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Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Makers of Japanese Traditional Crafts Seek New Opportunities Overseas; Focus on Artistic Value of Works
Support for the export and overseas expansion of Japanese traditional crafts is included in a basic cocept for regional revitalization approved by the government last month. The move is aimed at helping revitalize the industry, whose domestic market has shrunk to one-fifth of its peak due to changing lifestyles and increasing imports of inexpensive products. To boost sales, it is necessary to find overseas demand and develop market strategies. The basic cencept outlines the government's measures to be implemented over the next 10 years. One of the specific measures is to enhance the value of regional resources such as foods, local industries, cultural practices and arts, with an emphasis on further supporting efforts to promote traditional crafts overseas. The Japanese crafts industry has been in a prolonged slump. The production value of traditional crafts peaked at about ¥500 billion in 1990 and then started to decline. It has remained at around ¥100 billion since the 2010s. In addition, the industry's workforce has fallen below 50,000, from nearly 300,000. The primary cause is the slump in domestic demand. To survive the situation, some production areas and local governments have begun actively promoting their products overseas to expand sales channels. Japanese swords Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture, in July of 2023 exhibited Japanese swords produced in the city's Osafune area at the Japan Expo, a festival of Japanese culture held in Paris. The area is traditionally known for producing high-quality Japanese swords. The venue was bustling with young people who became familiar with Japanese swords through anime, but this did not contribute to sales. The city's culture and tourism section admitted that exhibiting the products was not suited to the visitors, stating, 'Swords are priced at several million yen each, so only wealthy people can afford them.' The city realized it lacked a fundamental market strategy: narrowing down the target customer base. Learning from this lesson, when holding an exhibition of Japanese swords at the Maison de la Culture du Japon a Paris (Japanese culture house of Paris) from December to January, the municipal government invited buyers and promoters with a track record in the European sword market. This approach proved successful. The city was invited to participate in the Japan Art Fair, which mainly exhibits Japanese swords and armor in the Netherlands. City officials visited the fair last month and are preparing to participate in next year's event. Bizen ware The city of Bizen, known for producing Bizen ware, in Okayama Prefecture is a prime example of actively pursuing overseas expansion. In the spring last year, Bizen ware was exhibited at Milan Design Week, one of the world's largest design fairs held in Milan. A gallery owner from Belgium, whom city officials met at that time, later visited Bizen at the invitation of the city. The owner met with Bizen ware artists and purchased several highly artistic pieces, including one costing several million yen. 'Until now, when producers of a production area of Japanese crafts exhibited their products overseas, they simply displayed everything equally, without a marketing mindset about what to sell and to whom,' said Etsuro Ninomiya, a former counselor at the Japanese mission to the European Union Ninomiya had advised both cities to make inroads into Europe and introduced city officials to people in the art business there. Untapped potential Ninomiya stresses that the key target is the global art market. Japan's market share of it is only 1%. 'The artistic value of Japanese crafts is still unknown in Europe. This is both a weakness and an opportunity,' Ninomiya said. 'Unlike in the past, this is an era in which quality is valued more than quantity. There is ample potential to sell high-value traditional crafts to wealthy people.' Wajima lacquerware being promoted with public-private efforts Wajima lacquerware produced in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, is making inroads into overseas markets. The lacquerware production area suffered severe damage from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred in January last year. The city launched in spring an office of global promotion for Wajima lacquerware, and city officials attended Milan Design Week. In addition, an A Ishilawa Prefectural committee is discussing overseas marketing strategies aimed at Wajima lacquerware's creative reconstruction. The committee was established to promote a project jointly with the Yomiuri Shimbun and other public and private entities to establish a facility to train young talent in the production of lacquerware. This spring, Ishikawa Prefecture, along with neighboring Toyama and Fukui prefectures in the Hokuriku region, established a council to promote exports from the area. The council is considering inviting craft buyers from France for business praised in NY A company has also had success on its own. Okagaki Shikki-ten, a company that operates the Senshudo brand of Wajima lacquerware, held an exhibition and sales event at the Onishi Gallery in New York last October. About 300 people attended the reception on the opening day. The event was highly praised, with people making comments such as, 'These products successfully convey the delicate sensibility of the Japanese people,' and 'I want to pass this art down in my family.' In addition to its own products, the company exhibited works by living national treasures and others belonging to the Japan Kogei Association, an organization comprised of Japanese traditional craft artists. The company achieved sales of tens of millions of yen in about a month. This success led to an exhibition at a high-end department store in New York. The lacquerware company and the gallery signed an agency contract last year. Currently, they are working on a project to create new works in collaboration with a local designer. 'We exhibited our products at a trade show in New York in February last year that featured a wide range of items, including miscellaneous goods,' said Yugo Okagaki, the president of Okagaki Shikki-ten. 'There, I realized that Wajima lacquerware was well received by people related to art museums, so we changed our strategy to focus more on the art market. We want to further enhance the value of Japanese lacquerware overseas.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Okayama: Bizen Pottery Workshop Draws Enthusiasts, Fosters Future Artists of Traditional Japanese Craft
