument manufacture.
I thought I would share with you the second and final nafudakake that was made from this very special hardwood. The quilting effect in the maple is not always easy to pick up with the camera, but I hope you will notice the changes to the tones in the wood.
The majority of our nafudakake come with an translation at the base of each nafuda. However if we manufacture for a Japanese instructor this is not applicable.


A fitting gift for a Shuseki Shihan, Shihan ni rei, Osu!
Soto Sabisu can source hardwoods from almost anywhere in the world and we try and maintain a stock of all our regularly selected timber.
If you are interesting in comissioning a nafudakake please drop me a line by E Mailing - sotosabisu@btinternet.com

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Nafudakake for new promoted Instructor

It is quite common for Soto Sabisu to work with our clients to improve the quality of their existing club or association logos. Recently we were commissioned to produce a Nafudakake for the the chief Instructor of Budo Kan Karate Do, part of the Zenshin Ryu Federation.
The quality of the logo was not a standard that we could use, so we had to totally recreate it in our graphics design package.
This service would typically cost around £50 if you were have embroidery produced etc, but here at Soto Sabisu we are interested in building long term relationships with our clients and typically undertake the work for 50% of cost price.
We will also supply the client with the artwork so they are free to use it on their stationary, website and clothing etc all as "added value".
Hopefully this is seen very positively by our clients and may result in repeat business in the future.
The Nafudakake was assembled using oak nafuda in an oak kake. We also translated the club name into Kanji.
Soto Sabisu would like to congratulate Steve Stier Sensei on his recent promotion (2014) to Godan, Osu!
The kana  and graphics supplied by Soto Sabisu were used by the club to produce the banner below.


Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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A Nafudakake exported to Norway.

In November 2014 we shipped our first commission to Norway grin emoticon Our normal policy is only to produce nafuda for English names, due to our limitations of producing accurate translations of foreign names.
If you already have a translation that you wish to use we can of course produce the nafuda to your requirements.
Our customer had requested the nafudakake as a gift from one dojo to another to celebrate their 25th Anniversary.
Understanding that the gift was from one Norwegian club to another we suggested that we try our first Norwegian / Japanese nafudakake.
Reading from right to left:
Lyderhorn dojo, 25 years old, gift from (kara no okurimono), Chugi dojo.
"Lyderhorn" is a name, so was translated into katakana,
"Chugi" means loyality / devotion and has its own kanji
and the Japanese for "gift from" was translated into hirigana.

Having all three types of text on one of our Nafudakake is unusual, but this is common in most Japanese writing e.g. newspapers etc.
Our best wishes go to the Lyderhorn dojo - JKA Norway, Osu!

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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A Nafudakake for Akashi's Chief Instructor

November 2014 saw another American cherry and maple combination of hardwoods used for the Nafuda.
This combination is proving to be very popular in a black kake.


However you can choose from a wide selection of "stock" hardwoods, or we can source almost any hardwood from anywhere in the world if requested.
The club logo was reproduced in our graphic design package and then converted into a vector image. The rear of the kake is sealed with "Sekisui" tape from Japan.


If you are interested in commissioning a Nafudakake drop us an E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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A Nufadakake headed for Scotland

There is no such thing as a "standard" nafudakake.
They are all custom made and usually require quite a lot of initial correspondence, design and only after all that can we start on preparing some wood... In October 2014 I was asked if I would make a nafudakake for Sensei Ronnie Ross, a great honor.
The HKA has been long established, and the logo I was sent looked like it was a similar age.
The HKA logo had to be reproduced in our graphic design package, the Shotokan tiger was re-proportioned to exactly match the original.
American cherry and maple were selected for the nafuda in a contrasting black kake.

We were asked to translate Highland Karate Association into Japanese. "Karate" and "Association" have kanji so no problem, "Highland" as a foreign word would normally be translated into Katakana. After some research we were happy to offer a Kanji translation "Takai" which means high and "Kuni" which means land / Country.
So "all in all" about twelve hours was dedicated to producing this presentation piece and we were glad to hear that Ross Sensei was "impressed" with the workmanship.
The nafudakake was presented, the attached photo shows Sensei's Dave Hazard, Phil Owen, Ronnie Ross, Kevin Slaney and Richard MacKinnon.

If you would like to make an enquiry on commissioning a nafudakake just drop us a mail at sotosabisu@btinternet.com

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Contact Soto Sabisu

If you have an inquiry or wish to place an order please E Mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com you should get a reply within 48 hours.

