Continuity and Change - Understanding
threatened, the Japanese govenunent enacted as a precaution
Japanese Art Crafts in Context
Nicole Rousmanierc
Japan has an extremely long and vibraJ1t history of craft
production, a.J1d the contu,uing dyn 血ism and technical
prowess of Japanese craft artists, working in a面de v釘icty of
media, is readily app邸 nt today. To describe how tllis diversity
of craft production developed aJ1d has come to be sustau1cd is
the main purpose of this introduction.
Ex狙11il1ing modern Japai1ese art crafts i.t1 context encourages
a deeper appreciation of n1any aspects of art-craft production in
contcmpora1y Jap皿Uclliy皿a Takeo, Director Emeritus of the
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, has provided a clue
to understandi.t1g one of the basic underlying pru1ciples of
modern Jap叩cse art crafts, when be draws our attention
to a particular quote from the catalogue of the 1959 Nitten
exl,ibition (sec p. 30). There, 叩叩 alogy was drawn vvith the
philosophy of the senliJ,al Jap 叩ese poet Matsuo Basho
(1644-94), who f皿 ously defined the basic principle of
composu,g traditional haiku poetry in terms of'contu1Uity and
t
chaJ1ge'(Jt1eki ryiik6). Basho's dic trn, was invoked il, the 1959
catalogi.te to explain the true mea11ing of the word'tradition'
(dent6) in contemporary Japanese artistic production: a tradition
wllich embraces, without contradiction, both continuity and
cl誼nge. The contilrnation of ru, 釘 tistic tradition must all.ow for
and even encolliage chai,ge, to keep that art form vibrant. T his
essay explores the dynanlic between contimt.ity and change,
by exmninmg case studies of the varied production of modern
Japanese art crafts. It also exanlines issues surrounding their
official recognition ru,d their trru,smission. My血is to
encourage a deeper understanding 邸 d appreciation of
Japanese art crafts il1 context.
Official recognition for Japanese art crafts
Many of the artists represented in this catalo忠1e are known
colloquially as 'Living National Treasures'. This term came il,to
use shortly after World War ll. In the immediate post-war
recovery period (1945-52), when Japan was occupied by US
『
12 I CRAFTING B恥u fY lN MODERN JAPAN
troops and traditional art forms were considered to be 1955-
system
面ous cullura I property protection acts. Tn particular, in J 950, organi
the Co1ru11ittee for the Protection of Cultt1ral Properties (now Kogeit,
the Bu咄acho, or Agency for Cultural Affairs) developed a exhibi
system of designating the craft or performance skills of desig
particular aitists as Intangible CultLlJ'al Properties'(111ukei and (
b1111kazai). Public it1terest was i..t1cvitably drawn towards the pres<
person rather than the skill, however; hence the poptt.lar 1誼me Trea·
'Living National Treasure'. (As a rule, the more popular term Ex11:
has been used m this publication.) The system was revised Tok
m 1955 邸 d many previously des面ated artists were re- eig'
desigi1ated, 叩 d others added. For example、the fast ccran1ic ha ,
artists to be designated under the new system were Hamada an
Shoji (cat. no. 2) for his Mingei (Folk Crafts) cer細 ic techmque fo
and 1bmimoto Ke成ichi (cat. no. 1) for 11.is overglazc en叩1el SI
tech11ique on porcelain. E
‘
As the revised official term 恥portant Tntangible Cultural ti
Property'(juyo mukei bunkaza,) implies, from this period onwards
the government has officially reco即izcd select individuals as
'holders'(hojisha) of specific tecl111iques that have been
determined to be worth prese1ving ai1d perpetL1aling. Ill addition
to mdividuals, collective or group desi印1ations are also made;
for example, the Kakiemon ru1d lmaemon cerru11ic workshops
m Arita for their coloured overglaze enan1el (iro-e) tecl血ques.
T hree criteria have been considered essential for'Living
National Treasure' designation: that the technique in question
possesses 11.igh artistic value; that it occupies an important
position in the history of Japanese art crafts; and finally, that
it has distinctive regional characteristics. ln addition to the
honour of the des面ation, assistance is supplied to t1叫n
successors to perpetuate the tech11ique. To take the year 1994 as
an example、thirty-11.ine special techniques of craft skills in nine
categories were desi印1ated as it11portant intangible properties,
along with ti山ty-six special techniques of perforn廿ng arts iii
seven categories. These des閤1ations of tech11ique were
awarded to fifty-three mdividuals and twenty-three groups
overall.'Several new categories are added each year, includin g
recently local theatrical expression from Okinawa prefectme.
As recounted it1 more detail in Prof. Uchiyama's essay, the
Japan Art Crafts Association (Nihon Kageikai) was formed in
一
1955-at 虹 mmd the same time as the'Living National TreasLLre' Regional expression
system was being reorg叫zed - to help aclt1linister ai1d co- Japan is an isla.J1d chain that covers over 370,000 square
orga1lize tl1e Japan Traditiona]紐Crafts Exhibition (Ni/1011 Dento kilometres and is made up of four main 叩 d some 6800 smaller
Kogeiten) together with the Agency forC』tural Affairs. This islands. The cli..t11ate ranges widely from sub-ti·opical in
exhibition is considered integral to the government's Oki..t1awa prcfcch.1re to sub-a.t-c廿c in the 1101th. Much of the
dcs枷ation scheme ai1d serves the dual pしLrposes of promoting count1y is covered by mountain r皿ges, with only about
and developing domestic Japa11ese art-craft traclitions w国e also 血teen per cent of the land fit for a炉cLtltural use. Since
presenting the work of the artists designated as Living National prehistoric times the coastline has changed considerably with
TreasLLres. The prestigious Japan Traditional紐sCrafts fluctuations in the water level. In addition, some of the largest
薗ibition, with a published catalogue, is held every autLmm m mountains 紅 e (or were) vole皿c which, coupled with frequent
Tokyo at the Mitsukoshi department store, and subsequently in e釘thquakes, has created a self-transforn血g landscape. The
eight other locations tl1roughout Japan. The annual exhibitions southern island of K)'l1shu is geographically close to the Korean
have proved to be extremely popular with tbe general public pe11insula. A swift c叩ent血ks southernCl直na and Taiwan to
and garner much media attention.2 They have been organized western Kyushu. The southern cha.i.t1 of islands that compose
for more than fifty years now with the help of111e Asalu current Okinawa prefecture (formerly the Ry油yc1 Kingdom)
Slwnbun (As血NewspaperCompany) at1d NHK National were annexed as part of the Jap 叩ese Satsuma domain after an
Broadcas血g, as well as other local media g oups. Si.J..ce 1960
r
invasion of 1609. T he variety of Okinawa's topography is
the exhibitions have been open to general subnlission.3 reflected in ctiverse artistic forms and local styles. It has
Iilitially, m the fast charter of the Japan ArtCrafts managed to preserve a CLuturally ctistinct identity through its art
Association of 1955, craft media for the exhibition were divided crafts.Vibrant textile traditions, for exa111ple，紅e represented by
mto five categories: ceramics, textiles, lacquer, metal and a the works of two female artists, Taira Toshiko (cat. no. 55, fig. 1)
categmy composed of dolls, wood and bamboo, and other and Miyahira Hats如(cat. no. 52) in this book. Oki..t1awan
items.'Two years later, i.J.1 1957, the categories were expanded textiles with their unique texh.ires and colour combinations
to seven 皿d they remain unchat1ged today: ceramics, textiles, have i..t1fluenced famous twentieth-ccnh.iry artists from a variety
lacquer, metal, wood and b皿 boo, dolls, and a categmy of
other crafts that i.J.1cludes kirikane (applied cut metal foil), glass, Fig. 1111ira Toshiko [55] boiling banana tree bark (1idnki) at her
workshop in Kijoka, Okinawa prcfcch.irc. 2006
cut stone、n訳stones, and en皿elling (cloisonne'). Interesti.J.1gly, Photo印•aph by Yara Katsuhiko
while swordsmiths ca11 also be designated Livmg National
Treasures, swords are not included i.J.1 the metal section of the
exhibition. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that
sword makers already had a special trust, Nihon Bijutsu Token
Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art
Swords), formed for the preservation of thei.J.· craft techniques in
the inunecliate pre-war period, 皿d therefore they did not need
to be included in ai,ot association. A second fund皿ental
in ai,other
l
issue is whether a contemporary sword represents an act of
independent artistic volition or self-expression by the maker; or
is it, rather, the consummate example of at1 artisai1 working at
one with h11s material. Swords 紅e not collected or displayed at
i

the Craft Callery of the National MuseLUn of Modern Art, Tokyo

(MO叫T), but rather at the Tokyo National Museum.


