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▼ Event Spotlights Japan’s Traditional Crafts
- Category:Event
With the aim of promoting Japan’s traditional crafts, a veteran plasterer, a charismatic buyer and the president of a commercial complex featuring regional attractions from across the nation held discussions in Tokyo on Tuesday.
The discussions were held as part of an exchange event for craftspeople from all over Japan, as well as those involved in the industry in Tokyo, such as department store buyers and designers. The nearly 200 participants were seeking opportunities to develop new products and expand business.
Shuhei Hasado, one of the three panelists in the discussion, is the plasterer who created the clay walls of the Prime Minister’s Office and has recently become known for creating the title lettering for NHK’s ongoing historical drama “Sanadamaru.”
Today, there are very few occasions in which plasterers can use their unique traditional skills, partly because of the increasing use of industrial panels, according to Hasado. Such a difficult situation, Hasado said, “drove me to be an unusual plasterer. It’s a kind of fighting back [against a society in which traditional crafts have been forgotten].”
Isao Ogasawara, the president of the operator of the Marugoto Nippon commercial complex in the Asakusa district of Taito Ward, Tokyo, acknowledged that handicrafts made by craftspeople with high skills are indeed invaluable, and young people these days are interested in such creations. However, Ogasawara said: “Such handicrafts are fairly expensive and usually unaffordable for young people.”
As a way to draw young people to Japanese traditional crafts, Ogasawara suggested craftspeople produce items that are created using simpler skills and processes, and make the items affordable.
Meanwhile, Katsunori Uchida, a former Tobu department store buyer, stressed that craftspeople need to gain experience selling their crafts by themselves.
“At the beginning, few people can sell their own crafts well, so they feel ashamed. However, such experience will give craftspeople ideas about what kind of items are needed in the market,” Uchida said.
See traditional artisanship
Monozukuri/Takumi no Waza Expo 2016, an event where general visitors can view and experience first-hand traditional crafts and cutting-edge manufacturing technology, is held at the Tokyo International Forum through Aug. 12. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. For more information, visit the event’s official website. http://www.monozukuri-takumi-expo.tokyo
By Yuka Kumakura / Japan News Staff Writer
The discussions were held as part of an exchange event for craftspeople from all over Japan, as well as those involved in the industry in Tokyo, such as department store buyers and designers. The nearly 200 participants were seeking opportunities to develop new products and expand business.
Shuhei Hasado, one of the three panelists in the discussion, is the plasterer who created the clay walls of the Prime Minister’s Office and has recently become known for creating the title lettering for NHK’s ongoing historical drama “Sanadamaru.”
Today, there are very few occasions in which plasterers can use their unique traditional skills, partly because of the increasing use of industrial panels, according to Hasado. Such a difficult situation, Hasado said, “drove me to be an unusual plasterer. It’s a kind of fighting back [against a society in which traditional crafts have been forgotten].”
Isao Ogasawara, the president of the operator of the Marugoto Nippon commercial complex in the Asakusa district of Taito Ward, Tokyo, acknowledged that handicrafts made by craftspeople with high skills are indeed invaluable, and young people these days are interested in such creations. However, Ogasawara said: “Such handicrafts are fairly expensive and usually unaffordable for young people.”
As a way to draw young people to Japanese traditional crafts, Ogasawara suggested craftspeople produce items that are created using simpler skills and processes, and make the items affordable.
Meanwhile, Katsunori Uchida, a former Tobu department store buyer, stressed that craftspeople need to gain experience selling their crafts by themselves.
“At the beginning, few people can sell their own crafts well, so they feel ashamed. However, such experience will give craftspeople ideas about what kind of items are needed in the market,” Uchida said.
See traditional artisanship
Monozukuri/Takumi no Waza Expo 2016, an event where general visitors can view and experience first-hand traditional crafts and cutting-edge manufacturing technology, is held at the Tokyo International Forum through Aug. 12. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. For more information, visit the event’s official website. http://www.monozukuri-takumi-expo.tokyo
By Yuka Kumakura / Japan News Staff Writer
- August 17, 2016
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