Shaping the Next Generation of Watchmakers: Interviews with Instructors Taisuke Someya, Yoshinori Matsuura, and a Student at Omi Horological Institute

Nurturing Watchmaking Skills at the Sacred Site of Time

Did you know there is a watchmaking school within a Shinto shrine in Japan?

Omi Jingu in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, is widely regarded as a “sacred site of time” because the story goes that Emperor Tenji (also romanized as Tenchi) used a water clock (rokoku) to announce the hours for the first time in Japan, which led to the designation of June 10 as ”Time Memorial Day.”

Within the shrine’s precincts stand the Museum of Clocks and Cultural Treasures as well as the Omi Horological Institute, where students can learn the craft of watchmaking.

The Online Watch Academy, whose mission is to pass on the appeal and culture of mechanical watches to future generations, visited this site to explore its Origins.

For this article, we spoke with instructor Taisuke Someya, a Contemporary Master Craftsman; instructor Yoshinori Matsuura, who transitioned from manufacturing to education; and a student preparing for the National Skills Competition (also known as the WorldSkills Competition).

Through their words, we gain insight into what aspiring watchmakers learn and the dreams they carry.

Instructor Taisuke Someya—A Contemporary Master Craftsman Speaks on the Importance of Fundamentals

Instructor Taisuke Someya began his journey after graduating from high school, studying watch repair and tool-making at the Omi Horological Institute.

He later became an instructor there, training the next generation. Today, in addition to teaching, he is involved in operating and supporting the National Trade Skill Test & Certification (NTSTC) and the National Skills Competition, while also handling repair and parts-manufacturing requests from the general public.

”To improve in watch repair, mastering the tabletop lathe is essential,” he explains. At the Omi Horological Institute, students begin lathe training immediately after enrollment, creating screws and gears just a few millimeters in size.

He emphasizes that the process of overcoming repeated failures expands their skills for future repair and adjustment work—an insight gained through many years of teaching.

He adds that the most rewarding moments of teaching come when students achieve something they once thought impossible. Beyond seeing results in mock competitions and actual events, he finds joy in those day-to-day practice sessions when a student’s expression changes upon finally succeeding at a task.

Instructor Yoshinori Matsuura—From Manufacturing to Education, Passing Experience to the Next Generation

Instructor Yoshinori Matsuura spent many years assembling and adjusting watches at Morioka Seiko Instruments.

In mass production, many people work together to build a single watch, but in repair, one must face each timepiece individually, assessing its condition and making careful judgments.

Matsuura emphasizes preserving and making the most of original parts rather than simply replacing them, and he strives to teach with a deep understanding of both the history and the structure of the watches.

Since moving into education, he has come to appreciate both the difficulty and the enjoyment of verbalizing his own experience.

By engaging with students’ stumbling blocks, he rebuilds what was once “obvious” in the workplace into explanations that resonate. He notes that this process of refining his teaching becomes a form of learning for himself as well.

Students Preparing for the National Skills Competition: A Journey of Challenge and Growth

Students preparing for the National Skills Competition in watch repair train not only during regular classes but also through self-directed practice.

One student told us that while the watch’s structure and blueprints were bewildering at first, the process of making screws and gears with lathes and files helped her internalize the roles and movements of the parts.

The competition demands advanced judgment and dexterity to disassemble, diagnose, repair, and reassemble a watch within a limited time.

“I get nervous, but I’ll trust the procedures I’ve learned through practice,” she says.

As for the future, she hopes to gain experience across many types of watches and someday have her own workshop. She also expressed a desire to pass on the skills she has learned to those who follow.

At the Omi Horological Institute, many graduates go on to gain experience in society and later return to teach—just like the instructors we met.

We felt that this cycle steadily turns the gears of cultural inheritance and will be vital in carrying Japan’s watchmaking tradition into the future.

Conclusion—Passing Watchmaking Skills on to the Future

At the Omi Horological Institute on the grounds of Omi Jingu, which has continued for more than half a century, instructors who have honed their skills to contemporary master craftsman level, along with those with manufacturing experience, are training the next generation of watch technicians.

Students diligently learn everything from basics to practical application, honing their skills through the National Skills Competition and through employment.

There is also a natural cycle in which learners gain experience in the wider world and eventually return to teach.

Together with the spirit of ”nakaima”—cherishing each moment while honoring the efforts of those who came before, and connecting past, present, and future—the spirit of Omi Jingu, which reveres time, the education that preserves the beauty of handcraft, and the dedication of those involved, will continue to support Japan’s watch culture for years to come.

Read in conjunction with

• ▶Time and Watch Culture: Insights from Omi Jingu’s Chief Priest Amitani

Related Links

For more information on Omi Jingu Shrine and Omi Clock School discussed in this article, please see below.

• ▶Omi Jingu Official Website
• ▶Omi Horological Institute Official Website

This article was produced by the Online Watch Academy (OWA) as part of its activities to convey the appeal of watch culture to the future.