Fig. 2 Nakagawa Mamom 185] applying metal inlay at lus studio in Kanazawa,
Ishikawa prefech.1rc. 2005. Photograph by Hoclu I liroyuki
of fields throughout Japru1, it1cluding the potter Hamada Sh叩
(cat. no. 2) and the textile artist Serizawa Keisuke (cat. nos 32,
39).
Regional expression is one of the basic criteria considered in
the des面ation of a Living National Treasure it, Japar1. This
emphasis on regionalism goes back at least to the Edo period
(1600-1868). Now there is the i..J1evitable pltll towards the major
cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, where it has become quite easy
to procure many different types of regional art crafts.
Nevertheless, some artists have resisted the lure of city life and
rem皿ed ii, their local area. Tokuda Yasokic切ill (cat.no.22、fig.
3), Nakagawa Mamoru (cat. no. 85, fig. 2) and Oba Shogyo (cat.
no. 64) have all stayed close to their roots in Ishikawa
prefech.u-e. Others have chosen to move to another region of
Japan to practise their vocation, such as 01ushi Tsao (cat.no. 74,
fig. 5), who was born in J<:界1shu but now lives and works in
Ibara ki prefcct1.ire in the east.
Craft traditions have evolved in particular regions of Japan
for many reasons. The Arita area of Saga prefecture in Kyushu
has been home to a thrivit,g porcelain industry for almost four
hundred years, one that is still strong today. Three artists in the
14 I CRAFflNG BEAU1Y IN MODERN JAPAN
current exhibition e from Arita - ln1aiz山 1U Tmaemon xm
釘
(1926-2001, cat. no. 14), Sakaida Kakiemon XlV(b.1934、cat.
no.20) 却 d Inoue Manji (b. 1929、cat. no. 24) - and all are
designated Livi.t1g National Treasures. Part of the reason why
Arita became the location for porcelain production lies in its
physical resources: porcelain stone was first located in Japan at
lzu叫yama in Ar_ita around 1610. In addition, there are dense
sunoun血g forests needed to fire the kilns, plenty of streains
to help process the materials and sloping mountains on which
to build the li油ed-charnber clirnbi.t,g k血s.知equally
significant ingredient for early success was patronage,
particuJ叫y impmiant in the case of porcelain, which reqtw·es
intensive labour and strong fiscal corru11itment. Tn the Edo
period the Nabesh血a saJ.11urai lords took an active interest i.t1
Ar_ita ware, so ensuring its survival.Today the prefecture and
other local interest伊oups also promote the ware and its artists.
The Kyi.1shu Saga Prefectural Ceran1ic Museum in Ar_ita is at the
forefront of porcelain studies and tries to place porcelain in
historical context while also wor匝g with contemporary artists.
Porcelain plays an import 皿 t role in heritage tourism of the
Arita area, and is promoted tlvough aimual festivals and other
local i.t1itiativcs.This s 狙ne phenomenon is true in Okayama
prefecture with Bizen w釘e, orWaj血a in Tshikawa prefecture
with its lacquer traditions. The combination of rich local
resources and historical patronage systems, with access to
tra血g routes, has helped to promote regional craft specialities.
T hey are now considered a vital part of the cul皿al heritage of
a particttlar region and actively fostered whenever possible.
Trends in twentieth-century Japanese art crafts
As has been described above, Japan's long history of varied
crafts is deeply rooted i.J1 the local regions where they are
produced. Throughout the early modern period, from the 1600s
through 1800s, localized craft production was generally
encouraged by the 260 or so regional samurai domaiJ1s.With
the upheaval in local strnctures that followed the inauguration
of the Meiji era (1868-1912) and the subsequent abolition of
privileged srunurai status and regional domains in 1871, local
craft industries had for the first time to compete nationally and
internationally - without the support structures that they had
enjoyed for several centuries previously. In addition, new
technologies and forei即goods began to enter Japanese
markets, sharpening competition all the more.
The new Meiji government soon discovered that Japanese
art crafts were pop叫紅abroad and could generate a much
needed source of forei印1 currency. With this in r血d, coupled
with the growing fee血g among cognoscenti that local traditions
were in danger of being undernlined, a series of Meiji-era
initiatives were undertaken under the banner slogan of
'encouragement of industry'(shokusan kogyo). In 1873 the new
Meiji government participated in the Vienna International
Exposition and received critical acclaim for its craft industries,
rartked eighteenth out of thilty-one participating nations.
This was seen as very encouraging for a newcomer.
In 1877 the first of five domestic exhibitions of the Mei11 era
was held at Ueno, Tokyo. T 11e basket maker Shokosai l
(1815-97) won the prestigious Phoenix Ptizc at the exhibition
and比s basket was bought by the Meiji empress. This was
thought to be one of the first insta.11ces of modern Impe1ial
patronage of Japa.11ese traditional crafts. Over the next few
decades the Imperial family and the Imperial Household
Mi11ist1y (KLmaisho) bega.11 to collect Japanese crafts and to
commission artists to decorate spaces used by the Iinperial
family 皿d their guests, also for formal state occasions. In 1890
Imperial patronage developed a step forther with the
A
establisl1111ent of the title'rtist to the fo1perial Household'
(teishitsu gigei'in). Tl1e ceramic artist Seifc-lYohei III (1851-1914,
cat. no. 117) was 皿 ong a group of artists appointed to this
prestigious title
The first Bunten e心ibition, a Salon-like national showcase
for the伽e arts, was staged in 1907 under the auspices of the
Minist ry of Education. Over the course of the twentieth centu1y
枷s major e油ibition wmud go through many changes of n田11e
邸 d orga.11ization. However, art crafts were not included in the
Bunten exlubitions. Craft artists could only exhibit at an
exhibition called the Noten, the℃oncours Exl1ibition of D esi即
and Applied Arts' , which was sponsored by the Ministry of
Agric叫ure, C01nnierce and Industry. After the sixth Noten
exhibition the title changed to the Mi.tlistry of A炉cuJture and
Co m merce Crafts Exhibition. T11en in 1925 the Ministry of
Agricul皿e and Cmnmerce bee皿e two separate government
divisi ons: the Ministry of A炉culttire and Forestry, and the
Mit1istly of Commerce and Industry. The Notcn exhibition's
nan,e was then changed to the Shokoten or Minishy of
Commerce and Industry Crafts Exliibition. Reorganization also
occurred with the government's official 叫 e油ibition: it, 1919
the Bunten was reorg血zed at the Teiten exhibition or Imperial
Art Exl,ibition(Teikoku bりutsu tenrankai). Si即韮cm1tly it, 1927
the eighth Teiten exhibition伽ally established a c叫t division -
The Fourth Section. The mclusion of a craft section stimulated
general interest and production and craft begai1 to be viewed as
a legitimate means of artistic self-expression, something that
only rarely happened before in its history. Innovation m1d
individuality were openly encouraged.
l1m11ediately after World War II, in 1946, the Teiten
exlubition's name was changed to the Nitten. The first exlubition
in its new form was held that ye紅 and continues to be held to
the present day. The Nitten's annual exlubition contit1Ues to
include art crafts. The exan,ples selected for exhibition stress
it1dividual creative expression above other criteria. Artists from
the Nitten do not, as a rule, show it, the Jap皿 Traditional紅t
Crafts E迦bition and vice versa. Certain craft families are even
split, with one member showing m the Nitten, 皿d another m
the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Eふibition.
In the post-w 紅 period, craft artists have tended to fall mto
one of four general categories: traditional craft rutists (members
of the Japan Art Crafts細sociation); it,dcpendent creative craft
artists who exhibit at the Nitten exhibition; fw,ctional craft 狙 tists;
and, finally, those who reject both fw,ctionality 叩 d decoration.
From the 1980s onw紅ds, the Japan Traditional Art Crafts
Exlubition has gained considerable populair ty with its ideal of
beauty it, ftmction and its emphasis on technique and the use
of traditional materials as the springboard for new creativity.5
Th e transmission of Japanese
art crafts in traditional contexts
There are mLtl.tiple systems for the transmission of techniques
皿 ong the trad巾onal art crafts currently practised in Jap 皿
The enduring 'head of the household'(iemoto) hereditary
system has held sway in many branches of the arts since
medieval times. It was particularly prevalent during the Edo
period (1600-1868), for example in officially recognized schools
of painting、such as the Kano, a.t,d in the various traditions of
CRA百ING BEAUTY IN MODERN JAPAN I 15
 all foll his l d d bee皿eTokuda
e a an
tea practice (clwnoyu) that trace their lineages to a common a youth,ev ntu y ow
ed
e

ancestor Sen no応知(1522-91).° 11, fanulies that follo w the

Ya k c
so i i
h m,who w
as de
i
l Treasur e
s i gna ted a Livi n g Nat o n a

c .
traditi onal ie111oto system、techn ques along with the title o
i f i.J.1 19 9 7 ( at. no. 22, fig . 3)
head of the workshop arc passcd dire c t y down to th e eldes t
l
e ca a u r
son, or a designa e e
t d h ir. This is t h se with n mbe of
t he artists represented in this exhi bition, particuJ ar ly in tl,e
field of ceramics.
Records of the techn.iques practised by government-
designated 紅tists arc collected by the Agency for Cul 皿aI i"
Aff皿5 and stored at the Tokyo Nat ional Museum. Originally
th ese were written documents an s a p e o tec u e
d m l s f 畑i q s 、
along with finished works. More recently, techni q ues are fili11ed
by the Agency for CLLI皿al Aff airs.
Jn the section that follows、 t h ree case studies de mons tr a te
the dif f erent ways in which the trru1smission of a parti c ular
techniqu e - here i.n ceran1ic and lacquer crafts - com b u1es w ith
e
the ar ist's own personal hi stmy in the development of th ir
t
i ndividual style. Other methods off tr皿 smission may be
ri . 3 To ku da Y s o ch a n n c
g a ki i o ti1 g Kutan iporcela i in th i�
[2 ]2 dec ra
sporadic or even eso teric (secret), such as from master to � _ �d m o o p courtesy of
h
w�rks h p o in Kom a tsu, Ish ik
awa 1 . 959. P h t gra
prefcct1. re
t
rusted pupil. The point of such a system of transmis si on si to lbkud a Yasokichi山
protect knowledge of a technique. 111 metalwork or in ceranuc、
for example, knowledge concerniin g Q " the cool 山 e n t h
o f flrun s i
e
ID ll i.J the m1 mcr of 1955 his
c re ca s t at 1
h

i e
s a h ce o u
d c ito . pe e n c e s th Yasok i hi sL
k i ln s se nti l t ot e pro s s f pro n Ex ri i e
th r ha suffe r d a m ile d tr ke and was unab el to
an fa e d e s o
essential ingrcctient for success il1 all art crafts. �gr d fl o f h r h
ou se where he had a
im t e u r o r o t e i
l b ot h p p e
o nn u d la ze .Yasokichi l asked !us
r repa r i gg co o re g
l

