Seasoning the Seasons

S1 E12: Hand-Made in Japan

Our theme this time is traditional crafts. The Japanese have a long history of making good handicraft use of natural materials. From pottery and woodwork to textiles and metalwork, the Japanese have employed fire, water and sometimes also the wind to create everyday utensils that are beautiful and easy to use. Muneyoshi Yanagi, the father of the Japanese folkcraft movement, called Japan "a land of the hand" and described handicrafts as one of the forces which "provide enormous power for the preservation of Japan". The program follows the handicraft theme in paper, knives, lacquer, ship's chests, abaca cloth and other fields to depict the power of Japan's traditional crafts as well as the climate that nurtured them.