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Friday 13 November 2015

Nafudakake by Soto Sabisu

What wood is used to make the Nafudakake? 
Nafuda are traditionally constructed out of light wood such as fir or pine and remain natural without any form of stain or finish.
Soto Sabisu offer Nafudakake in a selection of lighter hardwoods, including Maple, Oak and Ash, you can select a contrasting wood for grade tags if you wish, Cherry is popular and we have also used Teak.
The frame can be manufactured from a choice of Black or Oak or a selection of darker hardwoods including Cherry, Teak, Walnut or even the exotic Zebrano at an additional cost.
Soto Sabisu can source your individual choice of hardwoods from anywhere in the world.

How are the names applied to the Nafuda? 
The Nafuda are traditionally hand written with ink and brush, our Nafuda are custom machined in our workshop and the image of the Kana are applied using a similar process to vehicle livery.
This ensures that additional Nafuda ordered months or years later will match with your original commission.

You will enjoy the natural diversity of grain and coloring of the woods that you select, so each Nafuda will have its own character.
As a precaution we do not recommend that you place your commission in direct sunlight and that your Nafudakake is hung in a stable environment away from extremes of heat or humidity.

Do Sato Sabisu translate the names for me? 
In Japan the Nafuda will display the Kanji that represents the student’s surname.
In the west it is customary to use our forename’s, so Sato Sabisu will translate both the student’s Forename and Surname into Katakana and also display the students name in English at the base of the Nafuda.

If you already have a translation for your name that you use, please forward it so we can use the same translation.
Soto Sabisu only translates into Katakana as both Kanji and Hiragana are unsuitable for translation of foreign names.
If you would like to include the Kanji for your Japanese based association and can supply a suitable graphic image of the Kanji we can also incorporate these into your commission.

Do you just supply Name boards for dojo?
At Soto Sabisu we also offer individual Nafudakake that come in a fixed frame. These make an ideal gift, to mark a significant grading. You can order individual Nafudakake in a number of formats.

What size are the Nafuda? 
Currently we only produce Nafuda in one size – 170 * 61 * 12mm, when mounted in a kake the viewed dimension is 160 * 61mm per Nafuda.
So 4 off Nafuda in a fixed Kake would work out just under A4.
Your commission will be an investment in creating an air of additional seriousness and purpose to your dojo.

How much do they cost and what are delivery times like? 
You are considering purchasing a "top end" custom built commissioned piece of art.
The Nafuda are hand made from selected quality Hardwoods from around the world and take approx an hour for each tile to produce.
We are launching a new simplified pricing structure for 2016, with prices starting from £20 per Nafuda and £23 including the frame. Full details are in the individual section and shop pages.
Whether you are selecting a Nafudakake for your Dojo, as a gift to mark a significant grading of an instructor / student or as a symbol of your love to someone special you will not be disappointed with your purchase.
Delivery times are approx 4 to 6 weeks dependent on the number of current commissions going through the shop.
For further information or to arrange a consultation please E Mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com

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What is a Nafudakake?

What is a Nafudakake? 
The Nafudakake is a frame of wooden name tags of members of a Dojo.
You will see many variants throughout Japan using either a frame or pegs and hooks.
Most are usually basic in construction and the Nafuda are reused by sanding down and writing the name of a new member over the top.
They are hung, in order of their rank, from right to left.
The Nafuda represent the “connection” between the Dojo and the student and symbolises that the individual is a valued member of the Dojo.
The order by which the ranks and member Nafuda are displayed is simple.
Newer students are displayed on the bottom left, no matter how big the rack is.
As they progress in rank, their Nafuda moves to the next rank category to the right.
Once the Nafuda cannot go any further right, it moves up to the next level, again starting from the left and moving towards the right.
This represents the ascension in rank and skills that the student acquires through hard training.
The Nafudakake is also used to indicate the rank and status of the students who train in the Dojo.
The rack separates each Kyu and Dan level, Sato Saibsu can also add the colour of the belt as a background to the English translation of the grade.
Some dojo will have a separate Nafudakake just for Dan grades to mark their achievements through many years of study.
Members track their own development within the dojo using the Nafudakake which has served as a source of motivation and created a strong sense of bond among members.
The rebate in the head of the frame is deeper than the cill, so an individual Nafuda can be simply slid up and then can be lifted out for re-positioning.