Kutani ware ceramic art ist Tokuda Yasokichi Ill ra to o s

l ab ry f p p i and would h and hi.i
gra dson t a r
l
fo r hiJ. 11, n
l n 1953 the government designatedTokuda Yasokic hi 1 n o pre e the g azes
f hi h h h tte n down the rec �es fo
o paper on w c e a wr i r
d
;icc
(1873-1956) as the holder of ru1 Intai1gible Ctutural Prop e rty es fo w hic h he as so famous. n _
i

he p c a e colou rs r O t e h se
('Living National Treasure') for his overglaze enamel d ecoratio t s ec i fi gl z w
n
o l hi '
s n : re ure these colo as
oc a s a
T as urs
c sio ns he t d o
d

technique on Kutani ware.Yasoki chi 1 was responsible for gr

d D
n
't s h a th m with anyo ne, not
n y'
e ll e ar y
n o ur b r ea . on re e
reviving the Kutani tradition of brightly decorated porcelai t h
'Six ont hs lat r Yasokichi T died, lea n
eve wit h yo ru fat r. e vi g
h
had been famous since the Edo period (1 600-1868) but m
that er fo his ndson Tlus kind r
n
o e e ci
r . of sec et
had gone into decline in the subsequent Meiji era (18 68-19 12 ). fifte e n o r 50
f t ee
h p s g ra
q a d 珈ated he ir was als
c 1u h ues to es o
恥 y ears JaterYasokicbi l submitted panels with di erent
ff transmis sion of td i lain during
r s n rc e u the �do
pic ly p act e
i d ctio

poi h
n
colour glaze samples, tools, text of tec h n iques 皿 d a lar ge ni n e - ty� al pro
8 w n y b th example of Nab sh u11 a
� r d 1 6 — 1 68 , as s s e
00 )

lobed dish with cra11esand pines in Kokutani ('old Kutan i ') i o (

e
o
o eI e t 畑ique was iJ.1tro
e d u ce to
style, now inthe collection o fthe T o 切o Nati o na l Museum. wares. The v1erglaze enam d
4 fr m Chi Sa m i lords of the
n
apan i t e a ru

However, the designat ion system was altered in the foll owing J: h 6 0s o n . a
n迅 d h i s went o great lengths o
re e s m a fa n t e r
r e a ner
i
t t
N be hi y a f h
t

year, 1954, and he was temporar1ilv 1 d e a ssi fi ed . Sa dl , b

y cl y e fo h
v s o n
c n
h i
u e and preve n tiit from l v g
t r e t
guard he i
e
e s e , o c d ied o n r te q ea in
e r i
could be reclassi fi d unde the n wsy t m Yas k i hi l
o
m a c s h e
a w o as he i medi t evicinity of the produ ti o n ites, k eeping t
0 u d o n h rk ed wi t ;
2 F eb r ary 1 9 56. His gran s w o h d h畑11

16 I C AfTl
R NG BE LTTA 、I 1N R N JAP N
MO D E A
potters virttrnl prisoners at the official domai.11 k血at Okawachi
(modern l111ari city) during the period from the late 1600s until
the early 1800s.
Yasokicl1i lII has written that ten days after 11is grandfather's
death、while praying at the fa.inily's altar, he realized that his
炉·andfather had actually written many more recipes for glaze
colour i11g in a code composed of characters similar to the ones
used in the Buddhist sutras that were tucked away in the altar.7
Yasokichi I had earlier advised 11is gr皿dson to use code when
writing down numbers for glazes, and he even showed him
how to devise such a code. Yasokicl1i III was thus able to
decipher his grandfather's recipes and ended up also giVIng
them to 11is father. He feelsYasokichi I used code because he
did not want other, non-designated ceran1icists to make works
that resembled his owt1 after his death. In theYasokicl1i 1
tra.J1smission story a test was created to see if the grandson
would be able to decipher the information and so be worthy of
mheriting the techniques. Tl廿s is si.11直ar to m 皿y traditional
stories of the transmission of knowledge in Buddl1ist temples.
Fig. 3 illustrates youngYasokichi III working alongside his
father Yasol<.icl1i 11 (1907-97)、decorating Kuta.i1i porcelain in
their workshop in 1959.
Yasokicl1i lII continues to use the colouring typical of
traditional Kutani wares of the Edo period, exploiting虹S
grandfather's recipes, but he has developed a completely new
contemporary style. He invented new processes of refining the
cer狙ruc body before firil1g a.i1d a new style of colo山 glazing,
where the glassine colours themselves become the pattern. He
polishes the body of the ceramic for many homs before finng
until it is completely smooth, and then applies traditionally
r
m.ixed colours in finely g adated bands. The work is then fired
at a high temperahtre, 11igher than was traditionally used,
wl1ich allows the glaze to fully mature and the colours to turn
mto a vibr 叩t spectrum of light. TI1e process is laborious and
Yasokichi田works with up to ten people who he has
per sonally trained over the last thirty years to keep his
workshop runnmg.Yasokichi ill is in his mid-seventies and is
叫very active, constantly producil1g new works 皿d exhibiting
them worldwide.
Hizen ware ceramic artists Imaizumi Imaemon XIII
and Sakaida Kakiemon XIV
Jmaizwru In1aemon XIII (1926-2001) 皿d Saikada K非iemon
XIV (b. 1934) were both born in the vicinity of Arita town, Saga
prefecture. This is where the Hizen tradition of porcelait,
production and their血eages began and where their families
and kili,s are still based. It was at心ita il, the 1610s that
porcelain stone was first discovered and the first Japanese
porcelains fired. The nascent industry was strongly fostered by
the local Nabeshima sai11urai lords,closely reg直ated from 1637
onwards to encow·age production and protect techniques from
being copied by potential competitors.
Imaizumi's family traces its ancestiy tentatively back to the
Korean penil,sula m the late 1500s, and certaitcly to the early
porcelain-producing area of Arita and nearby Okawachi il, the
early 1600s. The fat叫y worked at the re叫ated domain kiln.
Jmaemon XTTI was especially creative and wl出e continuing the
tradition of overglaze ename血g il, the Nabeshima style, he
developed his own origmal techniques wluch greatly revitalized
the ware - a perfect illustration of continuity with change.
Imaemon XIII breathed new life into the des珈s that he p血ted
onto the porcelain bodies. He travelled throughout Japan to visit
all I血ds of a1t-craft production areas, not necessarily those
related to cerai11ics. He was particularly il,terested in an early
teduuque for decorating porcelain called fukizwni (literally
' blown叫'),where blue cobalt oxide was blowt1 from a ban,boo
pipe onto the porcelain body to achieve a splashed effect. In
Kyoto he met the yitzen textile artist Mo1iguchi Kako (cat. no.
33), and they discussed the techniques used m textiles to
aclueve similar effects. li11aizunu returned to心ita, utilizing
what he had been taught by Morigttchi to create his fan,ous
signature grey 'blown ir訳usuzumi ground (actually urarnum
oxide). For his maste1y of the overglaze-enamel teduuque he
was awarded Living National Treasure status in 1989. Imaemon
XIII has been succeeded by his second son, Imaiz山111 Imaemon
XIV (b. 1963). Imaemon XIV graduated from Musashino Art
Uruversity and is well versed m both traditional styles and new
ceramic art. He has showi1 pron廿smg res直ts in works that not
011-ly focus on the style of the overglaze desi伊1,but which also
create i11terplay between the design and the vessel shape, m a
fresh manner that sits well with the traditional Nabeshirna
呵
CRAFl いG BEAUTY IN MODERN JAPAN I 17

