Latest news with #Kondo
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Heirs to Kyoto Talent: Wooden Tub Craftsman Ensures Graceful, Flawless Curves; Charms Shared with Next Generation
KYOTO — Well-proportioned wooden tubs, called 'oke' in Japanese, are built with unparalleled precision, slowly and steadily crafting each one by hand with great care. Using a hand plane's cutting blade, Taichi Kondo meticulously shaves the gently curved surfaces of the planks on a stand, precisely adjusting their sizes. The planks are made from splitting Yoshino cedar and Kiso sawara cypress skilled wooden tub craftsman then aligns the planks side by side in a cylindrical shape. There cannot be any gaps between planks; not even a sliver of light can escape. This process requires years of experience to pull off, and there is no room for error. Kondo, 52, runs Okeya Kondo, an oke shop in Kyoto's Murasakino district, which is home to many of Kyoto's traditional industries, including textiles. When Kondo is busy breathing life into the wooden tubs, the workshop is filled with a tense atmosphere, as he is making 'lifetime pieces' for their future owners. Once the staves are finished, they are joined with rice glue and bamboo nails. All that is left to do seems to be fit the bottom panel in place for it to become a sturdy container, but it is not that easy. 'The upper edges of the staves need to be thin, while the bottom edges need to retain more thickness to maintain strength,' Kondo said about his self-set oke tub does not have a simple cylindrical shape. It has varying curvatures in different areas, requiring the use of planes of different shapes. He occasionally runs his hand over the surface to verify that it is smooth as he continues to give it a graceful curve. 'Oke are simple tools, but here in Kyoto, rough and rugged products won't be accepted,' he said. According to Kondo, elegant shapes and delicate styles are preferred in ryotei, Japanese restaurants, and ochaya, teahouse facilities providing entertainment by geiko and maiko. Kondo uses 300 different planes depending on the sizes of the products, which range from guinomi drinking cups to bathtubs. However, there are almost no metalwork craftspeople capable of manufacturing the planes he uses, so Kondo spent about 10 years collecting the tools from such places as an antique market at Toji temple in Minami Ward. The walls of his workshop are lined with planes of all sizes. Love at first sight Born in Osaka Prefecture, Kondo studied art and design at Kyoto Seika University. After completing his graduate studies there, he worked as an assistant at Osaka University of Arts and was involved in sculpture. A turning point came shortly after the end of his four-year term. Kondo was invited by an older graduate of Kyoto Seika University to work part-time at his family business. The person was Shuji Nakagawa, whose family runs an oke tub shop in Sakyo Ward, and whose father Kiyotsugu Nakagawa was designated as a living national treasure in the time, Kondo had thought that plastic buckets and bowls were the norm and was not familiar with wooden tubs. However, when he saw a wooden bath bucket crafted by a woodworker, he was struck by its beauty. It was love at first sight. The woodworker was known as the most skilled in Kyoto and would later become his teacher and mentor. Kondo gradually learned the craft while helping at the shop. He trained for about seven years from 2002. In 2009, at the age of 36, he opened his own workshop in the Murasakino district and became independent. In the past, wooden tubs were used as cooked rice containers, laundry tubs and other essential everyday items. In Kyoto, each local community had one oke tub shop, and in the 1960s there were 300 in the city. Today, only a few remain. Nevertheless, as an oke specialist, Kondo chooses wood and other materials that are appropriate for the tub's intended use. Kiso sawara cypress, which is used for sushi containers, absorbs excess moisture to help the cooked rice maintain its proper luster. Yoshino cedar, which is used for guinomi sake cups, has a fragrance that complements Japanese sake. He accepts various custom orders, ranging from Shinto shrine utensils to ladles for scooping sauce for grilled eel. Unique products Kondo buys wood in Nara and Nagano prefectures. He then exposes it to rain, wind and sunlight for several months, which causes the water-soluble resin contained in the wood to dissolve. As it dries, the wood expands and contracts repeatedly. 'As oke are used continuously under harsh conditions, they must be finished in a way that minimizes warping during use,' Kondo for his technical expertise and dedication, Kondo was selected as an up-and-coming craftsperson with particularly high skills by Kyoto Prefecture in 2012. He became a master of traditional crafts in 2017, certified by the Tokyo-based Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries to those with exceptional skills. Believing in the potential of wooden tubs, Kondo also creates unique products such as wine coolers and 'oke mugs,' the latter of which can be used as both a cup and a small bowl. These products are popular, as they are more likely to keep their contents hot or cold due to the insulating properties of the wood. To allow people to experience the charm of wooden tubs, Kondo demonstrates his craftsmanship at department stores and other venues. 'Many young people take the time to pick up and look closely at my products,' Kondo said. 'Without people using the tubs, I cannot continue making them. I want to do my best to pass on my tub-making skills.' ***If you are interested in the original Japanese version of this story, click here. 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The Mainichi
