Advanced Course of Innovative Product Design with Traditional Technologies

Academic unit or major

Entrepreneurship courses

Instructor(s)

Yuri Matsuzaki / Rie Murakami / Eri Ota / Yuki Taoka / Takashi Watanabe / Equo Kobayashi

Class Format

Exercise

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

unknown

Class

-

Course Code

ENT.G452(LAW.X452)

Number of credits

010

Course offered

2025

Offered quarter

3-4Q

Syllabus updated

Jul 28, 2025

Language

English

※ Courses with parentheses in the course number have different subject codes depending on the student's year of admission.

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Through lectures, group work, and hands-on blacksmithing experience, students are expected to learn the following:
1. The historical and cultural background of traditional technology (tatara iron making) and the characteristics of Japanese iron as a material.
2. Methods and process of product design
3. Making a product or service proposal creating a new value from traditional technologies.

Course description and aims

1. Through group work with a team of students from different countries, students will deepen mutual understanding and acquire the collaboration skills necessary for international cooperation.
2. Using the group idea generation process learned in the lecture, participants will propose new product or service ideas that create new value using traditional technology.

Keywords

Traditional technology, Tatara iron making, International collaboration, Product design

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Lectures and group work will be held on Wednesday afternoons in a classroom in Ookayama, and practical training will be held on weekends in Suzukakedai.
For details, please check the schedule and location listed in the course plan.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

None

Reference books, course materials, etc.

None

Evaluation methods and criteria

Participation in lectures: 20%
Participation in the blacksmithing practice: 20%
Contribution to group work: 20%
Filal presentation (evaluation for the group): 20%
Individual report: 20%.

Related courses

• ENT.G451(LAW.X451) ： Advanced Course of Traditional Technology and Intercultural Collaboration

Prerequisites

1. Participants should have sufficient language skills for conducting group work in English
2. Participants should be interested in Japanese traditional technology (tatara iron making) and Japanese iron produced by tatara iron manufacturing.
3. (Recommended) Participants are encouraged to take ENT.G451: Advanced Course of Traditional Technology and Intercultural Collaboration to experience Tatara iron making and Japanese sword appreciation.

Other

Individual report:
In the individual report, summarize what you have learned throughout the course - the result of the group work, what you have learned, what you have thought about when designing products that use traditional technologies to create new value, etc.
Language should be English.