| ORNAMENTS/OBJECTS
OF ARTS
| clothes
| accessories
| ornaments/objects
of art |
|furniture/mounting
| tools
| Buddhist
altar/alter fittings |
| daily necessities/toys
| tableware/cookware
| hobby
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| Mr. Hiroshi Akatsuka___Akatsuka
Tortoiseshells Factory Co. Inc. |
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Tortoiseshell products are known as jewelry of
the ocean has warmth and beauty. Tortoiseshell products are repairable,
so it is an industrial art with merit that it could be used for
long time. It also is known as high class material for glasses frames.
Mr. Akatsuka mainly manufactures glasses frames, but he also manufactures
accessories of all kinds.
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| Mr.Yutaka Shinohara___Edo
Wind Bells |
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For Japan's summer, which is sultry, wind bells under the roof were something necessary. The actual temperature doesn't lower even if the bells are hung, but the Japanese felt a coolness in the sound of the bells swaying in the wind. He still has trouble producing delicate and cool sounds. Other than the traditional round shapes, there are strange shaped ones also. The picture designs are cute,too. It is a seasonal senary that came up from the playfulness of Japanese people.
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| Mr. Mitsuaki Yokoya___Soshu
Ltd. |
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Soshu's wood carving mainly uses Japanese wood material,
and of cource gets finished only with a chisel without the use of
pouring paper. This makes use of the straight grain and introducing
the skill of TAKUMI from Azuchi-Momoyama period. The representative
of SHUTAN, Mr. Yokoya is a craftsman so great that he dealt with
SHIBAMATA-TAISHAKUTEN-DOUHAME sculpture.
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| Mr. Yasuhide Nakajima___Nakajima
Edo Lacquer Art |
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Mr. Nakajima succeeds the special techniques of Japanese
Lacquer which was invented by his grandfather(9th generation) and
his father(10th generation). Beautiful dishes are finished by original
technique which is rooted in Japanese tradition. It piles up, sticks,
and harden the hemp cloth and Japanese paper. Around that, platinum
and gold are rolled for modern coloring.
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| Mr. Mitsuaki & Junichi Inada |
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At present, many chemical paints have been developed,
but lacquer, which is a natural paint, has a good style (the touch
and the looks,) and it has a merit of protecting the wood when a
wooden product absorb the moisture in the air and expands, by expanding
with it. This makes the product last longer. Mr. Inada says that
he wants to hand down the good quality of lacquer. Mitsuaki=Father
Junichi=Son
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| Mr. Shunji Onda___Ohshimaya
Store Onda Ltd. |
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Paper lantern was introduced from China in Muromachi
era. Folding type appeared in Azuchi Momoyama era, and in Edo era,
improvement was added for use in every methods. Paper lantern used
to be a lighting tool to light the dark night with soft light of
candle through Japanese paper. Now it is a tool for self appeal,
and special orders for souvenir and gift are frequent. Accepting
the order of only one original handmade paper lantern.
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| Mr. Sumio Ishida___Ishida
Ivory Sculptures Co. Inc. |
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Ivory works known as ornaments and Netsuke are said
to be started from 500years ago. Detailed works and gloss from polishing,
the beauty of ivory works are still living in Mr. Ishida's works,
and they are praised as the highest peak of room decorating ornaments.
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| Mr. Yukio Kikuchi___Shogiku |
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Ichimatsu doll was named after Sanogawa Ichimatsu
who was Shibai actor in Edo. The dolls' lifelike faces and expressions
are created by painting the Gofun(powder made by burning the shells
and crushing them) over and over again on the material called Touso
(Made by gathering the powder of Kiri or Paulownia and hardening
it). Eyeballs are made of glass, human hair and silk threads are
used for dolls' hair, clothes are made of old Chirimen(Silk cloth
with wrinkles). You can change the costumes of the dolls.
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| Mr. Ryukichi Koshiba___Gyozan
Inc. |
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Children's day is celebrated the birth of a boy and
his grow up in good health from ancient times. It is the traditional
event hoping for intelligence, bravery, and a success in the boy's
life. He worries about the decrease of birth rate. However, he continues
to make a war helmet of a famous general with parents' unchanging
wish of all times for their children's happiness.
