Yamada of Yamada Paper Crafts has continued to act to ensure that the Marugame Uchiwa fan, which has been around for over 400 years, continues to survive. Behind this is the belief of his father, the previous owner, that "it's meaningless if it's only good for us," and Yamada's values that "it's important to act, not just talk." After his father's death, he took over the family business at the age of 23, and his experience of facing the local industry head-on supports his current challenge.

Watanabe Pile Textiles has always valued the attitude of sincerely interacting with all people involved. They visit overseas cotton farms where they source their materials and hand over the finished towels to the local people, so that they can be delighted to see how their cotton has turned out. They also make no compromises on materials or manufacturing methods, and if there are any changes, they carefully explain them to consumers. At the heart of this is the value of their predecessor, Toshio, who said, "We have been helped by others, so we cannot let them down."

Shimatani of Shimatani Shoryu Kobo has developed the "syouryu" tin paper, utilizing the techniques he has cultivated through over 100 years of rin (bell) manufacturing. At the root of his uncompromising commitment to quality is the days when he was unsure whether to take over the family business, and a formative experience in which he was moved by the words of someone he met at that time.