Living Arts of Japan

"Living Arts of Japan" is a film about seven distinguished and prominent Japanese artists of the 20th century, each working in a different medium:
Shoji Hamada, potter
Kenkichi Tomimoto, ceramic art
Kako Moriguchi, Yuzen dyeing (for kimonos)
Gonroku Matsuda, lacquer art
Chikuunsai Tanabe, bamboo weaver
Shiko Munakata, woodblock artist
Seison Maeda, traditional painter
Some of these men, including Hamada, Tomimoto, and Moriguchi, were designated Living National Treasures of Japan. All are seen in the act of creating a piece of work. The music score, consisting primarily of strings and woodwinds, is somber and sometimes eerie. The film speaks of Tomimoto in the present tense, even though he died in 1963, so I'm guessing the film is quite a few years older than I thought it was. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and produced by Sakura Motion Picture Co., Ltd., Tokyo. If you want to see more films like this, please subscribe to the Art of East and West channel.

6 thoughts on “Living Arts of Japan”

  1. Antropóloga En Japón.

    Today I visited a restaurante that used to be a favourite place for Munakata Shikoo; suzuya. Inside of this place there is one of the master pice of Munakata-sama.

    Thanks for this video.

  2. Mark Ivan

    Anyone who thinks of war should look at and gain an appreciation of other people’s culture and the amazing arts and natural environment.

  3. Cirque Du Opinion

    Excellent showcasing, but the fake Asian music is sooooooooo baaaaad LOL

  4. 車丑次郎

    19:43shiko munakata is japanese
    Vincent Willem van Gogh

  5. JT Gre

    Shiko Munakata is fascinating to watch at work. If you ever get the chance to visit Aomori City, his museum is a must see! No art has ever stirred my imagination quite like his.

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