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About me

How did I get interested in Nafuda?
As the founder of Soto Sabisu I spent two years firstly trying to source a manufacturer in Europe to commission my own Nafudakake and then deciding to manufacture my own.
Not being able to find a supplier, I decided that as a club karate instructor, qualified joiner and student of “Nihongo” (the Japanese language) I was probably as well placed as anyone to fill this “gap” in the market place.
It took me eighteen months to develop a commercial version of the Nafudakake that was ready to bring to the market.
Soto Sabisu is now able to receive commissions for these exclusive, fine pieces of joinery / art, where Eastern tradition meets Western cultures.
Our range has expanded when customers asked if we were able to produce a self inking version of Japanese seal stamps, provide assistance with graphic design for Japanese words and logos and inquired if we could produce a virtual Nafudakake.
In 2017 our range expanded again to include the Modular Curved Nafudakake (MCN) a modern contemporary twist on a classic design.

Paul
Proprietor of Soto Sabisu

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Mutal Love Nafudakake

The four character idiomatic compound, ra kka ryuu sui together have a collective meaning of "Mutal Love", an ideal gift for a wedding present, or as a celebration of an anniversary.




We can use an existing translation of your names or we can provide you with a translation free of charge.
Delivery is approx 4 to 6 weeks and inquiries can be made by E Mailing sotosabisu@btinternet.com


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Virtual Nafudakake

We have recently added "Virtual Nafudakake" to our range of products.
This is ideal for a club or association that does not have a fixed dojo to hang a traditional nafudakake or a great way to enhance your website.
We can add your logo and include traditional title nafuda. Examples include "daihyo - delegation", "shihan - master", "shidoin - instructors", "shidojoin - assistants" etc.
You can choose from our "Block" or "Brush" font and add the name of your instructor / members. We can use an existing translation from a dan grade certificate or provide a translation for you.



The cost of a virtual nafudakake is only £4.95 per nafuda and when new members join just send us their details and we will update your nafudakake for just the cost of the new nafuda.
After gradings you will want to keep your Virtual nafudakake up to date, E Mail Soto Sabisu the details and we will get them changed and E Mail back your update "Virtual Nafudakake".

As an example, the virtual nafudakake in the presentation contains 3 rows of 11 nafuda, but only 24 are currently used, so 24*£4.95 = £118.80

Virtual Nafudakake
Cost per Nafuda £4.95
Virtual Nafudakake Updates
Up to 15 changes in grade £4.95
Unlimited changes in grade £9.95

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Tuesday 10 November 2015

Fight Head On

"Shinkou shoubu" is a yoji-jyukugo, a kanji compound which combines four kanji to form a single meaning.
The meaning of this compound is "fight head on".
Soto Sabisu has used the kanji compound, combined with the seal of JKS England to produce a promotional product to raise funds for the JKS England karate squad.
There was quite a few hours of graphic design to get from the Block W5 font to the final artwork which very closely matches the version on the jacket of the association's chief instructor.
I have attached a few images so you can see the transformation. The plaques are available via JKS England.
Step 1 - Stock Kanji Selected

Step 2 - A free hand font selected in our graphic design package

Step 3 - The Image is converted to vectors and edited by hand
Step 4 - The finished presentation piece
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Hanko Overview


At Soto Sabisu, Eastern tradition meets a Western culture. We do not try to copy the traditional materials used in Japan, but use Western self inking stamps. There is no loss in quality and the primary advantage is price, along with no need to carry a separate ink pad and it is easier to use and is less likely to smudge. Using a traditional stamp takes a little practice. Our prices are approx 75% less than the cost of buying a traditional seal.

Hanko – A dojo/club stamp 24 x 24mm. We will either use your current translation or translate your club name using Kanji and/or Katakana. The Hanko is typically used in a member’s licence overlapping the student’s photo.
They can also be used for club certificates etc. 
We also produce a large Hanko stamp that can be used on grading certificates.

