Expo 43: Treasure trove gallery - Issue 43 - Magazine

MONOCLE

May 2011

Issue 43, volume 5

p.203-217

01 of 10Tojuro Sakata, kabuki actor
02 of 10Hoseki Okuyama, metal hammerer
03 of 10
04 of 10Nobuko Akiyama, doll maker
05 of 10Mansaku Nomura, kyogen performer
06 of 10Osamu Suzuki, ceramic artist
07 of 10Kazumi Murose, urushi artist
08 of 10Hozan Yamamoto, shakuhachi player
09 of 10Kiyotsugu Nakagawa, wood artist
10 of 10Yusetsu Katayama, noh performer

Japan is full of master craftsmen, traditional stage artists and virtuoso musicians. But it’s only the elite – and those who have been plying their trade for decades – that is rewarded with the accolade of “living national treasure”. Japan’s Living National Treasures represent the qualities of tradition and resilience that, despite the recent tragedies, will help the country move forward. Gatekeepers of artistic and artisanal trades, they are individuals who have come to represent entire institutions through their passion and dedication. Monocle meets 11 of them.

Photographers: Taro Terasawa

Society

Expo 43: Treasure trove— Japan

43

May 2011