Like this post? Help us by sharing it! With a major samurai exhibition coming to the British Museum this year, and a new Shōgun series is on the way, The Telegraph writer John Gimlette went looking for the real thing in Japan. He travelled on our Samurai Footsteps itinerary – and found the samurai legacy […]
Arts & Entertainment
Shokunin kishitsu: The Craftsman’s Spirit
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The meticulousness that drives the craftsman’s spirit, or shokunin kishitsu, has made the arts and crafts of Japan famous worldwide. In this blog, I would like to focus on a few examples of Japanese craftsmanship techniques that epitomise this spirit, along with a few of my favourite Japanese […]
Paper screens – Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! In a slight departure from the world of literature, we’d like to bring you some inspiration from the screen that provides a humbling insight into the life of a true Japanese artisan, and the shokunin kishitsu, the dedicated spirit of the craftsman, that he embodies. Jiro Dreams of Sushi – A film […]
Edo kiriko and the Kobayashi family
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The term for an artisan in Japan is ‘shokunin’; it is heard regularly but never used lightly. At its best, shokuninsan is a title bestowed on those who evidence a complete devotion to their craft. Artisans who make their work the focus of their waking hours. It can indeed […]
An Interview with a Kintsugi & Urushi Master
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Lisa Nilsson’s interview with Kyoto-based kintsugi and urushi master Mio Heki was originally published in Kyoto Journal in August 2018. This is an edited version of the full interview which can be found in Kyoto Journal. With our modern and wasteful way of living it may be […]
Paper Screens
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! I have met thousands of travellers to Japan over the years and one thing that is routinely commented on is how peaceful, organised, quiet, clean and just generally calm people are in Japan. Whether getting stuffed into a crowded rush-hour train, waiting 90 minutes for a bowl […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! I have met thousands of travellers to Japan over the years and one thing that is routinely commented on is how peaceful, organised, quiet, clean and just generally calm people are in Japan. Whether getting stuffed into a crowded rush-hour train, waiting 90 minutes for a bowl […]