Hardware eagle

The hardware eagle, a symbol of Miki hardware, dates back to 1933. Miki Town (currently Miki City) was hit by a large flood in 1952.
The Minou River was also flooded and suffered great damage. In 1933, the town solicited various ideas from districts and individuals in order to boost the depressed mood of the townspeople due to flood damage.
It is reported that there was a proposal from Kamimachi for a hardware eagle (the name at that time was unknown). The origin of Miki Ondo and Miki Kouta(song) is said to be around that time.

Then, in 1952, at the Miki Hardware Trade Fair (later the Hardware Promotion Exhibition, the current Hardware Festival), a wholesaler association and engineers from the Hyogo Prefectural Industrial Technology Center led by Mr. Shinji Suzuki (Misuzu cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd.), a kitchen knife smith. The first hardware eagle was made based on the model of 1933.
The trade fair was held for five days from October 15, 1952, with the Miki Elementary School auditorium as the main venue, and it was a large-scale event with an investment of 1.5 million yen at that time.

Miki hardware exhibited by 88 trading companies and manufacturers was exhibited with ingenious decorations, and the hardware eagle displayed on the front stage was said to have impressed visitors with its beauty. We invited 452 hardware vendors from Hokkaido to Kyushu to enjoy the atmosphere of Miki at the hardware trade fair, Miki autumn festival, matsutake mushroom hunting at Matsutake mushrooms, and matsutake mushroom dishes. It is written that the business talks went smoothly during the dance of the fireworks and the stall drums of the autumn festival (from the 1977 Miki Commerce and Industry Directory).

After that, it was improved about twice, and it is said that it became the current form (third generation) in 1959. Also, in 1972, the hardware eagle was unveiled overseas for the first time at the New York National Hardware Show.
The hardware eagle that Emperor Showa also saw has now shown its gallant figure appearance at DIY shows in Tokyo and Osaka, and has been active as a symbol of Miki hardware for a long time.
In March 2006, it was exhibited for the first time at the International Hardware Messe in Cologne, Germany, and showed its gallant figure appearance in Europe.

The hardware eagle requires skill to pierce the main body with straw wrapped around a steel frame and pierce each blade one by one in about 8 hours, and it takes a limited time of 3 to 4 days from the viewpoint of safety. The number of exhibitions has been limited due to the exhibition, securing a large space, and the high cost.
However, its charm, its existence as a symbol of Miki hardware that flaps its wings in the world like an eagle is immortal, and I think that it will convey its charm for a long time like Miki hardware.

As of 2019, the 4th generation hardware eagle is managed and operated by the Miki Industrial Cooperative Youth Department, centering on the Miki Hardware Festival held in the fall, and is exhibiting.