How to order your Hanko
Step 1. To make an enquiry E-mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com with the following details:
1. Club / dojo name in English
2. Current translation if you have one, photo of logo with Kanji on etc.
3. Colour – default is Red but we can manufacture Black, Green and Blue to special order.
4. Deliver address – it will be sent as a “signed for” parcel.
Step 2 Soto Sabisu will complete the graphic design and send you an image for approval along with an Invoice.
Step 3 Approve the image and make a payment either by BACS or via PayPal with a 5% surcharge Step 4 Soto Sabisu will dispatch your seal approx 7 to 10 days after step 3. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

Hanko FAQ
Q: Will it be my first name or my last name? Or will it be both? In Japan an Inkan is almost always with one's last name, this is because the Japanese will use only their last names in normal conversation. It would not be unusual for friends of 30 to 40 years to still be using surnames to address each other. Soto Sabisu can translate either your “given” or “family” name. We would recommend that you request the name that you use and are known by. So if your name is John Smith and almost everyone calls you John, that is what we would recommend you use. If you have a Dan grade certificate with your name translated in Katakana on it please E Mail a photo and we will ensure that we use the same translation.
Q: Can my name be translated into Kanji? Is it possible to translate non-Japanese names into Kanji? Translating a western name into kanji does not really work out; many companies will do it and charge handsomely for selecting a few meaningless kana. If your name has a meaning then that meaning could be translated. We are not Japanese so we should use Katakana, the syllables for foreign words.
Q: Should titles like Sensei, Shihan etc be included in your Hanko?
You would not normally use a honorary title to introduce yourself, it is for others to use these titles when addressing you or talking about you. However if the stamp is being used as a seal on an official document then it may be appropriate. It also depends on your our association and the martial art you practice many will have their own guidelines for use of titles. What I normally recommend is that you seek the advice of what is appropriate from your own association and Soto Sabisu will include it in the design.
Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Inkan Overview


In Japan seals are used instead of signing your name, in general they are referred to as Inkan or Hanko. Inkan is the most comprehensive term; Hanko tends to refer to seals used in less important documents.
At Soto Sabisu, Eastern tradition meets a Western culture. We do not try to copy the traditional materials used in Japan, but use Western self inking stamps. There is no loss in quality and the primary advantage is price, along with no need to carry a separate ink pad and it is easier to use and is less likely to smudge. Using a traditional stamp takes a little practice.

Our prices are approx 75% less than the cost of buying a traditional seal.
We can only translate English names, but can take instructions for seals with foreign names if you already have a translation.

A round Inkan stamp is used by individuals. It would be normal for these to be used with Red Ink, but we can make them in Black, Blue or Green as special orders.

How to order your Inkan 
Step 1. To make an inquiry E-mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com with the following details:
1. Your name in English (usually Christian / given name)
2. Current translation if you have one, photo of your name in Katakana from a Dan grade certificate etc.
3. Colour – default is Red but we can manufacture Black, Green and Blue to special order.
4. Deliver address – it will be sent as a “signed for” parcel.
Step 2 Soto Sabisu will complete the graphic design and send you an image for approval along with an Invoice.
Step 3 Approve the image and make a payment either by BACS or via PayPal with a 5% surcharge 
Step 4 Soto Sabisu will dispatch your seal approx 7 to 10 days after step 3.
100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

Inkan FAQ
Q: Will it be my first name or my last name? Or will it be both?
In Japan an Inkan is almost always with one's last name, this is because the Japanese will use only their last names in normal conversation. It would not be unusual for friends of 30 to 40 years to still be using surnames to address each other.
Soto Sabisu can translate either your “given” or “family” name.
We would recommend that you request the name that you use and are known by. So if your name is John Smith and almost everyone calls you John, that is what we would recommend you use.
If you have a Dan grade certificate with your name translated in Katakana on it please E Mail a photo and we will ensure that we use the same translation.
Q: Can my name be translated into Kanji? Is it possible to translate non-Japanese names into Kanji? Translating a western name into kanji does not really work out; many companies will do it and charge handsomely for selecting a few meaningless kana. If your name has a meaning then that meaning could be translated. We are not Japanese so we should use Katakana, the syllables for foreign words.
Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Logo Assistance

Many of our clients only have old Jpeg images or if they have electronic images they are usually of poor quality. As "added value" we will work with you either converting your image to a "vector" image or completely re-working from scratch, all at cost. Take a look at the a small selection of work recently undertaken.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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Dojo kun overview

Our Dojo kun are made in two sizes, the ones in the photos are the smaller size - Ideal for the home / office.


The larger ones are twice the size and perhaps more suitable for dojo.
I appreciated the feedback that my facebook followers provided and offer both block and brush scripts.
Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.


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