2024.08.01
DENKEN-TEST PRESS（Newsletter）weekly email newsletter “DENKEN-TEST PRESS” No. 18
We are pleased to present you with the 18th issue weekly email newsletter “DENKEN-TEST PRESS”
The lead story in this issue is a report on an event held in New York by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) to promote the traditional craft industry.
“Warm-up Quiz” will feature answers and explanations from the previous quiz, as well as questions from the fields of Japanese Paper / Dyed Textiles.
We are also running promotion to give away 100 official textbook to those who sign up for the newsletter, which will run until the end of this month! Please tell people around you to sign up for the newsletter.
DENKEN-TEST textbook
https://bookpub.jiji.com/book/
table of contents
Mitsubishi UFJ promotes the appeal of traditional crafts: passing them on to the next generation and finding new opportunities overseas
・ “Warm-up Quiz” 18th (Japanese Paper / Dyed Textiles) = "Sparklers"
・News from the DENKEN-TEST Association
Mitsubishi UFJ promotes the appeal of traditional crafts: passing them on to the next generation and finding new opportunities overseas
A Nambu ironware kettle in the shape of an apple. It is a popular item with a waiting period of about nine months from order to delivery.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is focusing on promoting the appeal of traditional Japanese crafts. It wants to boost the traditional craft industry, which is facing a serious lack of successors, and play a part in passing it on to the next generation. In order to find a way to expand into overseas markets, an event was held in Manhattan, New York in early June, where works that emphasized the perspective of successor training and practicality in modern life were lined up.
◇Production value falls by over 80%
According to a survey by The Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries (Tokyo), the number of employees involved in traditional craft production in fiscal 2020 was 54,000, and the production value was 87 billion yen. Both figures are down by more than 80% compared to around 1980, and the decline shows no sign of stopping. This is thought to be due to factors such as changes in the industrial structure and the proliferation of cheap products in the city.
As the social and economic environment changes, making it more difficult to pass on skills and secure some raw materials, if no measures are taken, local economies may lose even more vitality. MUFG has determined that preserving and passing on culture is important as part of its social contribution activities, and launched the project in August last year.
The project is based on the idea that "if there is no innovation that matches the times, we cannot survive" (a person in charge), and supports creative activities that value tradition while also being conscious of its penetration into everyday life. In addition to exhibitions and information dissemination both in Japan and overseas, support systems such as scholarships aimed at nurturing successors are also being considered. In cooperation with relevant ministries and organizations, the project aims to create a system to support the traditional craft industry, and will also promote the discovery of traditional crafts through branches across the country.
◇Newcomers learn the entire process
At the event held in New York in June, a total of about 20 works were exhibited, including Nanbu ironware, a craft from Iwate Prefecture, cushions made from Nishijin textiles from Kyoto Prefecture, and a wine cooler made from a bucket.
The Nambu Ironware iron kettle, which is modeled after an apple, is characterized by its simple design compared to the traditional ones with their rough patterns. Takahiro Tayama, an iron kettle craftsman, explains, "It is easy to use at home, and many consumers prefer simple designs." Currently, it takes about nine months from order to delivery.
Visitors who picked up the iron kettles commented, "The design is perfect," and "The color is lovely."
It takes about 30 years of training to master all the processes involved in making Nambu ironware by yourself. However, this practice can be a hindrance to "new challenges," according to Tayama, so the company simplified the designs and changed the training method so that trainees learn all the processes from the first year. The company also aims to ensure that successors can be found by having trainees acquire the skills quickly.
This is the second time that MUFG has held an event outside of Japan, following last September's event in Paris, France. Professor Emeritus Yuji Akimoto of Tokyo University of the Arts, who is the project's general supervisor, emphasized the significance of the event, saying, "The United States is a place where many people are sensitive to good things and appreciate carefully made products." He pointed out that, as a challenge that traditional craftsmen must overcome, "It is important to question whether decorative techniques that complicate the process are really necessary, and to decide which parts to keep when renovating."
▼From Jiji Press "Financial and Monetary Affairs (2024/06/24 issue)"
▼MUFG Craft Project Link
MUFG Craft Project Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
“Warm-up Quiz” 18th (Japanese Paper / Dyed Textiles) = "Sparklers"
~Questions will be categorized by genre from DENKEN-TEST textbook (pre-release scheduled for September 20th)~
A seasonal feature of summer: Sparklers
18th
Question: Sparklers are the most common type of hand-held firework. Nowadays, they are generally made of gunpowder wrapped in washi paper, but they are said to have originated in the Edo period as something long and thin with gunpowder attached to the end. What is that long and thin object?
[Previous answer and explanation]
Question: One of the coloring techniques for Kutani ware that is said to have originated in the Taisho era is the raised overglaze technique seen in the photo, which uses a special tool and technique called ichichin to draw round dots. What is the name of this technique?
Answer: Aochibu
Explanation: Kutani ware is called "Aochibu" in the local Ishikawa dialect. It is a technique of overglaze painting in which tiny dots are densely packed together, and requires precise technique to ensure that the size, color, and spacing of the dots are uniform. In addition to blue dots, there are also Shirochibu and Kinchibu dots. The vessel in the photo (see the quiz to get used to it) was made by Nakata Kingyoku, a traditional Kutani ware craftsman. It is characterized by the beautiful balance of tiny dots painted in a swirling pattern at equal intervals and the gorgeously shining gold-floured patterns, and is said to be a leading expert in the blue dot technique.
News from DENKEN-TEST Association
▼We have introduced DENKEN-TEST program to students and staff at Kokugakuin University (Tokyo). DENKEN-TEST pamphlets are posted on bulletin boards at the Shibuya campus, and are also available at the Kokugakuin University Museum on the same campus. According to a person in charge at the university, as the university has a Shinto Culture Department as one of the universities that trains Shinto priests, "there are many students who are interested in traditional culture." Through DENKEN-TEST, we hope that the younger generation will become more interested in Japanese traditional culture and learn about the "values of Japan" that fascinate the world.
▼ "Gardens" are one of the areas studied and tested in DENKEN-TEST, and The Japan Times, a full member of the DENKEN-TEST Association, featured Japanese gardens in the July issue of "Sustainable Japan Magazine" published last week. Based on an interview with Nakanishi Reihito, Senior Executive Officer of Culture, Arts and Education at the Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon, the magazine explores the appeal of Japanese gardens from various angles. The overseas perspective is very refreshing. Please give it a read.
Japanese article here
Consider what is the appeal of Japanese gardens through the Portland Japanese Garden.
https://sustainable.japantimes.com/jp/magazine/416
Five must-see gardens in Japan, selected by the Portland Japanese Garden's cultural and educational staff
https://sustainable.japantimes.com/jp/magazine/417
Editor's Note
How did you like the 18th DENKEN-TEST PRESS? The sweltering heat continues. If you go outside in this heatwave, you'll be drenched in sweat just from walking a short distance. If you get on the subway or enter a building in this heatwave, it's freezing cold and you'll catch a cold. We learned in elementary school that Japan has a temperate climate, but it feels like we're in the tropics now. Please take care of your health.
Category: DENKEN-TEST PRESS