“Have you seen the video of the tap dancing kabuki actor?” asked my American friend living in Japan. For real??, I asked.  “I’ll send you a link.” “Tap dancing kabuki actor” felt like an oxymoron for my mental inventory of a tap dancer.  Think:  The Nicolas Brothers, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill “Bojangles” Robinson,…

To mark important milestones in Japan, women will often wear special clothes referred to as Haregi or ‘your Sunday’s best’. Marusho Kimono Shop is a long-established Kimono rental store in Yokohama, with a mission of handing down traditional Japanese culture through Haregi. People often wear Kimono’s for weddings, summer festivals funerals and for ceremonial occasions.The…

The highly anticipated House of Music in Hungary has opened its doors. The new, leading European cultural venue, designed by the renowned Japanese architecture studio of 2022 Wallpaper* Design Awards judge Sou Fujimoto, not only represents a striking new landmark for the country, but it also is the architect’s very first completed, permanent, new-build in the continent….

Discover how two artists seeking a new direction for modern art in the aftermath of World War II found inspiration in Japanese tradition. Trace the friendship, work, ideas and mutual influence of Isamu Noguchi and Saburo Hasegawa, who both sought to balance tradition and modernity, Japanese culture and foreign influences, past and present. Changing and…

JapanCraft21主催バイメル・スティーブエンとジャーナリスト リチャード・バーナーのインタビューはこちら。 初めてのロニー賞受賞は堤卓也氏。 アワードセレモニーのビデオはここをクリック 優秀賞受賞者の皆さまおめでとうございます！ 伝統的建築技法を学ぶ日曜塾(心町家塾) 最新情報はこちらをクリック! 2019年、JapanCraft21は内藤工務店と共に心町家塾を立ち上げました。木組みや竹の土壁などの、急速に消滅しつつある日本の建築技法を学ぶ若い大工の授業料を支援しています。 工芸の未来のために力を貸してくれている仲間たち     アドバイザーとボランティアの皆さま、ありがとうございます！  

The Japanese have consumed a variety of citrus for millennia; enjoying both the juice and peels of the fruit. Many who reside outside Japan have become familiar with yuzu, a member of the Rutaceae (citrus) family primarily prized for its aromatic yellow peel. However, sudachi (above, left) and kabosu (above, right) both coming to market…

A potter with only one year of full time training could produce mass produced tea bowls using a mold, using an energy efficient electric kiln ensuring minimal damage to works during firing, resulting in a pleasant yet unremarkable bowl which retails for about $50.  KAKO Katsumi, who made the featured piece here, has about 30…

Left to right: Sculptor YASUDA Kan, JapanCraft21 founder Steve Beimel and 2021 Ronnie Prize Winner, TSUTSUMI Takuya. ACCESS HERE to read an Interview of JapanCraft21 founder, Steve Beimel, with journalist Richard Varner and learn about the first Ronnie Prize Winner TSUTSUMI Takuya! ACCESS HERE to see Award Ceremony video CONGRATULATIONS to our Awards of Excellence…

Japanese Dolls as Fine Art: The figure depicted is a townsman of the pre-modern period attending a local neighborhood Shinto festival. Stunning realism is seen in the facial expression and natural body posture. Pay close attention to the detail of the hands. Artist: HORIBE Shinko 日本人形、堀部信子作   Tokyo-based Nuno Textiles is one of the world’s…

A wonderful show of contemporary basketry features the work of Isohi Setsuko. A relatively young woman in a field of craft dominated by elder men, this woman has shown herself to be extraordinary in design, skill, and inventiveness. Her lightness of touch and bold forms weave exquisite materials to honor her teachers and inspire future…