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What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts

By ninjakotan

What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts

 

What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts

What Are Traditional Industries?

Japan’s craftsmanship and precision in manufacturing are renowned worldwide. One of the most representative examples of this craftsmanship is traditional industries. However, traditional industries have been on the decline. 

Traditional industries have the charm of the crafts themselves and value as industries that large companies cannot imitate. The government and local municipalities are also undertaking various initiatives to protect and revitalize traditional industries. This article introduces these situations and initiatives while considering the revival of Japan’s traditional industries.

What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts
 

What Are Traditional Crafts?

Traditional industries are industries rooted in Japanese culture and people’s lives, using techniques and methods passed down through generations. The products created within these industries are known as “traditional crafts.” Currently, 241 items are designated as traditional crafts by the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry. 

The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has specified the following five requirements based on the “Act on the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries” (Densan Act). Crafts that meet these requirements and are designated by the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry are considered traditional crafts. 

  1. They are mainly used in daily life.

  2. The main part of the manufacturing process is artisanal.

  3. They are manufactured using traditional techniques or methods.

  4. They are made using traditional materials that have been used historically.

  5. A significant number of people manufacture or engage in their production in a specific region.

Note: The term “traditional” specifically refers to having a history of over 100 years. Additionally, “in a specific region” indicates that traditional industries often form local clusters that leverage geographical conditions such as raw materials and techniques.

What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts
 

Reasons for the Decline of Traditional Industries

Various factors contribute to the decline of traditional industries. The main reasons include “decreased demand,” “lack of successors,” and “shortage of materials and tools.”

Decreased Demand

Traditional crafts are household items manufactured using techniques, skills, and materials that have a history of over 100 years. While there are many enthusiasts for these crafts even today, it is easy to imagine that people’s needs for household items have changed with shifts in lifestyle and socio-economic conditions.
In general industries, new markets and products are developed in response to changing social needs. However, among the associations and manufacturers responsible for the production and supply of traditional crafts, many lack the capabilities to collect market needs, plan products, and disseminate information for developing new markets and products.
What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts

Source: Japan Traditional Craft Promotion Association

Lack of Successors

The number of people engaged in traditional industries is declining, and this trend is expected to continue. Traditional crafts have traditionally been passed down within families, relatives, and local communities. However, given the current trend of decreasing demand, more people are likely to seek employment in other industries rather than inheriting traditional crafts.
The lack of successors is not limited to traditional industries. However, traditional crafts, in particular, rely heavily on artisanal skills and know-how accumulated over many years. Therefore, it takes a long time to acquire the necessary skills to become a craftsman, making it challenging for potential successors to commit to this path considering their livelihood during the training period.
In recent years, the lack of successors in the world of traditional crafts has led to a significant decrease in the number of craftsmen. According to the statistics of the Japan Traditional Crafts Promotion Association, the number of traditional craftspeople in Japan has decreased to one-fifth of its peak in 1983 by 2015. More craftsmen are becoming pessimistic about the future and are not training successors.
What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts

Shortage of Materials and Tools

The shortage of materials and tools is also a significant issue. Traditional crafts are primarily made using the same materials that were used over 100 years ago, such as wood, paper, dyes, lacquer, silk thread, and tortoiseshell. Some of these materials, which were abundant over 100 years ago, are now facing supply crises.

Various materials are required to create traditional crafts. However, due to the declining demand, it has become challenging to procure these materials. Additionally, while metals and wood are still abundant, the recent surge in prices has made procurement challenging.

Craftsmen usually work in small teams, ordering only a few knives or brushes at a time. Often, small orders are refused, forcing them to make the tools themselves or obtain them from closed businesses. Moreover, repair companies for sewing machines and other machinery are becoming scarce, with some craftsmen using machines that are over 100 years old.

For instance, the “Kashirodake bamboo bark” from Hoshino Village, Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is used as the core of the baren (a tool for rubbing prints) in ukiyo-e printing. The decrease in Kashirodake bamboo bark producers has put baren production at risk. Additionally, the cover is made by layering about 50 sheets of Japanese paper on a wooden mold and using only natural materials such as bracken powder, persimmon tannin, and raw lacquer. The entire process is done by hand, taking about a year to complete. A baren can cost between ¥100,000 and 200,000.

What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts
 

What Foreign Tourists Can Do to Help Preserve Japanese Traditional Crafts

The demand for traditional crafts has been declining over the long term, making recovery difficult. However, there are things that foreign tourists can do to help preserve Japanese traditional crafts. These include purchasing traditional crafts and participating in “craft-making experiences” at workshops. 

Traditional crafts can be purchased at stores like “Aoyama Square Traditional Crafts” operated by the Japan Traditional Crafts Promotion Association.

Many workshops offer “craft-making experiences,” and participating in these directly contributes to the craftsmen’s income, which is greatly appreciated. Tourists can also take home the traditional crafts they made as souvenirs.

“Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square” also offers craft-making experiences. For example, from July 19th (Fri) to July 21st (Sun) in 2024, there will be a “Japanese book-binding experience” with “Awa Washi” from Tokushima Prefecture, and from July 22nd (Mon) to July 23rd (Tue), there will be a “blue-and-white plate painting experience” with “Mikawachi-yaki” from Nagasaki Prefecture.

Our company also offers traditional craft-making experiences such as “Ukiyo-e (Edo woodblock prints)” and “Edo Some Komon” in Tokyo. Please join us for a craft-making experience and help preserve and sustain traditional Japanese crafts.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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