It was 13 years ago that the iPod digital music player took the world by storm. The eye-catching shiny metal case of this iconic device catapulted metal polisher Kazuo Kobayashi, who applied the mirror finish to the device, to fame in the manufacturing world. You would never guess from the look of his small factory, surrounded by rice fields in rural Niigata Prefecture, that he is booked solid with orders from all around Japan for polishing medical devices and other precision components.
What customers come to Kobayashi for is his exceptional skill in polishing metal, down to the micrometer. Polishing is an industrial craft technique for removing material from surfaces in microscopic increments to create smooth finishes. But the slightest mistake in how much pressure is applied can wear away depressions. Kobayashi uses his long years of experience and finely honed sense of touch to achieve maximum smoothness with the minimum amount of polishing. From simple pots to complex medical devices, his ability to polish anything to perfection is second to none. This program follows Kobayashi's enthusiasm and passion for polishing.