Japanese Traditional Culture

Weekly email newsletter “DENKEN-TEST PRESS" No. 5

We are pleased to present you with the 5th issue weekly email newsletter “DENKEN-TEST PRESS".
DENKEN-TEST official website (https://denken-test.jpA) opened at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
In addition to being able to see the details and latest information on DENKEN-TEST, the “Learn more about traditional culture" section is packed with interesting reading material, including quiz, article, and column related to Japanese traditional culture.
In this issue, we feature an essay by Ms. Todate, vice chairperson of Japan Traditional Culture Testing Association.
“Warm-up Quiz" features answer and explanation from the previous quiz, as well as question from the fields of Architecture, Gardens and Art.
We are also currently running a prmotion in which 100 people who sign up for the email newsletter by the end of July will be randomly selected to receive the official textbook (scheduled to be published this summer).
So let's start issue 5!

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Table of Contents

・ Traditional Culture and Me (Kazuko Todate, vice chairpersonA of  Japan Traditional Culture Testing Association)
・“Warm-up Quiz" No.５ (Architecture, Gardens and Art) = "Karesansui"
・News from the DENKEN-TEST Association

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Traditional Culture and Me

一般社団法人日本伝統文化検定協会副会長
外舘和子（とだて・かずこ）　多摩美術大学教授、工芸評論家、工芸史家 

My name is Kazuko Todate, and I have recently been appointed vice chairperson of  Japan Traditional Culture Testing Association. I usually teach craft theory and Japanese art history at Tama Art University. From now on, I would like to use this column from time to time to tell you about the appeal and current status of crafts and traditional culture.
Over the past 20 years, I have traveled to art museums and universities overseas to supervise exhibitions, write catalogues, and give lectures, as well as serve as a judge for international open exhibitions of crafts and ceramics, and I have felt that Japanese crafts and traditional culture in particular are receiving a great deal of attention.
As a recent example, I wrote an article for the catalogue of the exhibition Clay as “Soft Power" at the University of Michigan Art Museum in the United States. The exhibition focused on the exchange between Japanese and American potters from the postwar period to the present day, and showed how American potters have been influenced by Japanese Yakishime ware, particularly Shigaraki and Bizen. In Japan, “Anagama" kilns appeared during the Kofun period, and even today, when electric and gas kilns are widespread, there are still potters who use wood-fired kilns. It is more difficult to control the temperature than with electric kilns, and the atmosphere of the finished product varies slightly depending on the season and weather at the time of firing. However, the Japanese attitude of facing nature and other things that do not completely obey your will, and coming to terms with them to create the best possible product, resonated with Americans who came to Japan.
The Japanese aesthetic sense, which finds a sense of wabi and sabi in the simple earthenware of Yakishime pottery and even enjoys the beauty of cracks and distortions, is also deeply connected to the culture of the Tea Ceremony and has had a major influence on ceramic artists overseas. Peter Voulkos, a leading figure in contemporary American ceramics, has said that after the war he was influenced not only by American abstract paintings but also by Japanese Yakishime pottery.
While accepting cutting-edge technology, Japan has not abandoned the merits of older methods and has not forgotten the origins of pottery. This attitude has much to teach foreigners about human activities, which tend to prioritize efficiency above all else. Japanese crafts and traditional culture are packed with the essence of Japanese values, aesthetic sense, and ways of life.

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“Warm-up Quiz" No.５ (Architecture, Garden and Art) = “Karesansui"

―The Question will be divided into categories from the official textbook (scheduled to be published this summer)ー

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Question: The World Heritage site “Ryoanji Temple", famous for its dry landscape garden, became world famous after a member of the British royal family praised it highly during an official visit. Who was that visitor?

[Previous Answer and Explanation]
Question: This is a traditional Japanese auspicious pattern that was on the Kimono of the heroine of the anime that was the biggest hit in the history of Japanese movies. What is the name of this world-famous pattern?
Answer: Hemp Leaf Pattern
Explanation: The Asanoha pattern is featured on the Kimono worn by Nezuko, the heroine of the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. This is a regular hexagon-based split pattern that was used in the decoration of Buddhist statues in the Heian period, and later came to be called the Asanoha pattern due to its resemblance to the hemp leaf. During the Edo period, the Kabuki actor Arashi Rikan used this pattern in his daughter's role, and it became hugely popular. As hemp is strong and grows quickly, it was often used on baby clothes and children's Kimonos in hopes of ensuring the healthy growth of children.

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News from DENKEN-TEST Association

NHK BS's “Heroes' Choices Special: Japanese History Survival! Strategies of the Konoe and Hosokawa Clan", which also features our association's  chairperson Konoe Tadahiro, will be rebroadcast on Monday, May 6th (National Holiday) from 9:00pm to 10:29pm.
The Konoe family has its roots in the Fujiwara clan, which began with Fujiwara Kamatari about 1,400 years ago and reached the pinnacle of the nobility during the reign of Michinaga. On the other hand, the Hosokawa family is a distinguished samurai family dating back to the Muromachi period. Why have these two families been able to survive for so long?
The special exhibition of hidden treasures is also one of the highlights. Please come and see it.

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[Editor's Note]

How did you like the 5th issue DENKEN-TEST PRESS? Golden Week starts this weekend. I'm also planning to immerse myself in traditional culture. Just making plans to see this and that is making me happy. (Sakamoto)

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