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| Mr. Hideo Harashima___Harashima
Hagoita Factory |
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One, come on, guys. Two, come on guys. Three, take
a look. Four, come and join us..... Together with such counting
rhyme, the "Oibane"(a game played with shuttlecocks and battledore)
has been a New Year's play suitable to residential districts of
Edo. Although Hagoita has been made for about 550 years, with the
time changing, it has increased image of good luck rather than a
tool for the "Oibane" play. In his factory, framed pressed pictures,
perfectly fit to western living room, are also manufactured.
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| Mr. Iwao Kawauchi___Koumei
Factory |
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It is said that the origin of gold forging skill
is ancient Egypt. Koumei Factory inherits the skill to present age.
Mr. Kawauchi is the 2nd generation of this old factory which counts
over 80 years since its foundation. Well used gold and silver products
will let you have wealth in your heart, and the product will have
presence. Focuses on the creation of functional beauty("beauty of
usage" "beauty of necessity").
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| Mr. Tadayoshi Nozawa___Nozawa
Sculpture |
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He has been using tradition and technique from his
predecessor. He is skillful at kick engraving which is rare in the
area of metal carving. His works stretch beyond accessories, plates,
and vessels. The beautiful works can be said as an art and entertain
viewers.
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| Mr. Kozo Kitama (Fugen)___Edo
Silverware |
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He likes to use silver that can be made into many
different colors, textures, and shapes by hammering and processing.
Hammering a piece of silver makes a shape. His excellent skills
are backed up by his love toward his job; creating beautiful patterns
with a hammer. He also receives an order for the flower vase, the
tea-things, and all sorts of things.
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| Mr. Koutaro & Yoshihiro Tanaka___Tanaka
Sudare Factory Inc. |
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Sudare was used for dividing a room, sun shade, etc
since long time ago. During Heian era, it was necessity as one of
furniture in palace. It was Edo era the Sudare spread among the
houses of Samurai and merchants. Ever since, Sudare is used as traditional
handicraft in Japanese cultural scenes such as Sado, and also in
lives of the present age.
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| Mr. Teruo Komuro___Komuro
Crest Embroidering Store |
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The oldest embroidery work existing is the one made
in Shoutoku-Taishi's era. Ever since, the skills of embroidery was
handed down, and this skills could be seen throughout his works.
Embroidered crests made by his skills express the pride of people's
spirits on their history, and they are great heirloom to hand down
to descendants. His works are superb article that fulfills the sense
of beauty of person who presents it, and satisfaction of person
who receives it.
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| Mr. Minoru (Shinsho) Tabei___Gold,Silver,
Art Sunago-shi |
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Sunago is powder of real gold, real silver, platinum,
etc. Sunago-shi draws patterns in sliding doors, and folding screens
by spreading the sunago. It is said that this techniques was started
in Asuka-Era to make Buddha pictures and copied Buddhist scriptures
look gorgeous. Pictures were drawn by painters, and sunago-shi draws
a pattern. The procedures were done by assembly work. Mr. Tabei
is now challenging to draw landscape paintings only with sunago.
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| Mr. Naotarou Nagao___Hand-printing |
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He was born in ASAKUSA, the third generation of UKIYO-E
hand printing. He entered this world at the age of 15, and is good
at printing beautiful girls. For the first time in 95 years, he
did a reproduction of HIROSHIMA's "OUMI-HAKKEI-ZENZU" in Museum
of London. He did a demonstration in Vienna. Recently, he does YUMEJI
and gold-print BUTSUGA.
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| Mr. Shinji & Kazuhiko Miyata___Hakocho
Inc. |
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Carving the Kiri made products and wrapping the carved
part with cloth(This processing technique is called Kimekomi). The
surface of Kiri products are of sober colors, but colorful patterns
and pictures are drawn on it by this technique. With coloring, the
products become more elegant art masterpiece. Due to the westernizing
of lifestyle, products with both Japanese and Western style such
as western chest and remote controller case are developed, and still
live within living space of today.
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| Mr. Katsumi & Eiichi Kawamata___Okeei |
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Japanese cypress of age 200 to 300 years old in Kiso
are suitable for making traditional Japanese washtub. No paintings
on the surface for finishing, only plane. That way, beauty of the
wood and excellence of the grain rise up to the surface. New washtubs
are great, but the ones used for long time also have great taste.
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| Mr. Hiroshi Matsui___Matsui
Fan Factory |
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The first time fans appear in history is in "ZOKU
NIHON-SHOKI." In 762A.D., The Emperor allowed a well distinguished
old man to hold the fan with a cane at the Imperial Court. Inheriting
the fascination of many fans that appear in history, depending on
its use and manners, he produces various sizes and colorings.
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