The Quick Guide to Traditional Japanese Arts and Handicrafts

The Quick Guide to Traditional Japanese Arts and Handicrafts
日本伝統文化の英語表現事典
By Kameda Naoki, Sangu Yuko and Catherine Nakamichi
Maruzen Publishing, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-4621302972

Review by Holly Helt

Imagine for a second that you have been sent to an exotic destination on another planet that has been inhabited for well over two thousand years. The inhabitants speak a different language, the food is delicious but unrecognizable, and the sights are something to behold. As you travel around this glorious paradise, marveling at all of the unusual things you are encountering for the first time, you are struck by how not very much of it means anything to you.  In fact, so unusual are most of the things, that you can’t even begin to formulate questions to further inquire about them. Stopping for a rest, you order a refreshing tonic made of native roots and leaves, handmade by a local elder, who strikes up a conversation, remarkably in your own language. This elder begins to peel away layers like an onion to unveil the mysteries of its treasured history and culture, giving you a completely new perspective and adoration of this land of enchantment.

While this is quite an exaggeration of a visit to, or even living in Japan, most of us touching this culture, including the locals, are walking blindly through it day by day. We need someone to blow the dust off of this rich cultural tapestry that is in danger of decay.

Thankfully three scholars have answered the call: Dr. Kameda Naoki, an expert on shrines, temples and martial arts hailing from Kyoto where he was teaching until 2016 at Doshisha University; WANOBI Director Sangu Yuko, who dedicates her time to telling the world about Japanese artisans, who are living national treasures steeped in history; and Catherine Nakamichi, a translator fluent in Japanese and thoroughly immersed in the cultural aspects of life in Japan.

They are the authors of The Quick Guide to Traditional Japanese Arts and Handicrafts, a book should be considered a living national treasure for its importance in the preservation of Japan’s rich cultural heritage. As the saying goes, no stone has been left unturned here as each craft, shrine, and custom is explained in both Japanese and simple English.

The book is a perfect foreign language study companion with each section containing both the Japanese and the English translation on the same page, which is something you don’t often experience. As far as reference is concerned, the book is cleverly organized by topics and each topic is broken down into minute detail, all listed in the 10-page contents at the front of the book. Further, Japanese words in the English translation are highlighted so it’s a great source of new words for the student of Japanese language.

From the very first page you turn, a fascinating journey into Japan’s culture and history unfolds like a great mystery, and is woven into a tapestry with every thread identified. This guide is so complete that it would be impossible to list all of the items it covers in this review; however, in general terms you will discover the importance of daily necessities; how performance molds one’s life, and the way physical objects tell us about religion. The book structures around these three topics .

The category ‘Traditional Arts and Handicrafts for Daily Necessities’ is intriguing because you get the chance to really see how different the culture is from the western world in terms of what is considered a necessity! The authors unveil an extraordinary collection of these daily necessities including apparel for daily life, ceremony and religious wear and costumes; items related to food and cooking; and housing, covering architecture and gardens, and the role it plays in society. Not only will you learn about these topics, but the authors help you dive deeper by explaining how certain items are made. You will come away from this section mesmerized by the detail and thoughtfulness of traditional daily life in comparison to western living.

The lively section ‘Traditional Arts and Handicrafts for Performance’ includes musical instruments and entertainment styles such as kabuki and Noh; fine art such as ceramics, lacquerware, bamboo crafts, embroidery, calligraphy, and flower arranging to name a few; martial arts also makes an appearance and covers the weapons and armor. To the mainstream westerner, Kabuki and Noh are completely unfamiliar and “strange” art forms in the same way that The Marriage of Figaro is likely quite daunting for the Japanese to get their heads around. Here is your chance to learn about these unusual art forms and gain enough golden nuggets to impress dinner guests with your newfound knowledge!

In the segment on ‘Traditional Arts and Handicrafts for Religion’, the authors guide you into a deeper understanding of the religious foundation of Japan through physical items, and how these ideas form the basis of the culture. This section also takes you behind the many colorful festivals to give you some meaning behind all of the vibrant celebrations.

I was privileged to attend the book launch gala along with 9 of the 10 living national treasure artisans that WANOBI represent. During the event, tables competed head to head in a competition to answer questions about items in the book. On a large overhead screen, two images were shown per question. When the images were displayed, the tables quickly talked among themselves to get the right answer and then voted with either an A or B. In this esteemed group of artisans, scholars, and us regular folk, not one table got all of the answers correct! It was an exhilarating activity, and quite astounding, thus clearly demonstrating the necessity of this vital piece of literature.

In summary, The Quick Guide to Traditional Japanese Arts and Handicrafts is three books in one: a historical reference guide, a foreign language learning aid, and a scholarly text but most of all, it is an important source of information and reference, no matter what your interests or background.