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Japan is the country where craft is most highly appreciated. Throughout Japan, in every region, a culture of valuing traditional crafts can be found. In the last decade, there has been a new movement of craft culture in Japan. This new era of craft appreciation is reflected in people's growing interest in quality of life. ...

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Imagine a potter who has loved the beauty of natural clay since his teenage years. This potter is named Katsufumi Baba. He trained in pottery in Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture and now makes ceramics in Kuruma, Kyushu. Traditional Shigaraki ware is characterized by its rough clay texture. Shigaraki ware is a prime example of Japanese aesthetics. Its...

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In Japanese, the sayings “ichi-go ichi-e no deai” means “once in a lifetime meeting,” while "ichi-go ichi-e no en" means "once in a lifetime fate, chance or destiny." The phrase “ichi-go ichi-e” is the basic conceptual foundation of “sado,” which refers to the famous Japanese tea ceremony. This implies that meeting a guest for the first time at a...

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