More than 12 works by 400 artists active in various fields of traditional crafts, including lucky zodiac animals, sculptures with adorable animal motifs, gorgeous dyed and woven works that reproduce beautiful Japanese colors, and modern framing that applies the inherited bamboo weaving technique, have gathered on the 6th floor of Wako Ginza. The exhibition is titled "Wako Saijiki Written in Art." In this "Art Exploration" we will talk to three of these artists: Sarasa Yoshioka, a dyed and woven textile artist, Seikai Honda, a bamboo craft artist, and Arisa Oguro, a sculptor.
The colors of The Tale of Genji are vividly reproduced using plant dyes ──Yoshioka Sarasa, dyer and weaver──
In one corner of the venue, there was a particularly gorgeous area that seemed to emit light. This was the exhibition corner for the works of dyeing and weaving artist Sarasa Yoshioka. All of the large stoles hanging from the ceiling were titled "The Colors of the Tale of Genji."
The raw silk stole is dyed with plants and is made of two different colors. The combinations were chosen by Yoshioka based on the content and characters of each chapter of The Tale of Genji. For example, green and purple are associated with Kiritsubo, yellow-green and blue-green with Aoi, and red-purple and red with Tamakazura.
"Since no costumes from the Heian period remain, we have no choice but to research classical documents and recreate them. The colors of the costumes worn by men who performed government duties at court were strictly determined by rank, but women's costumes, called junihitoe, consisted of several layers of clothing, and the color combinations were also called kasane-irome, and they incorporated the colors of plants and flowers that matched the season, allowing them to be freely combined and enjoyed.
I imagine that each woman expressed her individuality and sense of beauty by layering her favorite colors. Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon saw noble women wearing the colors of their choice at the Imperial Court and wrote about it in their stories and essays. It's fun to imagine such things.
The two colors used in one stole have an exquisite gradation of tones that go from dark to light, creating a beautiful harmony that is almost like overlapping colors.
"Raw silk is a fabric that absorbs dyes easily, so it is quite a difficult task to maintain the soft, transparent color tone while still creating a gradation."


These beautiful colors are produced from various parts of the plant: purple comes from the root of the safflower, yellow from kariyasu, and red from the root of madder.
In addition to the many "Colors of the Tale of Genji," there are also vegetable-dyed accessories on display, such as bags and sukiya bags. Purple, red, yellow, green... Each of these colors has its own name as a so-called "traditional Japanese color," a favorite color of the nobility during the dynasty period. They are all so vivid that just looking at them makes you feel excited.
"The subdued tones that are generally thought of as Japanese colors reflect the spirit of 'wabi-sabi' that was born during the Sengoku period. I think that people passing through the imperial court during the Heian period probably enjoyed more vivid, transparent colors."
Listening to Yoshioka's story and standing in front of the gorgeous stole, I felt as if I could sense the breathing of people from over 1200 years ago a little closer.
The "baby snake" pattern created using intricate bamboo weaving techniques ──Bamboo craftsman Honda Seikai──
"I used to work in programming."
When I asked Honda Seikai what inspired him to pursue bamboo crafts, he gave me an unexpected answer.
"Sado, where I was born and raised, has long been a place where bamboo crafts have flourished, with many artisans and artists creating wonderful works. So I grew up in an environment where bamboo crafts were close at hand from an early age."
In 2008, a unique vocational school, the School of Traditional Culture and Environmental Welfare, opened in Sado, and this marked a turning point for Honda. Honda, who had always loved making things, enrolled in the school's Bamboo Crafts Department to learn the basics, and then studied under bamboo craft artist Seido Hatakeyama. After further training, he eventually went independent and became a full member of the Japan Crafts Association.
There are many frames hanging on the walls of the venue. The frames are colorful bamboo that has been intricately woven and painted. Various techniques are used, such as thick bamboo roughly woven leaving gaps, very thin bamboo intricately woven to create beautiful patterns, and bamboo of two colors combined to create regular patterns. These are traditional bamboo weaving techniques that have been handed down under names such as "disorderly patterns" and "wave mesh patterns."
"Most bamboo crafts are traditional items like baskets and flower vases, but I wanted to create something that would be easy to incorporate into modern life, something that still makes full use of the bamboo weaving techniques, so I made these frames. The small "Z" drawn by the black bamboo is a new design that I named the "baby snake design." After all, next year is the year of the snake."
Indeed, upon closer inspection, there are many cute snakes inside the frame. It is a somewhat humorous design that anticipates the zodiac sign for 2025.