Fig. 5 0 11.islu Isao [74) working at his studio in Chikusei, Jbaraki prefecture.
2006. Photo 即•aph byTsutsunu Katsuo
been discussed above, illustrated by the file experiences of
several artists. Transmission, preservation ai.1d development have
m皿y more dimensions. T11ere has for some tin1e been a
movement i.t1 Japan to record and educate the general public
about the many tecl皿ques and the crafts themselves, to build
an audience for the wares that will help sustain Japanese art
crafts in the future. Vaiious public, acade皿c and privately
血ded groups are active in recording art-craft tecl111.iques, and
many regional initiatives have been recently undertaken. There
is a sense of urgency to this overall project as it is generally felt
that traditional art crafts are end 皿gered by the onslaught of
cheaper mass-produced w紅es from the global marketplace.
While the web and i.t1ternational m紅kets can bting advantages
in addition to the challenges, it is cert血that without continued
effort to sustain traditiona 1 tecl111.iques, many will cease to e刃st
in the near future. To give just one it11port皿t ex<Jmple: there are
currently only twenty sap-gatherers (kakiko) for lacquer
production working in Japan nationwide. It is estimated that
over ninety per cent of the liquid lacquer used to produce
finished lacquer products in Japan today is sourced from Cl血a.
， onto lacquer dishes. The style of architecture of this time, shoin
20 \ CRA可］ NG BEAUTY IN MODERN JAPAN
The Crafts Gallery at the National Musetm1 of Modern心tI
Tokyo has been at the fore仕ont of educatil1g the public about
craft in Japa11 and its various mmufestations. One intercsti.t1g
mitiative that has caught the public's imagiliation is their'Touch
& Talk' series that is held regularly in both the Japanese and
English lat咽」ages. Before a general talk there is the
opportunity for participants to take a closer look at works by
famous artists and to see first hand the materials and
techniques used. The Japan Art Crafts Association, to celebrate
their fiftieth arnuversary in 2004, created a comprehensive
listi.t1g and explanation of Japanese art crafts on their website,
in both the Japat1ese and English languages, in order to reach
out to a wider international audience of particularly the
younger generation.10 Art crafts have much enhanced
s面ificance in their various social contexts, in addition to their
beauty as objects and as the manifestation of at1 artist's skill, as
will be further discussed below.
Craft as performance
lt may appear that the life of a craft object ends with the血al
phase of its production at the artist's studio, workshop or kiln.
In many cases, however, a craftwork is made to be put to use
i111aginatively in perforn姐nce, or in assemblages, which extend
the creative process further and even serve to redefine the
meanil1g of the piece itself. Such performances might include
a whisked tea (matcha) or steeped tea (sencha) gathering, or a
flower-arran加g event·
T here is ai1 ancient belief in Japa.t1, which dates back at least
to the AD 200s, the_ end of the Yayoi period, that spirits dwe)I in
trees. Trees and bra.t1ches (especially pine) a.t1d floral
叩邸 gements are, to some today, still potentially a place where
spirits nught reside. With the il1troduction of Buddhism in the
AD 500s, the practice arose of offering flowers (kuge) to the
Buddha, which continues to the present day.'Flower guessing
(hana-awase) contests were common by the 1300s among the
nobility. And by the 1400s, flower arrangement (ikebana)
emerged as a codified art fonn.11 Initially intended for formal
settings, flowers were arranged simply by being inserted
vertically (tate-bana) in vases of either Chinese celadon
porcelain or bronze, and these vases w叫d in turn be placed
zukuri, i.!1.corporated an alcove (toko110111n) where artwork such
as hanging-scroll paintings and vases with flowers could be
placed (fig. 7). ln informal settings a more relaxed style of
flower arranging developed, called nageiri-bana (literally,
'thrown-in flowers'), with the stems arra.11ged as natl1raily
as possible. Flowers for both styles of arrangement would be
selected on the basis of the season, their colour and smell,
and how they wottld h 紅monize with the rest of the decor of
the room
With the supremacy of the warrior class 叩 d the enhanced
血portance of impressive formal display i.!1 the 1500s, flower
anangement took on即皿der f01ms ai1d a new style called
rikka came to the fore. T he magnificent rikka style of arr 叩ging
emerged i.!1 Kyoto、then spread to Osaka and, later, Edo
(modern Tokyo), along with the fashion for gatheri.I,gs to
prepare and se,ve whisked tea. The rikka style required the use
of many flowers, which were artft.1lly arrai1ged in the vase iJ'\
formal composition.和inted and printed manuals for tl'lis style
were devised. The more mformaJ nagaire style of flower
composition became popttlar with the merchant clc1ss and it too
was formalized by the 1600s into the seika ('living flower') style.
Durmg the Edo period (1600-1868) this technique was also
much appreciated by scholars and aficionados of'steeped tea'
(sencha, fig. 7). From the 1600s onw 紅ds all styles of flower
arrangement tended to use bamboo baskets - originally from
China, later made i.!1 Japan. Modern b 皿 boo baskets for
flowers are included it, this catalogue (cat. nos 92、93、99, 100)
lt is rewardi.I1g to visualize flowers in these baskets, but it
should c1lso be 皿derstood that many contempor叩, artists
create their works pri.111arily as sntlptural forms that are not
necessarily i.I,tended to be ft.mctional.
Tl1c custom of cir血<ing tea has a venerable比strny m Japan
that stretches back to the AD 700s. At first it was simply boiled.
For mal tea gatherings (chanoyu, literally boiling water for tea'),
that conti.11t1c i.!1 many styles today, began in the 1400s in the
courts of the i.I11perial family 邸 d rulmg Asl淑aga n'lilitary
family, centred i.11 the Higashiyan,a district o(Kyoto. The
Orig inal focus of such events was the display of r 紅e (often
Chin ese) objects, accompanied by poet1y recital, music and
oth er arts. This was c1lso the occasion for dri.I,king whisked tea.
After the civil w紅s that racked K¥oto in the later 1400s, the
practices of formal tea drinking were forther refined by Murata
Juko (1422-1502) and Takeno Joo (1502-55). Imbued with Zen
teachings brought from China, the serving of whisked tea
becat.11c more sober in style. It was now predicated on the
principle of various Lulities: wlity of the particip 印ts; unity of
the gt·oup of tea utensils；釦d wlities of spirit, season ai1d place
for that b1ie(il,terlude in time. Tea customs were further
developed by the most fat.11ous tea master Sen no Ri.kyu
(1521-91), who created a more personalized style of tea, one
that focused on the moment: each gt.test and each meeting
were treated as sing叫arly import祖1t, for that moment could
never be recreated.
The utensils used for the serving of whisked tea are of the
ut111ost importance ii, creating the mood, harmonizing the
group of participants at1d displaying the host's taste. Tea bowls
made of stonew紅e hold pride of place in the proceedings、such
as the one that 釘 tist Suzuki Osamu created 皿 d is holding m
his hat.ids (cat. no. 30, fig. 6; see also cat. nos 7, 21 and 26 for
other bowls used for wllisked tea). Tt is i111portant to ilnagine
the frothy bright-green tea inside the creamy-wllite glazed
bowl that Suzuki holds. Enjoying the contrast between the
tl1ick green tea ai1d the soft feldspatllic glaze of the bowl is at,
aesthetic moment central to the tea experience. Once the tea
has bee·n由unk, the bowl is turned in the 1ぽnds and admired,
even turned over to examine ai1d comment on its foo廿ing. So
Fig. 6 Suzt水i Osarnu [30] with � teabowl made by himself, al his house in
Taji.t11i, Gifu prefect 山•c. 2006. Photograph by Tsutsumi Katsuu
 i
the humble footring, othe1wise unseen i.11 daly life,becomes
a vital element of the bowl's overall aesthetic. This is nowhere
more the case than with Miwa Jusetsu's'rugged Hagi'(oni-Hagi)
bowl,with its highly exaggerated footring (cat. no. 21).
Other utensils essential for whisked tea gatherings include
r
cast-iron kettles, with thei deliberately induced patinas (cat.
nos 77,80) and water jars (mizusash1) used for storing water to
replenish the kettle,made from ceranl.ic、lacquer and metal (cat.
nos 6、62,65、83,88,89). P roud of its long history and
traclitions, the world of tea con血ucs to exert a strong it泊uence
on art-craft production today,and contmues to have a very
significant presence among the works clisplayed at the annual
Japru1 Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition.
Cathe血gs for steeped tea (sencluz) developed at a later period
m Japan,introduced from Ming China in the early 1600s. The basic
the liquid into small cups made of porcelain. Okakura Tens血
in lus famous Book ofTea (1906), explains:
The Cake tea which was boiled, the Powdered tea
which was whipped and the Leaf-tea which was
steeped, mark the distmctive emotional impulses of
the Tang, Sung, and the Ming dynasties of C血a. lf
we were il,clined to borrow the much-abused
tern1inology of 釘t-classification,we might designate
them respectively, the Classic,the Romantic and the
13
Naturalistic schools of tea
Steeped tea spread particularly m the 1700s,m the Kansai area
around the cities of Osaka and Kyoto,where it was taken up by
schol 紅s interested il1. Cl血ese learnmg, and has contil,ued to
be popul釘 tmtil the present day. The utensils normally ilnitate
Chinese examples. Bamboo is one of the materials of choice,
not only for flower vases but also for stands.

Fig. 8 Lacquer wares by Murose Kazun1i [73] filled with food prepared by
Asanu Kenji. 2007. Photob,raph by Ohori Kazuhiko

Fig. 7 Hayakawa Shokosai V [99] and Ogawa Koraku enjoying steeped tea
(sencha) at Ogawa's house in Kyoto. 2006. Flowers are arranged in Hayakawa's
basket, shown in the display alcove. Photograph by Kuwabara Eib皿

philosophy followed was the Taoist one of living m harmony wi出

12
nature. •L Whisked tea involved pouring boiling water directly onto
the powdered tea in出e bottom of the bowl and whis血g itmto a
丘otl1. Ii, cona·ast、steeped tea required hot water to be poured over
tea leaves in a teapot,allowing them to steep and then pourit1g

22 I c恥諏 C BEAUTY IN MODEI\N JAP./\N

 At tea gatherings, either wlusked or steeped, the d巾如ng
of the beverage is only one part. The overall success of the
event depends on the utensils combined, the gt.iests invited
and ahnosphere created. It is a performance in which the
objects play 皿 integral role, not so much it1dividually but as
皿 ensemble. Special food is prepared to harn1onize with the
utensils, ai1d the season, type of event and it1gredients are all
of different materials. Imai Yoko guotes Kawa.I⑱ni Nai.npo
(1898—1980), who wrote in 1935 about dolls being exhibited
at the Teiten (New Imperial Academy Exhibition):
A doll is created using many complex materials and
process. Many sep 紅ate effects must achieve an internal
皿jty of expression in the whole, in materials 皿d

factors kept carefully in n血d. Fig. 8 shows lacquer wares made
by artist M 直ose Kazurni (cat. no. 73) filled with food
appropriate for winter. Colom, textme, taste, fra印•ancc and
SWTO皿 dings combine to make the experience a sensory delight.
methods. It is the synthesis of a wooden base, the
coatil1g with gofun(powdered shell), the colors, the
clothing, that makes a doll clifferent from a wooden
c詞1g...Comp紅ed to wood carving, doll ma.I⑮g is
architecti.iral, ma畑g effective use of each of many

ー
17
Doll art materials. It is an 狙 t synthesizing pain血g 皿d carving.
TI,e range of expression ii, art crafts is by its very nature diverse.
vVhen we mclude all possible modern mterpretations and
hyb1id forms, classification becomes even more challen即g.Tb
establish邸delines, the Japan心t Crafts Association reco印1izes Fig. 9 Hayaslli Komao ["106] working on a doll at his stt1dio i.I1 Kyoto. 2005. He
has fulishcd the core and already applied powdered shell (gofi111) to make Lhe
all the main categories that are represented in this catalogue.
細face texture even. Tt is al this point that he paints the features and adds the

ceramics、textiles, lacquer, metal, wood 皿d bamboo, dolls m1d textiles to make the doll come alive. Photo印•aph by Kwnagai Takeji
glass with other mate1ials, such as gcmwork.
The inclusion of dolls deserves further comment as it is an
i111portant yet little-analysed field of craft production outside
Japan.The Crafts Galle1-y at the National Museum of Modern
Art, Tokyo held a major exl1ibition of doll art in 2003, which
attracted large audiences, particularly from m11ong the yow,ger
14
generation.., Dolls mean many different things to different
people. 1n Japm, there is an i111pressive r皿ge of types, from
different historical periods: prehistoric J6rnon棺urines called
do邸medieval hina paper dolls used for protection or fo1
pしuification; decorative dolls (cat. no. 123) used in the Dolls
Festival (hina matsuri) held on 3 March eve1-y year to celebrate
Girls Day; contemporary皿血ated doll他uril,es and robots.
HoriR珂o (1897―1984, cat. no. 104) wrote a book in 1956
about her fee血gs when creating dolls, entitled Dolls have
Hearts (Nin珈ni ko/coro ga ari).15 She highlighted the me血ng
of dolls as objects of affection. Some Japanese see them as
magical, others as SLmogates for humans, but what is cert祖n is
that everyone has a di_fferent
personal experience with dolls,
one that tl,at is uite
q w廿ike any other art form, and il,deed
quite different from reactions to sculpture.16 Dolls 紅e
particularly challe
nging for craft artists as they utilize a n 皿ber