01-07-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
A-bomb survivor moved back to Hiroshima determined to share her anti-war message
HIROSHIMA -- Koko Kondo, an 80-year-old Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor, was invited to give a peace studies lecture for students at Komyo Elementary School in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, one week before some of them visited Hiroshima on a school trip in late May. "It's difficult to watch the news every day. So many children are dying due to the bombs dropped in wars. I've been unable to stop the wars even though I'm one of the adults," Kondo said before a group of about 60 fifth and sixth graders at the school, where her adopted child once attended. After lamenting about the current global situation, she started recounting her own harsh life, choking up with emotion at times. Kondo's father, Kiyoshi Tanimoto (1909-1986), was a pastor at Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church. On Aug. 6, 1945, Kondo, then 8 months old, was exposed to the atomic bomb at a parsonage about 1.1 kilometers from the hypocenter. She was trapped under a building that collapsed in the blast, but survived because she was in the arms of her mother, Chisa. After World War II, young women with burns on their faces and other parts of their bodies due to the bomb's heat rays would gather at the church. Kondo said she could barely look at their faces. "A woman had her eyelids stuck to her forehead and couldn't close her eyes. Another woman had her lips fused to her chin," she reflected. "When I grow up, I will find out those who dropped the bomb, and I will be the one to take revenge," she once thought. Her resentment toward the United States grew, as a country that hurt women and created orphans. A major turning point came when she was 10. She and her family traveled to the U.S. to appear on an American TV program featuring her father, who devoted his life to providing relief to A-bomb survivors and peace movements after the war. During the program, the family met Robert Lewis, the former co-pilot of the Enola Gay bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. He revealed, with tears in his eyes, that he had written in his flight log at the time, "My God, what have we done?" Kondo realized, "He's not the one I should be hating. The evil in the hearts of those who start wars should be hated." Kondo has spent many years sharing that realization at lectures and other occasions. Recently, she feels a sense of urgency, as the number of A-bomb survivors, or hibakusha, who can speak about their experiences is dwindling. She herself was diagnosed with a compressed spinal fracture this February and needs to wear a corset. At her talks, she is questioned more often than before, "Are you with someone to assist you?" She said with a wry smile, "I get asked even though I go everywhere by myself." This January, Kondo began a new chapter in her life. She moved back to Hiroshima, as her husband Yasuo, 80, retired after serving for about 40 years as a pastor at churches in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures. His last stint was at Miki Shijimi Church in Miki, Hyogo Prefecture. "I'd like to keep on passing down my experience for at least five more years. That's why I've returned to Hiroshima, my original starting point," Kondo said. With the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima approaching this summer, her desire for peace has only grown stronger. In late May, the sixth graders from Komyo Elementary School in Takarazuka learned about the war during their school trip in Hiroshima, alongside Kondo. When it was time for the students to leave, Kondo hugged them and said, "I'm putting my trust in all of you. Please build a peaceful world." (Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers discover game-changing method to unlock clean water for billions of people: 'Can also be used to distill groundwater'
What if a hunk of hot metal could unlock clean water for billions of people? A team of researchers in Japan has developed a groundbreaking new method — and it's powered by something as abundant as sunlight. A team led by associate professor Masatoshi Kondo at the Institute of Science Tokyo, has developed a method to use liquid tin to desalinate seawater and recover valuable metals simultaneously, utilizing solar heat as the primary energy source. Unlike traditional desalination, which consumes significant amounts of electricity and generates toxic brine, this method is low-waste, low-energy, and high-reward. "Unlike conventional methods, large consumption of electricity is not necessary, enabling the development of a sustainable process," said Dr. Kondo. Over four billion people experience water scarcity each year, and the demand for clean drinking water continues to increase. Traditional desalination can help — but it's costly, energy-hungry, and generates an estimated over five billion cubic feet of brine daily. That's enough to fill around 50,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, often dumped back into oceans where it harms marine life. This is where Dr. Kondo and his research team come in. Co-authored by doctoral student Toranosuke Horikawa, then-bachelor student Mahiro Masuda, and assistant professor Minho Oh from Science Tokyo, their study aims not only to find a simple solution to desalination but also to transform the brine from an environmental issue into a resource. Kondo's team flips the script by using the brine as a resource instead of waste. Here's how it works. Brine is sprayed onto molten tin. The heated tin evaporates the water, leaving behind a mix of useful metals, including magnesium, calcium, and potassium. As the tin cools, it releases these metals for recovery. Meanwhile, the steam condenses into distilled fresh water. This isn't just a lab curiosity — it's a game-changer for public health, especially in areas hardest hit by drought, contamination, or poor infrastructure. Researchers can also adapt the process to treat polluted groundwater, including arsenic-contaminated sources that pose a threat to millions worldwide. And because it relies on heat — ideally from solar power — it could bring clean water access to off-grid or resource-limited communities. "The proposed technology … can also be used to distill groundwater polluted with arsenic without consuming large amounts of energy or producing waste," Dr. Kondo added. Though still in the research phase, this discovery could mark a major leap forward in sustainable water treatment. It tackles two issues at once — clean water access and resource recovery — while keeping environmental impact low. If scaled successfully, it could reduce costs, decrease pollution, and help stabilize ecosystems affected by over-extraction and drought. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Tatler Asia
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Marie Kondo is redefining joy by letting go of perfection
'My system for tidying took the world by storm, but things had to change as I needed to focus on my family. Especially after I became a mother. I always valued tidying. But of course, priorities change when life changes. I loved sharing the joy of tidying with the world. People saw that as I was a tidying expert, but it created an expectation that my house would always be in perfect order even with children. I think they were surprised because the reality didn't match that image,' Kondo shares. Together with Klook and its latest campaign, The Best You , Kondo had the wonderful opportunity to explore this messier chapter of her life. For the love of travel and welcoming brokenness Above When Kondo decided to rediscover herself, travel was at the top of her list Some of you may not know this, but Kondo is Japanese—which is why, for this journey, she decided to return to her roots. 'Now I'm coming back to where it all started, to discover what can spark joy in this new phase of my life through travel and embracing life's beautiful surprises,' says Kondo. She channelled her inner samurai and even danced in a robot suit. But what resonated with her most was the art of repairing broken ceramics—a traditional technique known as kintsugi . 'I learnt about the beauty in imperfection. It's not about perfection, it's about looking straight at the beauty of what's in front of you.' Above Kondo journeyed to Japan, her homeland, and fell in love with the art of 'kintsugi' Above Kondo has always focused on balance and finding joy rather than perfection Kondo even likened the craft to the cleanliness of her very own KonMari Method, saying, 'Some people have completely different sensibilities, and that is to recognise the beauty of your own house as it is. That is the goal of the Konmari Method, so I was very happy to be able to share the same philosophy.' See more: Where to do cold plunges in Manila Discovering 'the best you' Above Balancing motherhood and self-growth, Kondo learns to find joy in every moment Kondo shared that she has always focused on balance and finding joy rather than perfection. She explained that accepting her own imperfections brought her peace and renewed energy to try new things, and she hopes others feel encouraged to do the same. Above Kondo expressed her eagerness to try new things and accept life's imperfections 'The best me is a person who always listens to what my heart says and follows it, and knows what sparks joy for me now. I want to always be open to new experiences, to never stop searching for things that touch my heart.' Through Kondo's travel back to Japan, she realised who she is all along—someone who is always eager to learn, to grow and to find beauty in every aspect of life, embracing the evolving nature of joy itself. NOW READ 7 upgraded travel essentials for the savvy flyer's wellness kit Why fitness retreats are the new jet-set obsession—here are 5 luxury options to start 7 inspiring wellness books for a grounded, mindful life Credits Images: courtesy of Klook
The Mainichi
28-05-2025
- Climate
- The Mainichi
Japan's scorching summer heat forcing fireworks, other festivals to change schedules
