Traditional Japanese Crafts

Japan only seems to be homogenous and uniform. In fact, the visitor soon discovers that there are enormous regional differences and a fierce pride in this diversity. This has sustained an astonishing variety of traditions, crafts, and arts. Below are some of the Japanese crafts I love the most.

There are many different styles and schools of weaving, and the most spectacular examples of the weavers' art are women's kimonos, especially the obi, or belts. These come in an amazing variety of styles and designs. But contemporary Japanese women hardly ever wear kimonos except at graduation or wedding ceremonies. So what happened to all the old kimonos that their grandparents and great-grandparents wore?

Some find their way to flea markets. If they are even slightly damaged, they are likely to be thrown away. This is a terrible waste.

I use scraps of material from old obis to make handbags. The exquisite work of past generations of designers and weavers can continue to live and bring delight to present-day Americans.

I love shadowboxes. A shadowbox is a way of combining different elements in a dramatic presentation.

I collect Japanese artifacts - a souvenir for a moutain resort, a kanzashi (hair pin), a bit of origami - and put them in a shadowbox with shyuji that deepens our understanding of what we are looking at.

One look at Japanese quilting tells you it's different. I use Japanese fabrics to create unique placemats and coasters.

I said on my homepage that I create and sell — I don’t buy and sell. Kanzashi is the one exception. They are hairpins that are used in formal wigs, like the ones brides wear or the ones you see in woodblock prints of the Edo period. To me, these are special because they are under-appreciated. The ones I sell were hand-molded in the early Showa or Taisho period.

In Japanese, "bookmark" is shiori. I make bookmarks using washi (rice paper), shyuji, origami and laminate them. Each one is unique.