Japanese “ki-oke” buckets -- keeping a 700-year old tradition alive | Shuji Nakagawa | TEDxKyoto

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Master Bucket Craftsman Shuji Nakagawa insures that the 700-year old art of making traditional Japanese buckets stays fresh and vibrant, expanding the artistry of beautiful “ki-oke” buckets into contemporary uses and sensibilities.


Master Bucket Craftsman
Have you ever wanted to travel back through time? Have you ever gazed upon an ancient building, or at a time-worn piece of pottery and wished you could travel back to meet the person who created the beauty before you?

Time travel is possible, and it exists right here in Kyoto.

Artist and bucket maker Shuji Nakagawa comes from a family through which the 700-year old art of making traditional Japanese buckets has been passed down for three generations, from father to son. His hands shape the wooden slats, his fingers coated with cedar dust as surely as the hands of bucket makers 700 years ago.

Yet alongside the beautiful, traditional “ki-oke” buckets, Shuji fuses contemporary sensibilities, creating buckets, chairs and cups that are at once modern and timeless. With each press of hand upon wood Shuji coaxes works of art that encourage us all to embrace the past while welcoming our present and future.


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