TOKYO -- The extreme summer heat that has struck Japan in recent years due climate change is altering the landscape of annual fireworks and other festivals in the country, forcing the summer events to be moved to spring or autumn. Even so, there are cases where it has been difficult to reschedule the festivals due to their traditional nature. Farewell to fireworks viewing in 'yukata' summer kimonos? The Adachi Fireworks Festival, an annual summer tradition in Tokyo's Adachi Ward with a history of roughly 100 years, is set to be held May 31 this year instead of late July as had been the norm. Last summer, the festival had to be canceled shortly before its start due to an abrupt thunderstorm. By moving the festival forward this year, organizers hope to avoid the risk of cancellation due to bad weather, but "the extreme heat is more serious than just that," points out Adachi Ward Mayor Yayoi Kondo on the ward's official website. Last year, the temperature on the day of the fireworks festival had already climbed to 30 degrees Celsius by 7 a.m., and shortly after 10 a.m. it had surged above 35 C. A security guard was taken to a hospital due to heatstroke and many visitors also complained of feeling ill. As the main venue is located on the riverbed, there were few spots for sheltering from the scorching sun during preparations, taking an unusually serious toll on pyrotechnicians and city employees who were there from early in the day. While Mayor Kondo acknowledged, "Some people want to see the fireworks festival held in summer, calling it a summer tradition," she sought understanding for moving up the event schedule, saying, "The summer lately has significantly changed from what we knew as 'Japanese summer,' where people clad in 'yukata' summer kimonos admired fireworks while cooling themselves with 'uchiwa' paper fans." A representative of the Adachi Tourism Exchange Association said of the schedule change, "We're receiving positive feedback this year, such as 'I can bring my young child'" to the festival. 'Passing down tradition ...' Japan's local regions are also changing the schedules of their traditional events. Toride Jinja shrine's Kujirabune event in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture -- an event appearing on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of the "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan" -- will be pushed back from Aug. 14 and 15 to Sept. 27 and 28 this year. In the festival, which dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867), people drag around floats shaped like ships to imitate whaling. Of the nearly 100 participants including staff, almost half are aged 60 or older due to the aging of the community, while elementary school students take on the role of harpooners aboard the floats. While organizers have taken every step possible to beat the heat, such as borrowing mist sprayers from the municipal government, they decided to change the date this year as "it would be too late if any emergency occurred." As the schedule change means the festival will no longer coincide with the Bon holiday season in August, the event this year will be held as part of dedication rites of the annual Gani festival that has traditionally been held at the shrine on Sept. 23. Masahiko Kato, 70, chairperson of the Tomida Kujirabune preservation society association, coordinated with locals and the Agency for Cultural Affairs regarding the date change, and strove to publicize it and secure enough personnel, calling it "a change to pass down the tradition." Event schedules changing across Japan In the Tohoku region in Japan's northeast, organizers of the Soma Nomaoi festival in the Soma region of Fukushima Prefecture, featuring costumed warriors on horseback, have since last year moved up the event from July to May to prioritize the safety of horses and people taking part, after a horse died of sunstroke during the festival in July 2023. Summer festivals in southwest Japan's Kyushu region have also seen a spate of scheduling changes this year. The Wasshoi Hyakuman Natsu Matsuri festival in Kitakyushu is being pushed back from August to September, while the Saga Castle Town Sakae no Kuni festival in the city of Saga, originally held in August, is now due to take place from May 31 to June 1. Difficult to change some festivals However, traditional seasonal celebrations like the "Tanabata" star festival, which normally takes place around July 7, are difficult to reschedule, as their significance would be lost. The Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival, featuring nearly 10-meter-tall decorations adorning the shopping streets in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, used to attract some 1.5 million visitors until 2019, but the number declined to roughly 1.1 million both in 2023 and 2024, with observers attributing it to the scorching summer heat. It is said that some children from day care centers and kindergartens forgo participating in the daytime parades while elderly people also refrain from watching the parades. "As it is a seasonal festival, we are not considering changing the schedule," said an official at the Hiratsuka Municipal Government's commerce and tourism division, adding that the city will install misting fans as a countermeasure against the summer heat. (Japanese original by Shuji Ozaki, Digital News Group)