CRAFTING BEAU'JY IN MODERN JAPAN I 23

 Na ti o a l T rea r ,
n JL
e1 g e gn t ed a Li n g s ue
vi

Future possibilities . Aft

mate r ial s b i.J
r i a
d l a d d elo ing his mct
e

b
s

o ev p l·
The和ture,,viii undoubte ly present ma11y exci血g challenge he focuse d b s energie s n te ow s , n
a

i li r a ll 'de m Hagi') style. Essc

s
d

famous'rugge H gi'( n i- te y on
forart crafts in Japan. lt is a country where trad tionally many d a o 、
i Hngid y de form d . He a d invo
p e d ed
gi·o u ps ha v e had differing definitions of what is craft, wh�t s The bow l s eca m e larger an d Pa rt
b t x h.re that
iall

i r wo d
y g v ei ro u g e e 1
local gri t to the cla to
h

ta
:rt a�d what defines tr a dition, and th s diversity has surely i bl d h tt d ea ch piece .
indi
i

a e e
occas ion a llymade hi s b ands ee
ヽ
been a si印1 of hcaJth. The fundamental vibrancy of art crafts i n po
ake the l az glaz
g
s
a
e tex tu re
h

Japa n is palpable. The Crafts Gallery at the National 1 u m He forther ev e loped a t e h c niqu et t rn by
M c d
s

o e r cffe(
11 1t
ripple an d notadh ere to cer ai pa s
f

su fac
of Modern Art, Tokyo、 Lmd er the leadership of Kaneko �K �en i、
t h e

j d the im
t

r . u ,
painting sl ip ma de o ocal clay on are a s aro u n B t t a
f

has it, rec ent years staged a se1ies of exlubitions that

o

l do h fo
o t of each
a focus e t e
most ofJusets u 's en e r gi es re n
demonstrates his broad-ran印n ing
g diversity, succ ssfully d art iculated
te d nlarg e d an , hi
e

t e r , e s
ddr e ss ng different audiences and provmg that a single bowl. Th 1 g s exagge a d ,
unifi de i.J f i
i fo so
otr

a e
giving it a life . rn a s e c ·ib ed a o v n
definition is not necessary for fu ture smviva l. Jus t recently、 m ti s wn
o
Tn t a g a n d
g

i d �f th '. e
h

o s ,
e

o b is
e t

foot ;ings would typicall y e ex m a i e as par ft

t

2006-7, a large ex 'libiti on al the Crafts Gal lery about the b en on to a n

l hs a k n m
ceremony, u b t u ets e nth is p e o
h

l cquer artist Matsuda Conroku was stage d at he same �i �e J s u uki a t

ll

a tha t ith 11is

UI

r ites el cl
i

s
gn ature
w
t

as �ne about細agi Sori, the fan1ous designer and son o t e extreme. s zak s u y w
l l由 i Ya li
f h of x r p ul
e mit s e p es sio n ,
h

philosopher Yanagi Mun eyos hi (1889-1961), who first foun d e d o r

no tch ed fo t ing, Ju s e t u i
s p us l n t
1i g m 20
s

di
to r u r v
he Mingei(Folk Crafts) movement together with Bernard
d ir cting th w o
e rk wa d a sculpt ral fo .
�
e

a t
Leach and Hamada Shoji, was shown n i the main b
ui l由ng.
m\
In 2006 the Crafts Gal e1y、collaborating皿der Kaneko's
o. 20 0 3
l

oy ceramic artist Miwa K皿u hi k . Na t io n la M su

e m
剥d Fig. 10 Flower vase bv
ice with the Hagi Uraganu Musetm1 org 1皿ed a
u

ofModern Art,Tokyo. Photograph byTanaka Gakuii

a

fas⑳ating exhibition of the work of Miwa Jusetsu(b.1910, ca

ru

t. N
k _lsetsu XI from 1967 onward s
no. 2 ) 1g Jus etsu was known as汎

r
《

1 .

,
rll
n t il he passed the Kc沖setsu title to lus eldest son in 200却 d

il
sしー‘
3
ok the name Juse tsu. Born in Hagi, at the western end of the
u

to

ー ，
a
main island ofHonshu, the l'listoricallyin,portant centre fo
r
tl,e production of Hagi→ware ccra1nics、Juse su wor ked hard with
t

�
his e der brot her 1<:炉wa (K炉setsu X, 1895-1981, cat. no.

921.
l 6) to
r ev i ve the tradition皿d was eventually made a Living Nation
al

s
9
珈asure m 1970, at the age of seventy-three. At the age of

ninety six be still mak s ceran11c s、albcit ona more linutcd .

s a
cl e
- e

The Hagi-ware ceramic tra

ic tradition is s aid to have begun wi th

a Korean potte name d Ri Sh ku.ko、 who shortly after 1 6 0 4

a

r
b山lt a kiln at Matsumoto AbuchO (modern Hagi city) at the

r equest of the Mori sru.nura.i lord.19 Hagi ware was known

tl,;oughout the Edo period from its straw ash glaze, distinc v e
ti
body and Ko e an mfl uence. The ware had gone into e se
r cli p in
the twentieth century, however, but the brothers worked ard
h
to rev ve it. It was only m the post-war period that J us u,
i
ts
c

havmg worked for over twenty-eight years at the po tt a

ry, h d
e

on
r e x s po wards e egan to
his fi s t hibition. From thi int h b
emphasize fo m over func ito n ,wh ile s t ill u si.t,g traditio nal
r

2 4 I C ;"f
RAflN G B E UTYA IN M O
DERN JAP AN

Jusetsu's ge11ius is to utilize local t raditional materials皿d
methods, but to create a vehicle for his own expression.
Essenhally, the process is iJ1,portant to the outcome. He 1s
involved in all aspects of production that combine to make the
work a success: selection of the types of local clay叩d materials;
md.ividual deformations a1d p叫1ting on of slip and dipping of
1 Tea Prnctioners in ]npnn (l lonolulu: University of Haw皿Press, 2005),
glaze; iJ1dividual placement of each work in the k血for a cert血
effect. Tt is the combit1ation of these processes that allows him
to achieve the expression he searches for in lus bowls.
Jusetsu lives with his tl直d son Miwa Kazuhiko(b.1951) and
his fan直y and they all work closely together. Wl直e the oldest
son has received the mantle of the Kyusetsu name, the third son
is free to explore l'lis own it,d.ividual creativity and has made a
mm1ber of sc叫ptural works that, wl出e based on traditional
tech11iques and glazes developed by his family, depart from the
purely如nchonal and enter the realm of scLtlp皿e. That such
diversity of expression c皿be tolerated and even encouraged in
a tradihonal regional craft紅ea such as Hagi clearly illustrates
mLtltiple possibili hes for the印ture of紅t crafts it1Jap皿
Notes
The author w叫d like to thank the Following who have assisted with
illush·ations for tlus essay: J\sarni Kcnji, Higashl Marikoげhe Asahi
Shimbun), Morigi.1chi Kunihiko, MLLrose Kazumi, C)hori Kazuhiko,
Yamada Kyoko(The Asalu Sl1i111bun).
1. htlp:／畑ww.ihbc.org.uk／国氾SCO/intan帥le_assets.html
2.The catalogi.1cs 紅e published 011line on the Japan Art Crafts
知sociation website: http://www.nihon-kogcik叫corn. Their uussion
statement is also published on their website in EngJjsh as follows: The
'Nihon Kogeikai u1tends to prcsc1ve the intangible culh1ral assets and
train successors, confomung to the spirit of the Jaw, by prornotu1g
伽her relations between artists and-technologists to tr血the
technique, making a profo皿d sh1dy of traditional art crafts, as well
as p rcscn,ing and applying it to be u11proved, so that we wo叫d
contribute to the improvement of culhtrc. To pop山a1ize Japanese
tr:ditional art crafts, we hold some annual exi1ibitions by �ve1y b ra nch
office and section as wcU as by the head office under jou1t
p
� onsorshjp. We also give a sh1dy workshop u1 tr皿皿g successors of
a
� �nesc traditional a�t crafts su�ported by'a state sub�id '
3.Rupert Faulk ner、
y.
Japanese Studio Crafts (London: Laurence知g md
V&A, 1995 )、pp. 13-14.
4. Niho,, dc:111a kogeite11 110 ayumi(Tbkyo:
Hoshin shuppansha, 1994),
pp. 286,291
5. Kaneko K呵i, Ce11dni
togei no zokei shiko [Retl血king Contemporary
Art Ceramics] (Tokyo: /\be Shuppan, 2001), ai1d Kai1eko Kenji,'Studio
Craft and C ra ftical Formation'、in Paul Greenhalgh(ed.）、Tl,e Persistence
of Craft(London: A & C Black, 2002), pp. 28-36.
6. For an introduction to the ientoto system see John Rosenfield (ed.),
Co111petitio11 n11d Col/nboratio11: 1-lereditary Schools in Japanese C11/t11re,
(l3oston: Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum, 1993). See also Morgan
Pitelka's informative book, Hnnrl111nde C1.1/t11r<'、Rnk11 Potters, Patrons, anrl
which examines the ienwto system with regard to the world of tea
practice and utensils.
7. Shodai 1bkudn Ynsokichiten [Tokud;:i Y;:isokiclu I Exlubition]. Komatsu
City: Komatsu City Museum, 2006, pp. 12-13, 164
8.Shimas咄i Susumu,'The World of Gonroku Matsuda', in Matsurln
Conrok11 110 sekni [The World of Matsuda Conroku] (K皿azawa City:
Ishikawa Prcfccturnl Muse皿of紅t, 1bkyo National Museum of
Modern心t, Crafts Galle1y, and MO/\, 2006), pp. "18-"19.
9. TsLil<ada Kyoko,'We have NurtL1rcd Trees sitice Time lt11111emotial to
Get the Precious Drops', Knteignho Intemationnl(2007 Winter Edition),
p.39
10. http://www.nihon-kogeikai.com/TEBTKT-E/2.hh11l
、
11. MO/\ Museum of Art, Atamj, Ikebana biJ/1ts11 ten, 1986.
·12. Ogawa Ko1油u,'Sencha and Japanese Liter ati'. J\ lecture given at
the co直erence Bevemges in Modern ]npn11 nnrl T/1eir Internatio11nl
Context, 1660-7 920s、sponsored by the Sait1sb1uy lt1stitute for the
St1.1dy of Japanese心ts 皿d Cu!tLtres at SOAS, London, 9 March 200·1.
'13. Quoted in Ogawa Koraku、p. 2
14. Kaneko Kenji and TmaiYoko (eds)、Contemporary Dolls: Fom111t1ve
Art of f-l11111a11 Se11ti111e11t(Tbkyo: The Crafts Ga!Jery, The National
Museum of Modern年、Tokyo, 2003)
15. Hori l{y11jo, Ni咆／o ni kokoro ga nri (Tokyo: Bungei Shunji:1 Slunsha,
1956).
16. ImaiYoko,'The Doll: Vessels of Pathos'.ln Kaneko Kenji and Tmai
Yoko (eds)、Contempornry Dolls: Formntive !\rt of Hwnnn Se11timc11t
( Tokyo: The Crafts Gc1lle1y, 171c National MuseLU11 of Modern心t,
Tokyo, 2003), pp. 12-l6.
"17. Tbid., p.13.
18. T he Crafts Galle1;', The National Museum of Modern心t、Tokyo、
and I Iagi Uragami Museum(eds), Juse/su Miwn: A Retrospective(Tokyo
The Crafts Calle1y, the National Museum of Modern /\rt, Tokyo, 2006).
19. Thid., p. 258.
20. Ibid., p. 259
C]い百INC BEAUTY IN MODERN JAPAN I 25
The Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition: a.rts, music, craft techniques and others. Holders of these
i.t1tangible nt.!tural properties have come to be known popularly
Its History and Spirit as'Livmg National Treasures'(ningen kokuho).The selection of
the craft techniques to be given protection was made by the
Uchiyama Tal<eo Cultural Property Prese1vation Committee. In Chapter 4 of the
Law, which concerns Intangible Cultural Properties, there is
T he'Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exl1.ibition'(Nihon denta kagei tlus clause:'Of the Inta.i1gible Cultural Properties, those that e
紅

