From a Precision Sheet-Metal Workshop to a Global Art Brand — Backed by Buy TOKYO
myutech35 Co., Ltd.
Emiko Taniguchi, Representative Director
While inheriting the advanced metalworking techniques built by its founder, myutech35—now led by second-generation president Emiko Taniguchi—found its breakthrough in a cicada object carved from a single sheet of metal.
This piece, which became their “business card of technology,” helped the company win over 200 new clients even in the difficult years following the Lehman Shock. However, relying solely on made-to-order manufacturing brought limitations and risk. Recognizing this, the company decided to launch its own brand.
Taniguchi participated in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “Commercialization Challenge Dojo,” where she learned how to develop a new business. She then focused on her longtime passion for interior design and began creating stainless-steel art pieces that highlight the material’s unique qualities. Driven by the desire to “create what no one else is making,” she expanded into wearable art and large-scale wall sculptures, combining advanced techniques such as coloring, mirror finishes, and heat treatment
How much global potential does “MIDORI” truly have? And what led them to choose Buy TOKYO with confidence?
Taniguchi and her daughter, designer Midori Taniguchi, set out to create a new art piece titled Phoenix, inspired by the idea that stainless steel — a material with “eternal qualities” — should embody a symbol of eternity. However, they had no certainty about how the work would be received abroad.
To take the crucial first steps — overseas market research, brand-site development, and creating sales tools for the global art market — the company applied for Buy TOKYO, a program that subsidizes these costly activities.
“For overseas research and website development, the financial burden is heavy for small businesses. We decided to lean on Buy TOKYO for support,” Taniguchi recalls.
In the first year, they received support for website creation and market research; in the second year, for exhibiting at a show in New York. “Especially for overseas exhibitions, only Buy TOKYO helps even with shipping costs. Honestly, I wish we could apply every year,” she says. With this support, the company made a major leap toward its goal of understanding how its art would be valued internationally.
An Astonishing Debut at Artexpo New York — Made Possible by Buy TOKYO
In 2024, myutech35 exhibited at Artexpo New York, one of the world’s largest art fairs. They pursued a bold strategy: showing only a single work in the spacious booth, presenting it in a museum-like manner.
The outcome exceeded expectations. Visitors stopped in their tracks, and countless people exclaimed “Amazing!” upon seeing the piece. The delicate heat-colored feathers and the warmth expressed through stainless steel drew high praise.
The fair’s organizers were impressed as well. They invited myutech35 to exhibit another wall sculpture the following year. In response, the company began producing Ōtori — the partner piece to Phoenix. Together, the pair will represent the Eastern concept of the “Hō-ō” (Phoenix) on the world stage.
Practical support — from preliminary research to shipping subsidies — gives SMEs the confidence to take on global markets.
Taniguchi emphasizes that Buy TOKYO offers support that truly helps with real-world operations. From shipping subsidies for overseas exhibitions to hands-on guidance from specialists, to advice on sales strategies and necessary tools, the program lightens the heaviest burdens that small and mid-sized companies face when entering global markets.
“Everyone around the world sees the same things on Instagram now — the world is incredibly small. So when you feel ready to take on the world, that moment is the chance. If Buy TOKYO can reduce the cost to one-third (This particular condition applies to the first year – Secretariat’s note), then you just have to go for it,” she says with a smile.
myutech35’s rapid ascent is the product of its technical excellence and the passion of its team — combined with the strong push provided by Buy TOKYO. With their new work Ōtori, the company is preparing to take an even greater leap into the global art market.