The Yomiuri Shimbun Shintaro Fujimori, left, helps a class participant make Bizen ware in Bizen, Okayama Prefecture. BIZEN, Okayama — Pottery classes are gaining popularity as one way to promote the city's traditional ware, which has a 1,000-year history. The Japan News Bizen ware pottery has been an important industry and tourist draw of the Okayama Prefecture city of Bizen. As the industry reportedly faces headwinds from economic downturns, the Bizen pottery association Toyukai, comprising about 140 kiln owners and artists as well as companies, has been working with the city government to promote the pottery. Their aim is to increase the number of people interested in Bizen ware and to eventually nurture more Bizen ware artists. Intrigued by these efforts, I decided to try it out myself. Participant from afar I was introduced to the workshop of Shintaro Fujimori, 48, through Toyukai. Fully operational since the 2010s, his workshop now reportedly attracts about 1,500 annual visitors. The Yomiuri Shimbun Fujimori inspects the climbing kiln inside the Bizen Togei Center. In a tranquil workshop nestled within the mountains, there were pieces created by participants on display. Fujimori began the lesson by demonstrating the spiral wedging of the clay, a crucial process of pottery. 'We must remove air from the clay and make the consistency uniform. It takes several years to perfectly master this process,' Fujimori said. Following his lead, I hand-kneaded the clay into the shape of a tea bowl. Then, I attached a foot to the base, added my signature and finished in about an hour. As the class drew to a close, the next participant arrived. Yukihiro Nakagawa, 59, a company executive from Tottori City has been attending the workshop almost monthly for about four years. 'The joy and pleasure of creating something unique in the world has made me completely addicted. Even though it's a 100-kilometer drive [from home], it's no trouble at all,' he said as he deftly manipulated an electric pottery wheel to create a tasteful piece. Fujimori said he only fires the climbing kiln twice a year. So my creation is scheduled to be fired in the climbing kiln in June. Participants can experience the joy of making their own original pottery for just ¥3,000. Enchanted by the joyful experience, I might go back again. Path to becoming an artist Fujimori also dedicates himself to fostering young artists as an instructor at the Bizen Togei Center, a Bizen ware education and training facility operated by the Toyukai association. The center offers a comprehensive one-year training course to refine one's pottery skills and a one-month introductory course, welcoming aspiring pottery artists. Students start the course by learning how to process raw clay sourced within the city, by removing impurities before wedging. While learning about clay preparation, they will be able to create pieces with hand-forming techniques and using electric potter's wheels. The Yomiuri Shimbun Miyako Tatsu looks at a work she created during a training course at the Bizen Togei Center. Furthermore, they gain knowledge of how kiln placement influences the final texture and how to manage the temperature and firing schedule, a process that can extend for about a week. Over the year-long training course, each student produces about 20 pieces. A graduation exhibition showcasing their works was held at the Bizen city office lobby from March 25-30, captivating many visitors. Miyako Tatsu, 42, who moved to Bizen after surviving the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January last year, exhibited a chandelier-like piece with several trumpet-like objects attached. 'Before the earthquake, I worked as an assistant instructor of Suzu ware. An offer of support from a Bizen ware artist and this training experience prompted my decision to become a ceramic artist,' she said. While there used to be an exam to become a trainee, the number of applicants has decreased, so now one can become a trainee by passing an interview. The Yomiuri Shimbun People examine Bizen ware pieces at outdoor stalls in the center area of Bizen in October last year. The event has been held every autumn for the past 40 years to promote Bizen ware. 'I want to convey the charm of Bizen ware with all my heart so that even one more person will aspire to become an artist,' Fujimori said. The training course is taught by three full-time instructors, including Fujimori, with participation from Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and holders of important intangible cultural property of the prefecture. This exceptional level of instruction will undoubtedly guide future Bizen ware artists. Bizen ware pottery Bizen ware, alongside Seto, Tokoname, Tamba, Echizen and Shigaraki wares, is one of Japan's six ancient pottery types and boasts a history of about 1,000 years. Its primary allure lies in its natural texture, achieved by slowly firing high-quality clay without using glaze. Pottery classes are offered in various locations in Bizen. Fujimori's workshop is open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays. Using 500 grams of clay costs ¥3,000 if fired in a climbing kiln and ¥2,500 if fired in a gas kiln.