ten) - a well-known annual event in Japan - held its fiftieth especially valuable and are in danger of dying out without the
show in the autum.n of 2003. The first exhibition was held in government's protection 紅 e to be helped by ensuring that the
the spring of 1954 at the main branch of the Mitsukoshi holder of the property receives subsidy, supplies, or other forms
dep 紅tmcnt store it1. Tokyo and was organized by the Cultural of support.'The phrasmg reflects the hard fina.t1cial
Property Prese1-vation Committee a.t1d the Cultural Properties c江cumstances of the tin,e. But it shoしt.!d also be noted that
Foundation.Its印11 title was'Japan Traditional年Crafts those craft techniques wluch were not a risk were not to be
Exh.tbition, Embodying Intangible Cultural Properties'. The helped, however valuable they were.
Committee had been founded as an external organ of the In M紅ch 1952 the Committee selected Shino stoneware
Minjstry of Education in Au即st 1950 to implement the Law made by Arakawa Toyozo (1894-1985; fig. 11) and t畑サfive
i
for the Protection of Cultural Properties promulgated in M ay other craft techniques to be印 ven protection. In November of
of that same year. Wl1en the Agency for Cultural Affairs was that ye狙；Nabeshima porcelain with overglaze enamels (iro
later launched in 1968, the Comnlittee beca.tne part of the
Agency as its Department of Cultural Property Protection
(now called the Department of Cultmal Properties). The Fig. 11心akawa Toyozo [71 takiJ.1g a fired stoneware teabowl from the k枷．
1965. Photogi·aph by Dornon Ken
involvement of the Committee in the org血zation of the
exhibition thus shows that the origins of the exhibition
were closely connected with the Law for the Protection of
C叫ural Properties.
After its defeat in the Asia-Pacific w紅 in 1945, Japan
dee\ 紅ed that it was going to contribute to the mternational
commumly in terms of culture, not power. fa reality, however,
people were having a hard rune just feeding themselves and it
was feared that the d止e financial 皿d social situation might
lead to a loss of much traditional heritage. Then, in J 皿uary
1949, disaster actually struck: a fire des 打oyed the ancient,
eighth-century wall paintings of the Main Hall of Ho叩ji
temple, near Nara. T his made people acutely aware of the need
for better protection of cultural properties, a.t1.d the Law for the
Protection of Cultural Properties was duly established m 1950.
The ta.t1gible cultmal properties to be protected were
architecture, pait1ting, sculptme, crafts叩I: calligraphy, as well
as other precious national assets such as historical sites, scenic
sites and special plants 皿d a1limals. fa addition, certain
intangible cultLtral properties were also protected: theatrical

