A nice picture of what seems to be, if not unique, then special to Japan. One of my favorite themes of NHK programming is documentaries about local arts, crafts, and food relying on age-old traditions around the country.
When my wife and I were in Kyoto in 2014, we did a lot of walking (and walking into random shops and restaurants). One of those shops turned out to be a toy store and workshop in one. The proprietor, a youngish guy, made wooden toys and decorative items by hand. I don't know if his was a centuries-old family business, though I expect that methods he was using have probably been employed by toy-makers for as long as woodworking has been around. Though it was a humble shop, I later looked him up online and he is apparently of some renown. Sad to say, I don't remember his name.
You are precisely on the track I was going down. All over the country you will find these nook people quietly puttering away on beauty. And yes! The NHK programs are a big favorite of mine.
But there is one small thing on your article that caught my attention: "I was helping a local NPO bring a small group of teenage children of recently immigrated families on a treasure map game that familiarized the kids with life aspects in their new host country." – that seems like SUCH a cool activity to host! I would love to learn more about it. ❤️
This is a group that does much more than neighborhood tours actually. Their primary work is helping these teenagers get access to (fully free, and therefore incredibly valuable) public high school education. In Japan, a new arrival from Pakistan say can get into Japanese high school, but he/ she has to pass some exams in both Japanese and English (oddly) first. So the NPO acts like a daily juku helping the kids prep for those tests.
I have volunteered to help the kids learn to write essays in English. And my Japanese colleagues help the kids with speaking and getting interviewed. Just last year, we found that for the first time ever all our kids passed and got into Japanese high school! We and the NPO must be getting better at training!
Imagine the importance of this program for their families. The moms and dads are often here on work, and they have brought their kids to Japan with them. If they score entrance to high school, the whole family’s life gets fast tracked and supported.
Oh wow, this is even more incredible than I had thought at first! Such an amazing work you are doing with these kids and their families. ❤️ And congratulations on getting all the kids through these exams last year, I can imagine how amazing the feeling is, knowing that your time dedicated to them has such a life-changing impact on several people! 🥰
My colleagues and I--this is a company sponsored activity--went to the bar to celebrate when we heard. We never would have thought all the students would pass. Now however we have an impossible target to uphold in future years. lol.
Of all the impossible tasks one might set out to pursue, this is certainly a valuable one. And even if not all kids you support get through the schools, I am confident there is a lifelong impact happening there. 🥰
The Mingei Movement was instrumental in encouraging a return to the traditional and handmade and a shunning of the cheap, disposable and factory made. But, those guys were almost always upper middle class types slumming it among the artisan class. Your lantern guy is the real thing. Managed to thrive without being rescued by a graduate from an elite university. Though because of that he’s unlikely to have his own exhibition at Mitsukoshi.
Very good info, thanks!! I’m intrigued with the idea of rescued by a grad from an elite uni. What’s this? You mean like a benefactor or an investor/larger company looking to acquire a craftsman’s skills?
It could be any of those or even some well educated and dedicated lad learning a traditional craft through apprenticeship. It’s a big topic but a good example are the Yoshida family down in Tottori. A local doctor, he realized the extensive network of local craftsmen had no knowledge of new trends and tastes. He helped them adapt into new styles and items. He even set up a shop in Ginza to help sell the stuff in Tokyo. It’s called Takumi and is still there. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/11/ef0e2de26a50-inside-tottoris-idyllic-kingdom-of-mingei-folk-crafts.html
A nice picture of what seems to be, if not unique, then special to Japan. One of my favorite themes of NHK programming is documentaries about local arts, crafts, and food relying on age-old traditions around the country.
When my wife and I were in Kyoto in 2014, we did a lot of walking (and walking into random shops and restaurants). One of those shops turned out to be a toy store and workshop in one. The proprietor, a youngish guy, made wooden toys and decorative items by hand. I don't know if his was a centuries-old family business, though I expect that methods he was using have probably been employed by toy-makers for as long as woodworking has been around. Though it was a humble shop, I later looked him up online and he is apparently of some renown. Sad to say, I don't remember his name.
You are precisely on the track I was going down. All over the country you will find these nook people quietly puttering away on beauty. And yes! The NHK programs are a big favorite of mine.
Nicely written.
Why thank you very much!! I appreciate the read.
This is all beyond amazing, really awe inspiring!
But there is one small thing on your article that caught my attention: "I was helping a local NPO bring a small group of teenage children of recently immigrated families on a treasure map game that familiarized the kids with life aspects in their new host country." – that seems like SUCH a cool activity to host! I would love to learn more about it. ❤️
This is a group that does much more than neighborhood tours actually. Their primary work is helping these teenagers get access to (fully free, and therefore incredibly valuable) public high school education. In Japan, a new arrival from Pakistan say can get into Japanese high school, but he/ she has to pass some exams in both Japanese and English (oddly) first. So the NPO acts like a daily juku helping the kids prep for those tests.
I have volunteered to help the kids learn to write essays in English. And my Japanese colleagues help the kids with speaking and getting interviewed. Just last year, we found that for the first time ever all our kids passed and got into Japanese high school! We and the NPO must be getting better at training!
Imagine the importance of this program for their families. The moms and dads are often here on work, and they have brought their kids to Japan with them. If they score entrance to high school, the whole family’s life gets fast tracked and supported.
Oh wow, this is even more incredible than I had thought at first! Such an amazing work you are doing with these kids and their families. ❤️ And congratulations on getting all the kids through these exams last year, I can imagine how amazing the feeling is, knowing that your time dedicated to them has such a life-changing impact on several people! 🥰
My colleagues and I--this is a company sponsored activity--went to the bar to celebrate when we heard. We never would have thought all the students would pass. Now however we have an impossible target to uphold in future years. lol.
Of all the impossible tasks one might set out to pursue, this is certainly a valuable one. And even if not all kids you support get through the schools, I am confident there is a lifelong impact happening there. 🥰
The Mingei Movement was instrumental in encouraging a return to the traditional and handmade and a shunning of the cheap, disposable and factory made. But, those guys were almost always upper middle class types slumming it among the artisan class. Your lantern guy is the real thing. Managed to thrive without being rescued by a graduate from an elite university. Though because of that he’s unlikely to have his own exhibition at Mitsukoshi.
Very good info, thanks!! I’m intrigued with the idea of rescued by a grad from an elite uni. What’s this? You mean like a benefactor or an investor/larger company looking to acquire a craftsman’s skills?
It could be any of those or even some well educated and dedicated lad learning a traditional craft through apprenticeship. It’s a big topic but a good example are the Yoshida family down in Tottori. A local doctor, he realized the extensive network of local craftsmen had no knowledge of new trends and tastes. He helped them adapt into new styles and items. He even set up a shop in Ginza to help sell the stuff in Tokyo. It’s called Takumi and is still there. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/11/ef0e2de26a50-inside-tottoris-idyllic-kingdom-of-mingei-folk-crafts.html
Excellent. Thanks. I’ve never heard of these things.
You’ve hit on a topic where I have a modicum of information
Clearly!!!