Edo’s playful artwork fits in the palm of your hand 【Part 2】
Ise Netsuke Craftspeople Mr. Daishin, Ms. Asuka Kajiura, Mr. Yasuhira Taira
The craft will die out if we don’t pass on the techniques and the raw materials
Editor
“Would you please explain the procedure for creating netsuke?”
Daishin
“he raw material is tsuge tangerine wood from Asamayama. It’s a hard and sticky material that is used for intricate carving. First of all, you use a saw to cut tsuge wood into a size that can be hidden in the palm of your hand by lightly holding it. Then, you draw a sketch on it, and you carve it roughly into shape. You then proceed to carvings called nakabori and shiagebori. When the form is finished, you polish the wood with fine sandpaper. After that, you color it, and wipe it dry with a cloth. Then it’s done.”
Editor
“I understood that the raw materials you use are in limited supply. Are you worried about the future of the craft?”
Daishin
“Yes, we are worried. Tsuge trees can be found only in certain places. Moreover, even if you think the wood looks good at first glance, you can’t be certain until you cut it. If the wood is rotten inside, then it’s useless.”
Taira
“The master gives us raw materials, but it would be great if we could cultivate tsuge trees ourselves. Unfortunately, it takes about 60 years for the trees to grow sufficiently big, so we wouldn’t be able to use them ourselves. Instead, we must think of leaving the trees for the next generation.”
They plan to continue their activities with Tokowaka for a long time to come
Editor
“I would like to hear about your activities with Tokowaka. Ms. Kajiura, I heard that you founded Tokowaka. Is that so?”
Kajiura
“Yes. It was in 2012. There’s a union for each traditional craft, and there are gatherings that each union organizes. But the training is usually one-to-one between master and apprentice, so the three of us who started at about the same time didn’t have a chance to talk to each other. I thought that if we got together and spoke, it would be easier for us all, especially when we ran into difficulties.”
Editor
“I see. And why did you invite artists from other traditional crafts; not only netsuke artists?”
Kajiura
“I thought that we could collaborate all the more because we were artists from different crafts. Furthermore, as craftspeople, we could grow up together through friendly competition. We are about the same age, and we have similar careers, but we work in different crafts. I thought that such a group was certain to attract the attention of the public. We have only a few years of experience as craftspeople, so we don’t have a lot of artworks yet, but we are invited to exhibit and sell our products at many department stores.”
Daishin
“At the moment our activities are mainly workshops in schools and museums, and at local festivals. We want people to know more about netsuke. Not just looking at them in pictures, but we want people to hold actual netsuke objects, and to feel them.”
Taira
“Even at the shop for which I work, Kanechika, there is a Tokowaka corner, where Ise ittobori, Ise katagami, and Ise lacquer artwork is exhibited along with netsuke. Also, we organize netsuke workshops. Each lesson lasts 2 hours, and it takes 4 lessons to complete a course. Many of participants are in their 50s and 60s, and they started the course as a hobby. However, there are also some participants in their 30s, and they learn netsuke from the same master, Mr. Tadamine Nakagawa.”
Editor
“Then they are your fellow apprentices.”
Taira
“Yes, that is right. I am happy to have many fellow apprentices.”
Ise Kikuichi/Kanechika
Netsuke Corner
Tokowaka CornerPromoting netsuke overseas as a unique Japanese culture
Editor
“What would you like to do in the future?”
Daishin
“Right now, it’s hard to organize workshops. But we’re working hard to improve our techniques. Before we find more apprentices, we need to improve our skills.”
Taira
“I went a netsuke exhibition at Seibu Department Store in Tokyo. It exhibited works by artists from all over Japan. Unlike antique netsuke, the details were still intact, because they were still new. I couldn’t believe that such carvings were made by human hands. It was there that I realized how difficult it is to become truly skillful at netsuke. I want to learn to carve sukashibori—work that is carved deeper into the surface of the object. It’s going to be challenging. ”
Kajiura
“Netsuke becomes worn smooth and round by touching it, and its colors change, too. I explain to foreigners that these changes are called nare, and that it makes netsuke mature and more valuable. When they hear that, they become very interested. They probably think that it is spiritual or oriental wisdom. As a matter of fact, a book about netsuke was chosen in the United Kingdom as the 2010 Book of the Year. Netsuke artworks are sold in antique shops in London. I think netsuke is probably more famous and popular overseas. It is a Japanese treasure, and we mustn’t lose it. It’s not too late yet. Because I’m optimistic about that, I work on my netsuke enthusiastically.”
Editor
“The meaning of the group name, Tokowaka, reflects your belief that you can make the tradition go on forever by passing it on. I hope that Japanese crafts will survive into to the future due to your efforts. Thank you so much for participating in this interview today.”
Tokowaka
Tokowaka is a group of young craftspeople who work in Japanese traditional crafts in Mie Prefecture. It was founded in 2012. They teach their techniques to each other, and they listen to each other. Furthermore, they get together to create activities that promote awareness of traditional crafts. They work hard, believing that if more people become aware of the charm of traditional crafts, and more people use their products, then there will be more apprentices.
Daishin
At university, Daishin studied design, three-dimensional cutting, and clothmaking. He grew up in Mie Prefecture, but he didn’t know about netsuke until he saw examples of it for the first time at an exhibition. Currently, he works on netsuke while working as a priest in Komonocho, Mie Prefecture. While pursuing a new and modern style, he is keen to make practical netsuke. He creates netsuke with a sturdy carving method, and his artwork won’t chip even when dropped.
Asuka Kajiura
Asuka was a newscaster at NHK Nagoya and NHK Tsu. She met Mr. Tadamine Nakagawa during a TV program, and became his apprentice in 2010. In London she won the grand prize at an art exhibition called Discover the One Japanese Art. In addition to Tokowaka, she is the head of Link, a group of craftswomen in the Tokai region. She organizes exhibitions and workshops all over Japan.
Yasuhira Taira
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1985, Yasuhira became aware of netsuke from a TV program called The Vase of Beauty. Two months after he watched that program, he visited Ise, and he moved to Mie Prefecture the following month. Currently he works as a shop manager at Kinchika, the sister shop of Ise Kikuichi, which organizes events and workshops. He aspires to create the kind of joyful artwork that his customers would want to show off to others.
URL：https://www.facebook.com/yasuhira.taira.netsuke/
“Ise Kikuichi/Kanechika”URL：https://isekikuichi.com/kanechika/