26 I CRAFTING BEAlITY IN MODE!� JAPAN

-
Nabeshima), made by Imaizumi Imaernon XII (1897-1975)，皿d
arly one other technique were added to the list.
If The Law for the Protection of Culh.1rnl Properties
emphasized that these cLtlturaJ properties should also be made
'i.e available to the public. The C直tural Property Preservation
Comnuttee was gr 皿ted a budget for their public presentation
are in the fiscal year 1952, and tlus enabled the exlubition'Craft
e Tee加iques Selected as Intan印ble C』tural Properties'to be
e held at the Hyokei Hall of the Tokyo National Museum ii,
11S March of the followmg year. T his small show was the
fore1四er of the'Japan Traditional Art Crafts E珈bition,
Embodying Intangible Cultural Properties'held in March 1954
at Mits湛oshi department store.
In the case of the first Japan Traditional Art Crafts
Exhibition, Ernbodyit,g Intangible Cultural Properties, ortly
r
artists arid g oups who had been des面ated as the holders of
Intai,gible CLtltural Properties were mvited to participate. In
May of the same year, however, the law was modified. New
regulations were brought m for the designation of important
Intangible C叫ural Properties in response to the opmion that it
was unfair that craft techniques not in danger of disappearance
should be excluded from consideration. After this modification,
the previous selections were mtllified and, based on the new
re剥ations, a first group of new selections was made in
Febrnary 1955, 叩d a second in May of the same year. T he new
即delines for selection emphasized artistic value,血portance
in craft history, and local tradition. The title of holder of an
Intangible Cultl.lfal Property was given either to an individual
(individual designation), or to representative members of a
郡）up (group des面ation) ii, cases where the same tech111que
was practi sed by a number of it,dividuals without si即ificant
difference in style.
h1 the紅st selection, eighteen artists representmg fourteen
tecl111iques were given individual designations. In the second,
seven individual des珈ations and one group designation were
made. The techniques and artists chosen were.
Ceramks
Iron glaze stonew
are - Ishiguro Munemaro
Shino stoneware,
black Seto stoneware - Arakawa Toyozo
Folk Craft (Mingei) ceramic -
Hamada Shoji
Porcelain with overglaze enamels - Tmnimoto Kcnkich1
Textiles
Edo'fine pattern'(komon) - Konliya Kosuke
'Middle size'stencil dyei.t,g (nagaita ch1,1gata) - Shimizu Kotara,
Matsubara Sadakicl,i
珈en dyeing - Ueno Tamcji, Kimura Uzan、Tabata Kihaclli,
Nakanmra Katsuma
True indigo dyeit,g (sho aizome) - Clliba Ayano
Lacquer ware
'Spri叫ed picture decoration'(maki-e) - Matsuda Gonroku,
Takano Shozan
Carved lacquer (choshitsu) - Otomaru Koda
Incised and gold-filled decoration (chinkin) - Mae Taiho
Metal craft
Gong making (dora) - Uozumi Iraku I
Metal chasi.t1g (chokin) - Unno Kiyoshi
Dolls
Costlm1e dolls - Hirata Goyo 11, Hori R炉jo
加luded in this selection were Hamada Shoji (1894-1978),
Tom血oto Kenkichi (1886-1963), Kimura Uzan (1891-1977),
Matsuda Gonroku (1896-1986), Tak叩o Shozat, (1889-1976),
and Mae Taiho (1890-1977), who had all been regul紅
participants in the rn血stream government-sponsored Teiten­
Shin Bunten-Nitten exhibitions (see also p.15).171is reflected
the fact that, as the result of the revision to the law, artistic
merit was given more weight, in addition to technical
excellence.
T he Law for the Protection of Cull1.iral Properties、
promulgated in 1950, made craftspeople in various patts of
Japan more aware of these issues, and regional craft
associations started to be formed in 1951. Following the first
Japat1 Traditional紅t Crafts Exhibition, Embodyit1g Intai,gible
Culti.1ral Properties in 1954, the proposal was made to combine
the various regional craft associations into a national
organization. lt1 March 1955 the Conunittee for the Founding
of the Japan Traditional心t Crafts Association met and a印·eed
CR!\FTING BEAUTY lN MODERN JJ\PJ\.N J 27
to name the new organization 'Nil1on Kogci Kai'Gap 印 1紅t
Crafts Association). In JLU1e of that yea1'.、the association was
given the legal stah1s of an 'incorporated association'(shadan
hojin), and it1 July it was formally established.
The rules of the association required a full member to be a
good practitioner of the spilit of traditional Japru,ese crafts and
dedicated to studyit1g and mastering its teclmiqucs. l.!1 addition,
they should have one of the foDowing qualifications:
(1) An it1dividual who has exceptional skills it, a traditional craft
(2) An individual who has exceptional creative power皿d skill
that are based on traditional craft tech11.iques
(3) An individual who is particularly dedicated to sh1dying ru1d
mastering traditional craft tccl111iques and also has exceptional
talent
t
At its foun血g the association had fory-seven和U members:
Ceramics -13 members
Arakawa Toyozo, Isl肖�uro Munemaro, 1I11aizumi Imaemon XJT,
Uno Sotaro, Kato Tokuro, Kato Hajime, Km1eshigcToyo,
Kawase Chikushun, Sakaida Kakiemon Xill, Tokuda
Yasokichi l, Tom血oto Kenkichi, NakazatoTarOcmon XII,
Hamada Shoji
Textiles -10 members
UenoTameji，応rnura Uzan, Konuya Kosuke, Slm11izu Kotaro,
Serizawa Kcisuke, Tabata Kil1aclu, Chiba Ayano, Nakamura
Katsuma, Matsub 釘a Sadakiclu, Yamada Eiiclu
Lacquer w紅e, wood and bamboo craft - 8 members
Isoi Josl血，Inaki Higashisenri, Iizuka Rokansai, Otomaru Kodo,
Kiucl1i Shoko, 1akano Shozan, Matsuda Gonroku, MaeTaiho
Metal craft - 9 members
Ishida Eiichi, ItoTokut叩o, Unno Kiyoshi, Uozw11i Iraku T, Kato1i
Masal1iko、Kashil11a Tkl<oku, Takahashi Sadatsu即、Kosaka
Yusui, Naito Shunji
Dolls - 5 members
Okamoto Shotaro、Kagoslm11a Juzo、Noguchi Mitsuhiko, Hirata
Goyo II, Hori R匹jo
28 I CRA打ING BEAUTY IN MOD牒NJAPAN
Cloisonne - 2 members
Ota Ryot紅0、Hayakawa Giicll..i
T he inauguration ceremony for the association was held in
Au阻1st 1955, and br 叩 ches were established it, the Kanta,
Tohoku, Hokkaido and知ki regions. In the October of that
year、the second Japru, Traditional Art Crafts Exlubilion was
jointly org邸 izcd by the association 印1d the Cu 1 h.iral Property
Presci-vation Com面ttee under new p血ciples.T he first
exhibition had simply presented the traditional craft techniques
selected as Intangible Cultural Properties. Tn the second
exhibition, however, the focus was on the artistic merit of the
craft works. T he show presented 164 works by three categories
of craft 紅Lists: holders of Intangible Cul皿al Properties, full
members of the Japan紐Crafts Association, and members
of the association's branches. Among the holders, Ishiguro
Munemaro (1893-1968) subnutted no fewer than ten works.
T he association's first Board Director, the Nihonga painter
Nishizawa Tckil,o (1889-1965), contributed an essay entitled
'On the Founding of the Japan Art Crafts Association' for the
first issue of its journal Nihon k6gei(Japa11 Crafts), published
1 October 1955. Ji, this essay he expressed his sympathy with
the two great missions of the association:
T he Japan紅t Crafts Association [should make] works
firmly based in the special ch紅acter of the Japanese people、
with roots ii, tradition, 皿d wl1ich add a new breath of fresh
air of the period in a good way. 0叫y a Japai1esc and no
person from another COLmtry ca.11 make these many different
kinds of craft work. [They should be] u11.ique works based
on strong beliefs that are not easily swayed by the fashions
of the day. The ftmdamental ain1 should be to get the world
to recognize the spiritual core of Japanese crafts. T l1is has
great mea11.ing and hope for me and has become the
fundat11ental reason to get more ai1d more involved.
T here was at1other factor that has motivated me. This
was the desire to discover at1d foster the wisdom that bas
been hat1ded down in the rural areas and from that to
discover and preserve the many皿d unique craft skills that
continue from the past ii, our count1y. This seemed to me a
ve1y good ain1.
Nisluzawa also wrote the postscript for the catalogue of the
second exhibition, which it1cluded these observations:
It is well known that Japanese crafts 紅 e lately attracting
much attention abroad, at1d the fLmdamentaJ reason they
appeal to foreig11ers is because of their expressive qualities
that are L血que to the Japanese aesthetic sensibility.
It is of course important to keep up with the latest
trends and newly invented materials in order to produce
utensils and ornatnents that are suitable for contemporary
r
lifestyles, but artists should not get disco1111ectcd f om the
special qualities of Japanese crafts in their efforts to emulate
new Western styles.
Members of this association sh叫d have an especially
stJ·ong awareness for Japanese traditions, and should
produce works that combine the exceptional techniques and
processes wliich arc unique to Japanese crafts with new,
皿ovative clements. I believe that taking tliis approach will
be the most effective way for Japanese crafts to win respect
in the arena of world craft art.
This association is not about being liidebound by the
word'tradition', nor simply worshipping the culture of the
past. Our foremost goal is to promote works that make the
best of both Japanese traditions and elements learned from
forei邸countries.
In this sense the mission of this association is very
significant and I feel that the responsibilities on us will be
unusually heavy in the fuh.1re. I ask everyone working it1 this
field for continuing and ever greater support. There are
many other groups of splendid craft artists in Japan, and
each of them is 紅dently workit1g towards its respective goal.
Our association would like to contribute to the craft
commw1ity by concentrating on winning reco郡jtion for
Japanese crafts in foreign countries.
In these passages, Nishizawa su111111 紅ized the role of the
exhibition in the field of craf
t art: to encourage craft artists
to
take pride in ti1e exceptional
craft traditions of Japan and to
create works fit for contem
porary society based on this
heritage; also to make
Jap叩ese crafts k;1own in the wider
world and to wi.J1 lhem
recognition. 1n the postscript quoted
above, we can recog,1ize the shift i.t1 principle that was made
it, response to the criticism of the first exhibition that、despite
their technical excellence, the works included tended to be
outdated i.t1 style 皿d irrelev皿t to contempor町aesthetics
or lifestyles.
The qualifications for participants to the third exhibition in
1956 were:
(1) At, i.t1dividual desi印1ated as a holder of an Intangible
CLtlh.1ra1 Property
(2) A fuU member of the Japan Art Crafts Association or a
member of one of the association's br狙1ches
(3)知artist or craftsperson recommended by a board
member or more th 皿 one邸l member of the Japat1 Art
Crafts Association
For the second exhibition, scree1-ung by craft artists and
scholarly specialists was introduced. From the third exhibition,
only works by artists of categories(2) and(3) above were
required to go through screenmg. As for works by the holders
of Intai1gible CLLlturnl Properties and exhibition judges,
previously these had been included either unconditionally or
by the decision of a selection committee. From 1956 onwards,
however, they were required to undergo second-level screening
like all other works. Thus the basic mles for scrce1-ung were
established by tl-us year.
Tn 1958 a major dispute arose i.11 the world of craft art. As
mentioned above、many of the 釘 hsts designated as holders
of Intangible CLLltural Properties in 1955 were also re糾ar
participants il, the aiu,ual government-sponsored Nitten
exl1ibitions. In 1957、at a meeti.1,g of the House of
Representatives'Comn-uttee on Education, it was poil1ted out
that, when selecting new members for the prestigious Japan
釦t Academy(Nil,on Ceijutsuin), the closeness of the Academy
and the Nitten was producing unfair res叫s. In response to ti-us
criticism, the Academy decided to completely withdraw from
the running of the Nitten exhibition, and to entrust it from
1958 to a non-governmental i.11corporated body、the Nitlen
Association. This was the beginr血g of the so-called S1-un
Nitten、or 'new'Nitten. Following this decision, some members
of the crafts section formed a伊oup called the Fourth Section
Association and submitted a written petition.
CRAFTING BEAUTY IN MODERN JAPAN I 29
 It, the petition, they stated that, with the launch of the SI血
Nitten, it was naturally expected that it w叫d be rnn fairly and
correctly. Tn reality, however, two distinct and contradictory
groups of p紅ticipants existed in the crafts section. The first
＾
郡 oup was composed of holders of li1tangible Cultural
Properties ai,d other followers of the Japa11 Art Crafts
Association, an orgaiuzation that conflicted in its basic
pri..t,ciples with the Nitten. The second group was made up of
Nitten members who wished to promote the development of
their own exlubition. They asserted that for the foture
preservation of the Nitten e如bition, it was crucial to remove
this inner con打adiction. Therefore they requested the Ni廿en
Association to forbid those who were members of groups
r
opposed to the basic principles of the Nitten f om being given
executive positions. They also requested that when establishing
the management of the Nitten Association, executive officers
should be selected widely from the membership, in a
democratic manner.
In response, officers and advisors of the Nitten e油ibition
who were also members of the Japan心t Cr 釦fts Association
presented a written statement saymg that the above petition
was nust非en in describmg the Japai, Art Crafts Association as
a伊oup that was opposed to the Nitten. It was an i11justice to
denounce them i..t1 tit.is way, in light of the extensive
contributions they had made to the goverr皿ent exhibitions
ever si..t.ce Section Four, the crafts section, was added in 1927
to the eighth Teiten exl1jbition, forerunner of the Nitten. T11ey
warned that if the demands of the Fomth Section Association
were taken up at the inauguration of the Shit, Nitten, it would
do great harm to the development of craft art in Japan, with
resしtlts that would be much regretted later.
This warning was i即ored, however, and none of the former
Nitten advisors who were also members of the Japan Art Crafts
Association was included in the bo 釘d of councillors of the Shin
Nitten when the list was published i..t1 April 1958. Seeing tit.is,
seven former advisors, including Kato1i Masahil<o (1899-1988),
left the Nitten, along with more thai1 twenty judges and
Matsuda Gonroku (cat. no. 63), who was a trustee.
This incident can be regarded as the final clash between old
and new郡•oups i..t1side the Nitten, but it also made clearer the
ch紅acter of the Japan Art Crafts Association. For the fifth
30 I C叫'.7J1NC BEAU1Y [N MODERN JAPAN
exhibition in 1958, the word'tradition'was onutted from the
exl1ibition title. Tl-us can be understood partly as a proud
declaration, after the struggle with the'new faction'in the
Nitten, that it was their exhibition which better represented
Japanese crafts. But there were other factors at work as well.
There had been a period following the war when there was
a general rejection of all ti廿ngs traditional; there was even a
movement to abolish altogether traditional Japanese-style
p血ting, Nihonga.Yet this movement subsided and Nihonga
painters came to realize that they could still explore new
directions building on a basis of tradition. Nevertheless, there
were still m 皿y an1ong the yow1ger generation of craftspeople
who were not favourably inclined towards the connotations of
the word'tradition'.
Then in the following year, 1959, for the sixth ex11ibition, the
word'tradition'was put back il1to the title, wluch has remained
uncha.11ged ever silice. No explanation was印vcn for this
change in the catalogue, except for the following passage in the
'Purpose of the exhibition':
Keeping tradition alive does not meai1 s血ply mastering the
old techniques and adheril1g to them. Tradition is living a.t1d
,
p lICle|t
always in flux, W<e the principle of haiku poetry which was
defined by the罰•eat Matsuo Basho (1644-94) as'conli.nuity
and chai1ge'(Ji1eki ryuko). In other words, true tradition has
a fondamental essence that does not ch 皿ge over time, 皿d
yet like flowing water it does not stop for a single instant.
These statements seem to have been made in order to
emphasize the sig叫icance of'traclition'in its tmest sense.
TI1e passage con血ued:
We believe that it is om noble duty today to put into
practice the spirit of the Law for the Protection of C叫ural
Properties and to master and improve on the traditional
craft techniques inherited from our forefathers, while at t he
s
same tin1e creating craft art that is sttitable for today's
lifestyles and thereby building a new tradition.
c
This'purpose'reflects a willir屯ness to listen to criticism and
also the strong desire for a new creativity in crafts.
:he For the seventh exllibition of 1960, the regtLlations (1912-26) in which the prmt as an artwork was expected to be
concerning participants were abolished and the exllibition designed, carved illld printed by the artist himself.
r
became an open public competition.The guide加es f om that The Japat, Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition grew in size and
ed year have this simple line concerning qualifications:'1o prestige year by year to become a major arena of activity for the
ell. participate in thls exhibition, one should be a craft artist.'W hen holders of Intat,gible Cultural Properties, Nitten members,
as the Japan Art Crafts Association was origmally founded、 Mmgei (Folk Crafts) artists, members ofTomimoto Ker廿<ichi's
1a craftspeople and artists were separately defined by the Shinsho Kogeikai臣oup, alld many other formerly anonymous
following qualification rules for如JJ membership: (1) an craft artists. In the second exhibition, lsoi Joshin (1883-1964),
nga 叫ividual who has exceptional skills in a form of traditional who was a regi.tlar participai,t in the Teiten-S比n Bunten-Nitten
craft; and (2) an individual who produces creatively original exhibitions, received the Cultural Property Preservation
1ere and skilled works that are based on traditional craft techniques. Committee Chairman's award for the lacquer technique of
ople This differentiation was ended, and all were now'artists'. Works mcised at1d colour-filled decoration (kinma) - traditional to
1S of which were outs血ding m technique but poor in creative Takamatsu i.t, Kagawa prefecture - and was designated a holder
l
originaity contit1ued to be submitted to the exhibition, 皿d of an lntilllgible Cultural Property in the following ye紅 for that
n、the were causing problems of how to deal with them. T hey did not technique. Sak叫a Kakiemon XII (1878-1963) of Arita won the
lined meet the artistic standards, but were technically good enough Jap 狙1 Art Crafts Association award and gained wide
to be considered embodiments of techniques that deserved reco伊"tion for lus restoration of the mill炉 W比te porcelai.t1
n the protection. A proposal was made to screen and show such body (nigoshide) dating from the tnid-Edo period. Morig1.1chi
works in a different category, but it was not adopted Kako (b. 1909), who produced kimono i.t1 the Kyoto yuzen
Concerning works entered in the exJ1ibition, the guidelines dyeing tech1uque (Kyo yuzen) with bold designs that could be
g the specified that they should be: (1) appropriate to the purpose
1and of the exhibition; (2) made by the participants themselves ; (3)
produced wit!血the past five years; ai1d (4) previously Fig. 12 Textile artist S 畑11ura Fukrnni [341 outside her st1dio
t
at Sagano、Kyoto.
Nas
1999. Photo郡'aph by The Asahi Shimbun Company (Kobayashi Osamu)
uity unpublished. It was forbidden to sub面t works created by
has others. This is now accepted as a standard req山rement in
＇
and competitions, but has not always been the case: shortly after
しt. the much-awaited opening of the crafts section in the Teiten
e珈bition of 1927, it was pomted out that some people were
showing pieces made by others, i即ormg the regulation that
required the submitted work to be the participant's owi1
creation. At the tune, there were the opinions that the creator's
identity did not matter as long as the submitted work was good
enough, or that in the field of crafts, a work supervised by an
al

