マツ勘は1922年（大正11年）、福井県小浜市で創業しました。社名の由来は松本勘太夫、屋号「マツ勘」です。西洋化の流れの中で、地場産業として確立され始めていた若狭塗箸に着目。それから約60年は職人の作った塗箸を百貨店や量販店に流通させる産地問屋としての役割を担いましたが、先代で現会長の松本喜代司さんが社長就任を機に、商品企画やブランディングを始めました。問屋が企画やブランディングを行う試みは業界初であり、近代的なデザインの箸が数多く生まれるきっかけとなりました。 そんな先代の後姿を見ながら育ったのが、現社長の松本啓典さんです。学生時代は陸上に熱中、一時期はオリンピックも目指していたというアスリート。しかし「幼少時から家業を継ぐんだろうなと思っていた」と24歳の時にUターンし、家業を継ぐことになりました。

Matsukan was founded in 1922 (Taisho 11) in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture. The origin of the company name is Kandayu Matsumoto, the store name "Matsukan". Focusing on Wakasa-nuri chopsticks, which had begun to be established as a local industry in the trend of westernization. For about 60 years after that, I played the role of a production center wholesaler that distributes the painted chopsticks made by craftsmen to department stores and mass retailers, but with the appointment of the current chairman Kiyoji Matsumoto as the president, product planning and branding started. The wholesaler's attempt to plan and brand was the first in the industry, and it triggered the birth of many modern-designed chopsticks. Mr. Takanori Matsumoto, the current president, grew up looking at the rear view of his predecessor. An athlete who was enthusiastic about athletics when he was a student and was aiming for the Olympics for a while. However, he made a U-turn at the age of 24, saying, "I thought he would take over the family business from an early age," and decided to take over the family business.

松本社長が大学生の頃、NHK連続テレビ小説『ちりとてちん』で、若狭塗箸が注目を集めました。その時、業界の可能性も実感した松本さんですが、同時に次のフェーズに行く可能性が埋もれていることも感じたと言います。そこで、問屋だからできることを考えました。例えば、消費者の目線に近いアイデアを商品に落とし込んだり、職人の技法を価値あるものに変えたり、価値あるものとして紹介するなど…。そのような中で出会ったのが、箸職人の（故）的場政義さんでした。的場さんの仕事ぶりや作品に魅せられ、足繫く通いました。最初はあまり見せてくれなかったものの、コミュニケーションを重ねる中で次第に距離が近くなり、的場さんが生み出したものへ“価値”を後世に伝えていかなければ！と思うようになったとか。近代的なデザインや流行も大切ですが、そのベースである普遍的で古典的なものをもっと重視し、それを行動や形に表していく必要があると確信したのです。（故）的場政義さんの仕事ぶりは書籍『はしはうたう』で後世に伝え、つないでいます。

When President Matsumoto was a college student, Wakasa-nuri chopsticks attracted attention in the NHK serial TV novel "Chiritotechin". At that time, Mr. Matsumoto realized the potential of the industry, but at the same time, he also felt that the possibility of going to the next phase was buried. Therefore, I thought about what I could do because I was a wholesaler. For example, you can incorporate ideas that are close to the consumer's perspective into products, change craftsmanship techniques into valuable ones, or introduce them as valuable ones. Under such circumstances, I met Mr. Masayoshi Matoba, a chopstick craftsman. He was fascinated by his work and his work, and went to work. At first, he didn't show much, but as he communicated, the distance gradually became closer, and he had to pass on the "value" to what Mr. Matoba created! I came to think that. He was convinced that modern design and fashion are important, but that the universal and classic ones on which they are based need to be emphasized and expressed in action and form. (The late) Masayoshi Matoba's work is passed down to posterity in his book "Hashi-ha Utau" and connected.