********** Yoshinori Ishii Executive chef of Japanese restaurant UMU in London ******************

------------------ 英国の日本料理店 UMU 総料理長 石井義典 のつれづれなる話 ------------



Wednesday 25 April 2012

Japanese traditional crafts 日本の伝統工芸品

A little while ago, I had a visit from producers of Japanese traditional tin casting industry of Takaoka city, Toyama prefecture. Since I was a child, I have always been familiar with brass crafts and casting, also I had opportunities to observe art objects made out of tin and other sort of silverish materials for purpose of tea ceremony in Kyoto, however I was not aware that dedicated producers still exists strongly in particular districts where the tradition had continued to be inherited from one generation to the next. 
What appeared from their medium sized luggage were some of their tin and brass collections. Despite their metallic nature, the crafts carried warm calming sensation, and needless to say, wrapped in beautiful form. On the contrary to silverwork’s sharp sophistication, the crafts had almost ceramic-like appeal in their soft figure which I felt was extraordinary. Their softness is in actual touch as well, some of the crafts in fact could be reformed according to owner’s will, benefitting from the special characteristic. I have already started putting my thoughts into how and what purpose should I enjoy this uniqueness and also their strong flow in heat conductivity.
Including from the side of culinary aspect, Japanese culture sometimes lacks in wholesomeness and ability to harmonize with other cultural aspects, due to over concentration on polishing the tiniest detail. This conflict can be seen especially in the mixture of unique Japanese quality and contemporary western society, where simpler furnishing and decorations becoming more and more favoured over detailed designs. Certain Japanese meticulousness sometimes can only be appreciated in certain Japanese environment. The reason why the craft I felt was most appealing out of the samples the producers brought was not the detailed one requires this sort of meticulousness, but rather was the one with beautiful lively outline which embraces the nature of material, could be the fact that now I am in London. 
One of their primary reasons for this visit to London all the way from Japan was due to an honourable request from one of the most renowned restaurant in UK which is famous for its extremely sophisticated and modernized food. The needs for their products in Japan reduce year by year rapidly causing numbers of producers to decreases at the same time. However if the remaining producers continue to pursue creating true crafts as well as answering needs of contemporary world, Japanese traditional industry can exists powerfully and be inherited to next generation, with its significant individuality still at its core. 
先日、富山県高岡市から伝統産業品である“錫鋳物”の生産者の方が訪れました。子供の頃から真鍮工芸品や鋳造品などは身近にあり、京都の茶席などで使われている錫や砂張の工芸美術品に触れる機会もありましたが、現在もその伝統を受け継ぐ産地、生産者があるということは、無知な私には驚きでした。
中型のアタッシュケースの中から出されたのは錫や真鍮で作られた作品の一部でしたが、どれも金属ながら暖か味のある美しいものでした。銀細工の洗練されたシャープな美しさと違い、陶器のような柔らかなフォルムが新鮮でした。実際手に取ると本当に柔らかく、逆にその特性を利用して自在に形を変えられる作品もありました。熱の伝導効率の良さも含め、特性を生かして何かに使う方法を考えるのが楽しみです。
料理もそうですが、日本文化は時としてあまりにも細部のディテールにこだわり過ぎ、肝心な全体像や周りとの調和が難しいものが多くあります。洗練されたシンプルさが多く見られる最近の西洋の調度品や装飾の中においては特にそうで、細密な装飾が美しく見れる環境は日本の空気感あってのもの。今回サンプルを持ってこられたものの中でもひときわ目を引いたのも、熟練の技が要求される細密な作品よりも、素材感がきれいに生きた曲線の美しいものだったのはヨーロッパという土壌だったからかもしれません。
 今回日本からいらしたのも、英国で最も人気があり、非常に斬新な現代的料理を提供しているレストランからの要望もあってとのことでした。日本国内では需要が減り、年々生産者が減っているとのことでしたが、本物を作り続け、時代のニーズを追求し続けることが出来、それをきちんとアピールし続けられれば、日本の伝統産業も少しづつ形を変えながら、大切な部分だけは残しながら受け継いでいくことが出来るのではないかと改めて感じました。

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