artist should be considered llis work. It is true that traditionall y

crafts have been produced it1 Japan with different craftspeople

he working on each part or process, and m some forms of

craft it 1s
stiJI impossible for a single artist
to do everything畑nself.Yet,
in principle, a work
of craft entered for the exhibition is
required to be made
by the 紅tist alone from design through
ex ecution. The situat
ion is sit11ilar to the case of the so-called
Creative Pri t (Sosa
n ku Hanga) movement of the Taisho era
called 'contemporary lもnpa'in style, received the Asalli
Shimbw1 award. Moriguchi won another award in the t皿d
exhibition, and served from the fourth as a judge and a leader
.i.J1 the textile section. He is one of the many artists who
established their careers through the exhibition.
The exhibition came to receive wide attention for many
reasons. T here was the presence of award-winning veteran
artists such as Sasaki Shod<."i, Nagano Tesshi, Kakutruli Tkkei,
r
叩 d Masuda Mitsuo, who were known f om the days of the
Shin Bunten exhibition. Also.i.J11pressive were the activities in
ceramics of Shinlizu Vichi, Okabe M.i.J1eo ru1d 11皿ura Koic畑in
textiles of Slm11ura Fukwni, O gt1ra Kensuke, Suzuta Teruji and
Matsubara Tosllio; and in lacquerware of Oba Shogyo,
Masumura Masi油i, Himi Kodo and Akaji YuscU. F山thermore
Fi.g. 13 Lacquenvarc artist Oba Shilgyo[64] working at his house in Kanazawa、
Ishikawa prefecttirc. 2006. Photograph by Tsutsumi Katsuo
there was a renewed appreciation for tJ·aditional arts resLtlting
r
f om growing social stability and economic growth. Probably
encouraged by this supportive climate, the passage about bei..t1g
ready to listen to criticism and to change p1inciplcs that had
been adopted for the seventh exhibition's 'Purpose', mentioned
above, was completely dropped for the eighth exhibition. It was
replaced by a brief statement about the sig11i(icance of
'tradition' ai1d 'traditional crafts'and about the craft artist's duty
T
32 I CRAFTINC BEAU Y fN MODERN JAJ>AN
to refine even fLu:thcr tech11.iqucs handed down from their Mat
forefathers ru1d to apply them i.J.1 creating new works that fill Ishika1;1
the needs of contemporary society. These same pl1rases are still Tak細；
used for the exl,ibition today. trends
Of the holders of the Int狙1gible Cultural Properties, hornet
Matsubara Sadakiclli died i.J.1 1955, fo]Jowed by Sasaki SMdo notabl
and Konlita KOsLLke in 1961, Tomi.J.11oto Kenkichi and Inagaki Ishika
Toshijiro in 1963, and Isoi Joshin in 1964. T heir artistic beliefs gener.
and tech11iques were inherited by successors and pupils, but regior
works with distinctive Mi.J.1gei (Folk Crafts) and Shinsho-group Toyar
styles, found in s抑ific 皿t nwnbers in the early years of the prod1
exhibition, were gradua11y subsumed a111ong pieces in more Tl
traditional styles. for it
None of the full members of the Japan心t Crafts novc
Association from the ti.J.l1e of its founding survives today, and oftc1
the artists who first won recognition in the early exhibitions exhi
are now the oldest generation. Their pupils, who were born in elen
the pre-war period and active as artists from the late 1960s, artii
now lead the association. They arc the third-generation tea,
members, and some fourth-generation artists arc already tecl
producing respected work today. T he Japan Traditional Art
Crafts Exhibition now has a history of half a century and has
Fig
cont1ibuted immensely to the development of craft art in Japan fall
his
over these years. First of a]J，it has clarified the sigi1ificancc of
20j
'tradition' and helped to defiiie it for craft artists. Tradition is
not simply 'preservation'. Tt is that element in creative art
which docs not change at its core but which changes
constantly in its expression. T he exhibition has also taught
artists to keep contemporary lifestyles firmly in mind when
creating their works. lt has made another notable contribution
by giving legitima守to regional cr珀techniques and
energetically promoti.J.1g their development in a manner that is
relevant to contemporary society. ln the Edo period, regional
craft techniques were created and fostered in many parts of
Japan, and they were still continued during the Meiji era. But
judged according to the Tei ten exhibition's definition of 'art
crafts' of 1927、they only had value in a local context 邸 d were
not given their due exposure.'Die Japan Traditional Art Crafts
Exhibition, however, has treated them as very significant craft
techniques and helped them find new forms of contemporar y
expression.
 Matsuda Gonroku, who was a native of Kanazawa in
Ishikawa prefecture, and Otomaru Kodo, who was仕om
T非at11atsu in Shikoku, played important roles in introducing
trends and aesthetics prevalent il1 the major cities back to their
hometowns. Other artists who stayed in their native districts,
notably Isoi Josl血ofTal< 皿atsu and Mae Tail10 of Wajima il1
Ishikawa prefcch1rc, acted as inspiring teachers for the younger
gene ration. The Jap皿心t Crafts Association currently has nine
regional braJ1ches - Higashi Nihon, Tokai、Kinki, Ishikawa,
Toyama, Chugoku, Yamaguc訊Sl油oku and Seibu - at1d each is
producing佃e results by their energetic e任orts.
T11e Japan Traditional心t Crafts E珈bition is also notable
personal sensibilities at,d to study and improve on these. The
application of such revived tecluuques has印•eatly widened the
scope of modern craft art
The Japan TraclitionalAr.t Crafts Exl,ibition, which represents
crafts created with highly refined techniques worthy of the
narne'Tntangible C叫山al I:,roperties', has been one of the most
significant influences in post-war Japanese er社t art. Ren:祖i.ning
trne to its special ch紅acter, it will surely continue to foster
'traditional crafts'in the next generation.
(This essay has been adapted from the version that first appeared in the
catalogue Wnzn 110 bi ITl1c Asahi Slm11bun 2003]. We arc gTat 函I to Professor
Uchiyama for his permission to re publish it here.)

ー
for its emphasis on technical excellence. For works which seek
novelty through experin1ents il1 form, skill直execution has
often been regarded as of secondaiy importance. Tn this
exl1i- bilion, however, technique has always been considered 叩

element integral to the work's artistic value. It has encouraged

artists not 01廿y to use techniques le紅ned directly from their
teachers, but also to adopt from various periods in I廿story other
techniques more suitable to their own artistic goals and

Pig. 14 Lacquer ware artist Isoi Masami 161] conti.J1ucs the traditions of his
father !soi Joshin in Takarnatsu, Kagawa pr、cfcchirc. He often derives motifs from
his garden、where he 印'ows more than ten different species of carnellia hW'.
2006. Photograph by I Iochi 1l- iro只1ki

CRAFTING BEAUTY IN MODERN JAPAN I 33