Japan Video Topics 2009/01
The Cheery Blossoms of Yoshino
The mountainous area of Yoshino is possibly Japan’s most famous spot for visiting cherry blossoms. It was in this culturally ancient region that the mountain ascetic practices of the shugendo sect first developed, and Yoshino’s slopes are covered with cherry trees (30,000 of them) that were planted as offerings by pilgrims. Over the centuries the local people cared for these cherry forests, ensuring their scenic beauty survives today in all its glory.
Titanium Tiles for Temple Roofs
Roofs in Japan were traditionally covered with heavy ceramic tiles. These gave excellent protection against fire and storms, but their weight was a drawback in this earthquake-prone country. The long search for a lightweight replacement finally resulted in titanium tiles, which are both stronger and 26 times lighter. First used, for safety and esthetic reasons, to retile famous temple roofs, they are now being adopted nationwide.
How Old Firms Survive
Japan has a very large number of old family firms still prospering a century or more after their founding. The secret to the success and survival of these firms through both good times and bad appears to be an attitude that combines respect for traditional skill and techniques with an open-minded readiness to react to changing conditions by adopting new methods and businesses.
Old Crafts in Modern Art
Unique local industries developed throughout Japan based on locally created craft techniques and raw materials. Skills and techniques refined over the centuries gave Japan one of the world’s most distinctive craft traditions. Today, the inheritors of such traditional skills are increasingly using them in the service of fine art, employing old craft materials like bamboo, lacquer and clay to create freshly expressive works.
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