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 […]
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 […]
Shinto and Buddhist Influences on Anime and Manga – Part II
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Princess Mononoke (image courtesy of Studio Ghibli & Studio Canal)
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part II I’ve described how Japanese religions have made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, storytelling devices for describing situations the creator can assume the audience will recognize. In Part I we examined Shinto and natural […]
Shinto and Buddhist Influences on Anime and Manga – Part I
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part I Just as Christian symbolism and references have made their way into popular media worldwide, Japanese religions have also made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, which the website TV […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Part I Just as Christian symbolism and references have made their way into popular media worldwide, Japanese religions have also made an impression on the country’s main media export: manga and anime. References to Japanese religion and folklore often appear in media as tropes, which the website TV […]