Japanese traditional crafts are dying. Can a new push in Europe save them?
Efforts to create a new wave of interest in Japanese art and design in Europe are in full flow as the value of their domestic market plunges
As production of Japan’s traditional craft works goes into decline because of diminishing spending power in their home market, moves are under way to lure foreign buyers by sparking a renewed interest in Japanese art and design in the way that “Japonisme” swept 19th-century western Europe.
The efforts to create a new wave of Japonisme – a French term that was used to describe the popularity of Japanese art among European elites in the wake of the forced reopening of Japan in the 1850s – reflect a strong sense of alarm about the future of some of Japan’s oldest, most beloved but dying craft traditions.
This spring, Bizen ware pottery from Okayama prefecture in western Japan was displayed at international design exhibitions in Italy and France, with support from the Mission of Japan to the European Union.
“I was very nervous when I showed my works but I gained confidence when they were praised for being so good,” said Bizen ware potter Taiga Mori, 50, after returning to Japan from Milan in northern Italy, where he displayed his pieces at Fuorisalone, a design exhibition, and a local art gallery in April.
A photograph of Mori’s exhibits caught the eye of a Belgian art dealer who placed an order for some of his works.
“I plan to gain more experience by continuing transactions with overseas galleries,” Mori said.
