NEWS

Edo Bekko crafting experience in Spring Term Course "Introduction to Crafting"

Update: June 7, 2024

On May 31st, Edo Bekko artisans gave a lecture on tortoiseshell crafts, followed by a workshop in the "Introduction to Crafting" course.

The program was organized in cooperation with the Association for the Promotion of the Traditional Craft Industries and the Tokyo Bekko Association Federation. Three Edo Bekko artisans visited ICU to lecture on present-day Bekko craft and instructed students on the traditional skills related to the craft.

In the first half of the session, the artisans gave a general overview of Japanese traditional arts and crafts, and then went on to talk about the history and characteristics of Edo Bekko craft, issues current artisans face, and the problem of the declining population of Hawksbill turtles (Taimai in Japanese), the raw material used for Edo Bekko crafts. Restrictions in trade for this protected species under the Washington Convention have sparked efforts to find alternative solutions. Active discussionfollowed during the Q&A session, with students asking questions about Taimai aquaculture, tortoiseshell products made abroad and what allows these traditional artisans to continue working in their profession.

In the latter half of the session, students made netsuke from Taimai remnants left over from pieces that artisans had actually worked on. The artisans demonstrated how to use the tools, after which students cut out pieces into shapes they liked, then repeated the molding and polishing process to create their own palm-size netsuke.

Comments from students after the program include, "It was an opportunity to think about how to harmonize the conflicting ideas of maintaining the natural ecosystem while keeping traditional crafts alive," "I realized that artisans were taking utmost care to make good use of the materials currently in short supply," "It was interesting to actually see how Bekko could be polished to make the product shine," and "What seemed easy during the artisans' demonstrations, was actually very difficult when I tried it. It was an opportunity to understand how hard they had to work to achieve their artisanship."

The Introduction to Crafting course offers an opportunity to try hands-on crafting, to gain practical skills, and learn about thesocial issues related to the ancient tradition of crafts, with a focus on the relation between humans and crafting: the joy of creation, diversity and cultural heritage.