Cool Japan: Cultural Values and Craft Production
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Questions and Answers

What was the main goal of the concept book titled Wonder Nippon! released by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry in 2017?

  • To promote Japan's industrialization
  • To convey Japan's unique sensibilities and values to the rest of the world (correct)
  • To showcase Japan's modern art
  • To highlight Japan's military power
  • What is often featured in tourist pamphlets, media productions, and popular discourse in Japan and abroad?

  • Japan's military history
  • The attractiveness of Japanese crafts (correct)
  • Japanese cuisine
  • Japan's industrial progress
  • When did the Japanese government start promoting craft specialists to produce works for international exhibitions?

  • During the post-war era
  • During World War II
  • During the Meiji period (correct)
  • During the Edo period
  • Why did European artists turn their attention to Japan in the late 19th century?

    <p>To discover Japan's authentic craft tradition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What contributed to Japan's cultural diplomacy in the post-war era?

    <p>The travels of Japanese craftspeople</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the outcome of the Japanese government's promotion of crafts in the late 19th century?

    <p>Increased exports and soft power</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did European artists see in Japan's crafts?

    <p>A repository of authentic craft tradition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What attracted Westerners to Japan from the 1960s?

    <p>The opportunity to learn crafts, particularly ceramics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic that Japanese ceramics share with other East Asian ceramics?

    <p>Firing at high temperatures (above ~1250 degrees Celsius) in wood-fueled kilns</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was introduced to Japan from China and Korea in the 5th and 16th centuries?

    <p>Wood-fueled kilns</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the result of the ashes from the firewood melting on the surface of ceramic pieces?

    <p>Unpredictable color patterns and textures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What coincided with the interest in tea ceramics and the tradition of the six old kilns in the West?

    <p>The so-called 'Zen boom'</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What stimulated a mindset of freedom and experimentation in the West?

    <p>Countercultural movements such as the hippie movement</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did some foreign apprentices find their experience in Japan disappointing?

    <p>Because they had to do tasks like weeding the garden or babysitting</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do some potters prefer to work with ceramics in Japan?

    <p>To gain recognition and fair compensation for their work</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did many foreigners who came to practice ceramics in Japan eventually do?

    <p>Settled in rural communities and built their own studios and kilns</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common challenge faced by potters in the United States?

    <p>Limited opportunities for economic survival</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a type of knowledge that exists in the body but is often hard to put into words?

    <p>Tacit knowledge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many hours of practice and repetition are required to master a craft skill, according to the popular rule?

    <p>10,000 hours</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do potters in Japan connect with their natural surroundings?

    <p>By using local and natural materials in their work</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is valued highly in Western art education?

    <p>Abstract, theoretical, and conceptual types of knowledge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a challenge faced by female foreign apprentices in Japan?

    <p>Finding a master potter to teach them</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do many potters in Germany call themselves designers or artists?

    <p>To gain more public recognition and respect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the communities that many potters have established in Japan?

    <p>They are historically known for pottery production</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a benefit of working with ceramics in Japan, especially before the spread of the internet?

    <p>Drawing from a 'library' of historical and locally-rooted techniques</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do potters in Japan approach their work in relation to the materials they use?

    <p>They acknowledge and respect the fundamental character of the materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a similarity between potters in Japan and people who grow and prepare their own food?

    <p>They both value the satisfaction of working with natural materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do many ceramicists in Europe and the USA resort to ready-made materials from industry?

    <p>To save time and effort</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the traditional Western concept of art focused on?

    <p>Visual contemplation of non-functional objects</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Japan, what is the relationship between purpose, beauty, and everyday acts?

    <p>There is a long historical connection between purpose, beauty, and everyday acts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did interviewees stress as important in their experiences of well-being?

    <p>The importance of beauty in its everyday, sensory dimensions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did interviewees find in Japan that contributed to their practices?

    <p>A community of practice, a culture of natural materials, and historically-bound processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept do interviewees' identities and worldviews invoke?

    <p>Planetarity, emphasizing ecological awareness and cultural diversity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do interviewees' narrative accounts show?

    <p>A search for universal aspirations in local sensibilities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can engagements with historical techniques, natural materials, and local communities help envision?

    <p>Alternative futures in an age of environmental degradation and cultural divisions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between the concept of planetarity and cosmopolitanism?

    <p>They are complementary concepts, both emphasizing interconnectedness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Japan's Craft Industry

    • In 2017, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry released a concept book titled Wonder Nippon! to promote Japan's unique cultural values and sensibilities to the world.
    • The booklet highlights simplicity, anonymity, and harmony with nature as core values that have shaped Japan's domestic craft production.

    Craft and Japanese Identity

    • Japan has promoted its crafts as a symbol of Japanese culture and identity, particularly through government promotional materials, tourist pamphlets, and media productions.
    • The idea of Japan as a paradise of craft has been officially promoted since the Meiji period, when the Japanese government sponsored craft specialists to produce works for international exhibitions.

    Cultural Diplomacy and Crafts

    • Crafts have played a significant role in Japan's cultural diplomacy, with craftspeople traveling the world to give talks and demonstrations, contributing to shifting Japan's military image after World War II.
    • This led to Westerners coming to Japan to learn crafts, particularly ceramics, from the 1960s.

    Japanese Ceramics

    • Japanese ceramics have been strongly influenced by East Asian ceramic traditions, including the use of high-temperature wood-fueled kilns introduced via China and Korea.
    • This technique allows for the production of more resistant objects and creates unique aesthetics characterized by unpredictable color patterns and textures.

    Zen Boom and Countercultural Movements

    • The "Zen boom" in the West, starting in the 1950s, reflected a growing interest in Eastern religions and practices, leading to increased interest in Japanese crafts.
    • Countercultural movements, such as the hippie movement, encouraged young Westerners to travel to Japan in search of alternative experiences and practices.

    Westerners in Japan's Craft Industry

    • In the post-war era, Japanese potters started accepting foreign apprentices, leading to a mix of positive and negative experiences for the foreigners involved.
    • Many Westerners came to Japan to learn ceramics, and some eventually settled in rural communities, building their own studios, kilns, and practicing ceramics as a way of life.

    Challenges and Opportunities

    • Westerners faced challenges in Japan's craft industry, including language barriers, cultural differences, and lack of direct verbal instruction from masters.
    • However, they also found opportunities to learn from Japan's rich craft traditions, connect with local communities, and engage in meaningful interactions with materials and nature.

    Craft as a Way of Life

    • Many interviewees emphasized the importance of craft as a way of life, allowing them to explore connections with people, objects, traditions, materials, and nature.
    • They highlighted the value of beauty in everyday, sensory dimensions, and the importance of self-fulfilling and autonomous work.

    Alternative Futures

    • The attraction to Japanese ceramics extends beyond an interest in Japan's cultural values, invoking universal aspirations and a search for interdependent and interconnected human values.
    • This approach can help envision alternative futures in an age marked by environmental degradation and cultural, national, and political divisions.

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    Description

    Explore the concept of Cool Japan, a policy initiative by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and its emphasis on cultural values such as simplicity, anonymity, and harmony with nature in craft production.

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