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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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Yomiuri Shimbun
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Manga Artist Shirow Masamune Talks About His Works, AI, in Exclusive Interview; Exhibition Showcasing His Work Being Held in Tokyo
Manga artist Shirow Masamune's 'The Ghost in the Shell' is said to have predicted the information society that we live in today. In an exclusive written interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, conducted several times in March, Shirow wrote about his work and the future of humanity that artificial intelligence will bring. This year marks the 40th anniversary since Shirow's work first debuted. The artist, 63, also known for works like 'Appleseed,' has a devoted fan base around the world. The Setagaya Literary Museum in Tokyo is holding the first large-scale exhibition on his career. Shirow, who has rarely been interviewed by the media, reflected on his career with deep emotion. 'I've created very few works, and have had so many works suspended, unpublished or rejected for various reasons,' Shirow said. 'I feel very fortunate to have been able to continue with my career this long.' Shirow was raised in Kobe. His father provided illustrations for textbooks and other media, so Shirow was surrounded by art books and design magazines from an early age. He loved reading manga by Leiji Matsumoto and Go graduating from Osaka University of Arts, he later made his major debut with 'Appleseed,' which was published in 1985. Set in a world recovering from devastation, the story follows the exploits of former police officer Deunan and her cyborg partner Briareos. It became popular for its thoroughly thought-out setting and meticulously drawn machines and backgrounds. His cyberpunk science fiction manga 'The Ghost in the Shell,' which began serialization in 1989, features Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg heroine belonging to Public Security Section 9. The work is set in a near future in which nations and ethnic groups survive despite a vast corporate network covering the planet. The work was a big influence on the creators who came after Shirow. In 1995, the anime film 'Ghost in the Shell,' directed by Mamoru Oshii, was released. Oshii also directed its sequel, 'Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence,' which was released in 2004. 'I feel grateful [to Oshii and everyone involved] for having worked so hard on these films,' said Shirow. 'Personally, I prefer 'Innocence,' which really shows off Oshii's style.' According to Kodansha Ltd., which publishes the manga, the series has sold more than 3.47 million copies in Japan and has been translated and published in 24 countries and regions, including the United States and Russia. Expanding online society Technology has advanced dramatically since 'The Ghost in the Shell' was first published in the 1980s. We are now constantly connected to the internet, just like in the manga. Regarding the online society is expanding, Shirow said: 'There are many challenges, such as the misuse of AI by people with malicious intent and security concerns.' 'The world is becoming more interconnected and therefore smaller,' he added. 'At the same time, it is becoming more divided and fragmented, increasing the distance between us.''I think that today's society is in a state in which people cannot communicate through language, leading to the beginning of the collapse of the Tower of Babel,' he said. 'I hope the undesirable aspects of computerization don't become too influential.' In 'The Ghost in the Shell,' a hacker called the 'Puppet Master,' who is considered the most unique in the history of cybercrime, appears and introduces himself as a living, thinking entity that was created in the sea of information. It depicts a world in which AI, which once functioned only as programmed, has an independent will. When asked how he feels about AI in the real world, which has evolved dramatically and is getting closer to the world depicted in the work, Shirow said: 'The convenience of AI and its possibility of causing harm are two sides of the same coin. While it can open up the possibility of a brighter future, it can also be abused or used to incite people more easily than before.' Shirow said, 'I hope those involved in its research and development will make every effort to develop AI correctly.' Motoko Kusanagi, the main character in the work, is a cybernetic human described as a 'full-body prosthetic.' She has a 'cyberbrain' that can be connected to the net. The work also considers the relationship between the human body's physical senses and the mind. 'I think humans are complex and mysterious. Some systems are controlled by the brain, while others are physical reflexes. Then there are some body parts, such as the appendix, which can be removed,' Shirow said. Future works Shirow's works are characterized by occasional gags while giving detailed supplementary scientific and philosophical explanations provided outside the manga frame containing the art. 'I believe that by writing sentences outside the frames, I can reduce explanatory lines and conversations from the story.' Shirow is currently creating illustrations and is busy preparing for the publication of an art book and other works. 'I still draw, plot and write regardless of day and night while living an irregular, unhealthy life,' Shirow said. 'I'll continue to create something every day, maintaining my personal best and changing nothing, not to be too ambitious or acquisitive. There is nothing else I want to do.' He also said: 'My eyesight and physical strength are declining, and I have a big pile of books I've yet to read. It's a problem.' He wrote in a lighthearted manner, mixing humor with his serious drawings on display A large-scale exhibition of original manga drawings by Shirow Masamune, titled 'The Exhibition of The World of Shirow Masamune — 'The Ghost in the Shell' and The Path of Creation —', is being held at the Setagaya Literary Museum in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. At the entrance to the exhibition space, visitors are greeted by a huge noren curtain with a manga panel printed with the words 'The net is vast and infinite' in Japanese, one of Motoko's famous lines from 'The Ghost in the Shell.' About 440 items are on display, including many original manga drawings for his works, including from his debut work 'Appleseed.' Drawing tools and materials along with some of his favorite books are being exhibited. Shirow's own comments can also be seen throughout the exhibition space. He reveals some unexpected aspects of his life, such as the fact that he does not use a smartphone nor post on social media. The worlds of his creations are vividly presented as if visitors were peering into Shirow's mind. In a written interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Shirow said: 'I am very grateful for this opportunity. If such a large-scale exhibition of original manga drawings is possible for a 'small-scale, mercenary soldier-like manga artist' like me, I think the Japanese content industry will be able to delve more deeply into a wide variety of artists and their works.' The exhibition will run through Aug. 17.
