Core Kyoto S08E16 · Nouveau Lacquerware: Vibrant Dazzling Beauty

Overview

Solid, durable and decorative, lacquer is a lustrous, natural polymer used in art, architecture, Buddhist statues, and everyday items. Kyoto was the seat of the emperor and aristocratic culture, so lacquerers always strove to out-dazzle each other and, in the process, refined their workmanship. Undeterred by difficulties they face from the pandemic, lacquerers today continue the art while searching for fresh ideas. Discover how they create the unconventional and innovative within the traditional.

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Episodes

1. 1 1. New Wave Dyeing: The Challenge for Innovation Within Tradition2020-01-30 · 28mWith kimono no longer everyday attire, Kyoto's dyeing industry faces decline. But people are taking on the challenge of ensuring the traditional techniques will survive. An artist
2. 2 2. Popular Noh: A Spiritual Art Fosters Connections2020-02-06 · 28mThe performing art of Noh has a history stretching back more than 600 years and is registered on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Masked actors in sum
3. 3 3. The Culture of Gift Giving: Beautiful Etiquette Strengthens Relationships2020-03-05 · 28mA girl in her first year receives dolls representing an emperor and empress. People give each other Senmaizuke turnip pickles at year's end. In December, maiko present their dance
4. 4 4. Bamboo Innovation: Creative, Pliable and Sustainable2020-04-02 · 28mBamboo has long been used in architecture and everyday tools. Today the Kyoto bamboo industry is in decline due to lifestyle changes and the lack of bamboo craftsmen. One artisan u
5. 5 5. Kyoto Accessories: Wearable Works of Art2020-04-16 · 28mWomen in Kyoto through the ages, like their counterparts around the world, have always desired the most beautiful and impressive fashion accessories to complement their outfits. To
6. 6 6. Kyoto Glasswork: The Elegant Sparkle of Craftsmanship2020-05-07 · 28mGlass arrived in Japan with the Christian missionaries in the 16th century. Kyoto aristocrats, high-ranking samurai and wealthy merchants used the much-prized foreign glassware as
7. 7 7. Kyoto Amulets: The Embodiment of Prayers for Happiness2020-08-06 · 28mKyoto is dotted with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines offering amulets for health, longevity, safety, easy childbirth and other blessings. An amulet warding off an epidemic cent
8. 8 8. Fudo Myo-o: The Enduring Power of a Wrathful Deity2020-08-20 · 28mFlames rising from behind, piercing eyes and an enraged expression, statues of Fudo Myo-o hold a sword and lasso, both ritual implements. Despite its formidable appearance, this de
9. 9 9. Nouveau Confections: A Feast for the Eyes, Mouth, and Mind2020-09-03 · 28mAs the traditional confectionery industry wanes due to a growing preference for Western-style sweets, the younger generation of confectioners are using modern sensibilities to attr
10. 10 10. Vogue Kimono: Fashion in Evolution2020-09-17 · 28mDesigners and kimono-lovers are sparking a kimono revolution in imaginative ways. They weave global tastes into orthodox fabrics, coordinate kimono with Western-style clothing, and
11. 11 11. Ogawa Jihei Gardens: Beauty Soothes and Nourishes the Soul2020-10-01 · 28mFrom the late 1800's to the early 1900's, dominant political and business figures owned villas in neighborhoods at the foot of the Higashiyama mountains. Many of their gardens were
12. 12 12. The Double Ninth Festival: Beautiful Chrysanthemums Grant Longevity2020-10-22 · 28mThe five seasonal festivals to drive out evil originate in Yin and Yang philosophy. The most important is the Double Ninth festival on September 9, the largest, single-digit odd nu
13. 13 13. Conversations: A Potter and a Kyogen Actor2020-11-05 · 28mTwo professionals from diverse fields, potter Matsubayashi Hosai and comic actor Shigeyama Sennojo discuss what it means to carry on a tradition and the similarities and difference
14. 14 14. Miyamoto Musashi: Sword Mastery in the Ancient Capital2020-11-19 · 28mThrough novels and movies, the name Miyamoto Musashi has become synonymous with the word "samurai." The undefeated, 17th-century swordsman was also a master of calligraphy, the way
15. 15 15. Warding Off Epidemics: Heartfelt Prayers for Safety2020-12-03 · 28mWith the spread of Covid-19 in 2020, many annual festivals were condensed. But Kitano Goryoe was revived at Kitano Tenmangu after a 550-year hiatus in prayer for an end to the pand
16. 16 16. Nouveau Lacquerware: Vibrant Dazzling Beauty2020-12-17 · 28mSolid, durable and decorative, lacquer is a lustrous, natural polymer used in art, architecture, Buddhist statues, and everyday items. Kyoto was the seat of the emperor and aristoc