Shotaro Aoki, Founder
Ever since I was a student, I have been drawn to the history that old things carry, and to the times they came from.
I loved taking broken old cameras, instruments and sometimes even cars, repairing them with my own hands and making them usable again. That interest only grew, and after finishing school I began working in instrument repair.
Working at the repair bench, I came to see that a repairer’s time is not spent on repairs alone.
Tracking repairs on paper slips, sharing information with the front desk and other repairers, checking the day’s tasks every morning, answering customers asking how their repair is going. If I could cut the time these tasks take, even a little, wouldn’t I be able to take on more items and focus on the repair itself?
That thought is where Repair Karte began.
At first it was a small system I built to make my own work more efficient. But the more I learned about other workshops, the more I realized how many repairers and craftspeople face the very same problems.
If this system spread, perhaps the people who repair could spend more of their time on the work that matters. And perhaps the people who bring in repairs could hand over the things they treasure with more peace of mind.
I believe that, step by step, this can carry the work and skills of repair on to the next generation, and lead to a future where choosing to repair and keep using things takes root naturally.
There is only so much one system can do.
Even so, by listening to the people at the bench and continuing to build tools that support those who repair, I hope to contribute to a future that connects the people who repair, the people who use, and those who will carry the work forward.
Thank you for your continued support of Repair Karte.
Founder, Repair KarteShotaro Aoki
