Fukui, recognized as one of the leading manufacturing hubs in Japan, is home to traditional crafts such as Echizen lacquerware, Echizen washi paper, Echizen forged blades, Echizen cabinetry, and Echizen ware. In addition, it is also known for its thriving local industries, includ...

The food and art festival “TOMORROW FIELD 2024 Fall,” organized by the non-profit organization TOMORROW, will be held from October 25 to November 17, 2024, in the Taiza district of Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture. Previously held as the “ECHO” food and art festival in 2022 and 20...

It can be warm and rustic. It can be cool and delicate. Even though a host has a singular purpose in preparing a bowl of tea for a guest to enjoy, the expressions of tea bowls are diverse. This is precisely why a host can imbue a tea bowl with a sense of the season or personal se...

The Special Exhibition: Art Kogei, from Japan to the World “The Future of Artisanal Beauty: Vessels, Wrappings, Decorations” was held at TERRADA ART COMPLEX II BONDED GALLERY of Warehouse TERRADA, an art business based in Tennoz, Tokyo, through July 16, 2024. The exhi...

The third edition of “ART JOB FAIR,” a job fair focused on the arts and culture sectors is decided to be held. The event is scheduled to take place over two days, from February 1 to 2, 2025, at the TODA BUILDING in Kyobashi, Tokyo, which is expected to open this fall.“ART JOB FAI...

The event “Utsuwa no Aki (Pottery in Fall),” where you can experience the culture of Hagi ware, will be held again this fall in Nagato Yumoto Onsen, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Eight artists from all five Fukawa-Hagi kilns will participate in the event. This year’s theme is “Irotori,” ...

“GO FOR KOGEI,” an initiative that aims to promote the charm of crafts from the Hokuriku region, will celebrate its fifth edition this year. The event will be held from September 14 to October 20, 2024, in the Iwase area (Toyama, Toyama Prefecture) and the Higashiyama area (Kanaz...

Throughout this series, we have introduced the traditional Japanese aesthetics crucial to conveying the allure of kogei or Japanese crafts. Moving forward, to contemplate the future path of Japanese crafts, we will reconsider the value of crafts in light of global social issues a...

How did you come to bamboo as a material, and what is its appeal?I have always loved the tea ceremony, a culture with a uniquely Japanese spirituality. The tea ceremony utilizes meticulously crafted tools to offer a hospitality that embodies the spirit of “ichi-go ichi-e,” or a o...

Tsugaru lacquerware, a traditional craft of Aomori Prefecture, is known for its painstakingly thorough process of applying and polishing lacquer repeatedly, earning it the nickname “baka-nuri” (foolish coating). The film “Tsugaru Lacquer Girl” explores human relations...

Shitsurindo, a manufacturer based in the Kawada area of Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, one of Japan’s leading lacquerware production areas, has been engaged in the production and sale of Echizen lacquerware. Founded in 1793, the company has a long history and in 2023, the 230th anniver...

The sound of the tea whisk ceases, and a bowl of tea is placed before you by the host. The steam softly rising from the bowl, the faint aroma of matcha powdered green tea wafting through your nose. In the serene moment before taking a sip, there is always a tea bowl between the h...