The framed bamboo works, made using various techniques, have a very modern feel. Honda's newly invented "baby snake pattern" is in the top row, second from the right, and the bottom row, far left.
As the saying goes, "It takes three years to split bamboo," the process of cutting the split bamboo into uniform widths and thicknesses is very important in bamboo crafts. If the material is not uniform, distortions such as bulges and dents will occur when the bamboo is woven.
"The framed modern works are flat, so to speak, but I hope people will also take note of the baskets and other works that represent the essence of bamboo craft."
Traditional works such as confectionery containers and letter boxes displayed in front of the framed works have a completely different feel to the modern framing, and exude a strikingly dignified beauty.
The round and adorable animals named "Spherical Beasts" ──Sculpture by Arisa Oguro──
Rabbits, raccoons, pandas, lions, elephants... Endlessly cute animals are lined up as if they are giving you a smile. Moreover, all the animals are perfectly round, and look as if they will roll away at any moment. The animals named "Spherical Beasts" by Arisa Oguro are exaggerated in their roundness, making even the wild beasts lovable.
"I grew up in an environment surrounded by nature, and there was a zoo nearby, so it was only natural that I grew up loving animals. One day, I came across a netsuke at an antique market and was captivated by its indescribable cuteness. I thought, "I wonder if I could express the animals I have been familiar with since childhood in the world of wood carvings?" I have continued making these with that thought in mind."
Cypress, boxwood, ebony... Depending on the wood used, the texture and color of the work will vary, resulting in a wide variety that is also fun to see.
"The way the blade cuts into the wood varies depending on the hardness of the wood, so you have to work carefully. Since the piece is carved from a single block, it's important to carve out the edges, such as where the neck and body join. By doing so, the piece will have a rounded overall shape, but with shadows where necessary, creating a three-dimensional piece."
Among the many works on display, one that particularly catches your eye is one in which four snakes twist their bodies to form the four letters of "LOVE." The letter "E" actually also represents the kanji character for "snake." The snakes, each posing in their own way, stare straight at you with their cute eyes.


Four snakes each draw the word "LOVE" in a lovely way. The subtle tones of the wood grain remaining on the surface of the piece add a touch of charm.
"There are many different types of wood to use as materials, but first I think about what kind of animal I want to carve while looking at the grain and texture of the wood. Once I've decided on an animal, I carve it with the hope that it will bring happiness to many people. I carve it with that thought in mind."
At the venue, round animals of different sizes and species were playing happily. It was the very image of a peaceful animal village, full of smiles and no fighting.
There are plenty of things to see including traditional crafts in various fields such as pottery, dolls, and glass.
In addition to the three artists we spoke to, the following nine others are exhibiting in this exhibition:
Participants include Atsuko Onishi (painting), Misaki Kono (metalwork), Shugo Tajima (painting), Akiko Tomikawa (ceramics), Yoko Hirosawa (glass), Tomoyuki Hoshino (ceramics), Koichi Matsuzaki (dolls), Yui Matsumoto (lacquerware), and Mai Mitsutome (glass).
As I walked around the venue, where traditional crafts from a wide variety of fields seemed to be gathered under one roof, my heart leapt with joy and I felt as if I had been given a share of the happiness.


◆Art exploration diary ~ Exhibition information
Wako Saijiki Written Through Art
Date: December 2024, 12 (Thursday) - December 12, 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 11:00 – 19:00 until 17:00 on the last day
- Location: Seiko House 6th floor Seiko House Hall


Masao Sakurai
He has been a member of the editorial department of Fujingaho, a long-established women's magazine founded in 38, for over 1905 years, and has researched and written manuscripts on a variety of Japanese culture, including traditional Japanese crafts such as pottery and lacquer art. Now, as a freelance editor, he is in charge of articles for Premium Japan about Ryuho Sasaoka, head of the Sasaoka school of the Miso-ryu school, and Kikunojo Onoue, the fourth head of the Onoue school and third generation head of the Onoue school. She has visited Kyoto many times over the years, but there are rumors that she knows more about izakaya than about Japanese culture.
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