Pushing the boundaries of the bucketーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
the humble wooden bucket was once ubiquitous in Japan in the bath in the kitchen and in restaurants but cheaper plastic ones have largely replaced them there are now only about 10 workshops making this traditional utensil but one innovative artisan is bringing new life to the craft nagagoji started his career as a bucket maker 33 years ago inheriting the skills of his father and grandfather in his Shiga studio he uses nearly 300 different types of woodworking planes they ensure a smooth and seamless finish since the wooden bucket has disappeared from daily life Nakagawa has been rejuvenating the crowd with new ideas for more than a decade one is a wine cooler with a streamlined oval form the beautiful wooden receptacle produces no condensation and the unique design has been highly acclaimed in both Japan and abroad the cooler marked a major turning point for me i found that if I create something beautiful but different many people will appreciate it it also prompted me to look abroad for opportunities he says the elliptical shape or any non-ircular shape was quite a challenge an arch creates outward force and the middle ring encircling the bucket applies inward force the balance between the two maintains the form but if the circular form can’t be maintained the balance is lost that’s why it’s a challenge nakagawa turned to computer software for the design process he says it gives him 100 times the accuracy and enables unprecedented forms when a shape changes it is no longer a simple circle but a combination of multiple circles this circle that circle and these two little ones a total of four if they are combined in accordance with the principles of the arch the shape can be maintained his findings provided innovation to the world of the simple wooden bucket nakagawa pursued the beauty of curves to its limits for his cooler it won the grand prize at a contest in 2021 the starting point of his unusual ideas came from studying modern art at university from the perspective of modern art what is natural for traditional craft is often very attractive understanding the two viewpoints was the biggest event for my work last year Nakagawa expanded the boundaries even further this is a T-room using fragrant Japanese cyprus he created a simple relaxing space in keeping with the nature of the bucket the 2meter high structure can be taken apart nakagawa receives many requests from companies to use it in various events involvement with other fields can lead to something like a chemical reaction wooden bucket making has a history of 7 or 800 years but I see the possibility of it evolving even further i look forward to such changes nakadagawa hopes to create new work for artisans by harnessing new demand and pass on his skills for the future
An innovative Japanese craftsman is taking the traditional art of the wooden bucket to uncharted territory, harnessing computer design and modern art ideas. #japan #design #traditional #craft #nature
More stories on business and technology: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/60/
Please subscribe HERE: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPEjw8F2nQDtmUKPFNF7_A?sub_confirmation=1