Overlooked benefits of preserving heritage crafts all over the world-from environmental issues to over-tourism
How many heritage crafts do you think of in your area? Are there any crafts that have been rooted in your area for more than a century? If you could not think of any, why do you think it is? Through this article, I will discuss how supporting traditional crafts in the world benefits your future, ideas for your next holiday, a possible solution for over-tourism, and things you can do today if you like the idea.
I’m Satoko Kamada, the founder of “KoLe SHIKOKU, Japan,” based in Kagawa, Shikoku, Japan. I’m under the mission of “Redefining Luxury to Preserve Heritage Craftsmanship for Hints to a Sustainable Future.” For my mission, I curate and retail items that blend the modern lifestyle and heritage craftsmanship of Shikoku for international use. I also take bespoke orders to be made by our collaborating, independent local artisans, craftspeople, and artists.
Index:
- Living with the planet: Climate-environment-suited Wisdom Filled within Heritage Crafts that Could Help Other Parts of the Planet
- One fundamental problem with the idea
- Immerse yourself in a fully authentic experience with heritage crafts to avoid over-tourism
- Heritage wisdom in the world is now an international resource
Living with the planet: Climate-environment-suited Wisdom Filled within Heritage Crafts that Could Help Other Parts of the Planet
Many heritage crafts or traditional ways of making daily items in your area are suitable for the climate, environment, and culture. Houses are made with abundant resources and have suitable climate functions in the area.
Traditional Japanese-style houses might all look similar, but they are different from Northan Japan and Southern Japan and further subdivided by more specific areas. It is caused by the differences in climate and weather in each area. Carpenters of traditional Japanese-style houses say, “The best wood to build a house with is the trees that grew on the nearest mountain.” Building a house with trees grown in the same weather and climate makes the house more durable. That is traditional carpenters’ wisdom that has been passed on generations in Japan.
Japan is an island country with 75% of its land in mountainous regions, so it is natural for many things to be made of materials from the mountains and sea. Even with similar conditions, in mountainous island countries, if latitude changes, the crafts change.
If you go to the south of Japan, you will see many countries that use banana leaves and coconut plants in amazing ways! But it wouldn’t work in Japan. The reason is simple: the climate doesn’t allow bananas and coconuts to grow wildly. However, it might change in the near future.
Before the Earthlings succeed in stopping global warming or finding alternative sustainable solutions for everything, there is a step to cope with climate change. We and a few generations to come must cope with the change. I have noticed that the way rain falls changes year by year. Although the latitude of Shikoku, where I live, is about 37 degrees North, we started getting squall-like rain in tropical climates.
Whatever the way we cope with climate change, the new tactics we devise must be environmentally friendly so that we do not harm the environment further. Great hints might be hidden within the heritage wisdom from the areas that were in the same climate as the new climate you face. It is not only about buildings but also what grows well, what to make from what, and so on. An old-style glue used to be used somewhere else might solve a new problem you need to solve.
One fundamental problem with the idea
That is my basic idea. Eco-friendly solutions to newly emerged problems in one part of this planet could be found by combining modern science, technology, and the wisdom of traditional methods in your area. For my idea to work, location-based cultural diversity and traditional/heritage crafts around the globe need to flourish.
However, this idea has a fundamental problem. Many traditional/heritage crafts are disappearing, and it is not easy to keep the heritage crafts industry alive. Why? Let me ask you the first question again: “How many heritage crafts do you think of in your area?” I am not blaming you for not being able to think of one. Because not coming up with one is the majority.
Kyoto is the Mecca of Japanese traditions and heritage, so countless traditional crafts are kept alive today. In Kyoto 2022, I helped with an exhibition of a group of local heritage crafts artisans from Kagawa, where I am based—curating items, displays, exhibit labels, and language assistance for international visitors.
What I heard from multiple local (Kyoto) visitors to the exhibition was shocking:
“How cool these crafts are! It is wonderful that Kagawa has so many heritage crafts! I wonder if there are any heritage crafts in Kyoto.”
There are many that other parts of Japan envy. They might have walked in front of them on the way to the gallery. If you have never had a chance to be introduced to the crafts, it is nearly impossible for you to acknowledge the crafts.
While I was attending the exhibition, a unique type of visitor popped in as if to prove the other local visitors’ comments: people in heritage crafts industries in Kyoto. They came in to seek advice/insights on refreshing their items to be more modern-day appealing. What we exhibited was the history of each craft, and the items blended heritage craftsmanship with a modern lifestyle. The heritage crafts industries in Kyoto are also struggling to survive.
Heritage crafts must be integrated with modern industry needs for them to survive. For the reasons I mentioned in the previous section, the world needs more people to notice heritage/traditional crafts.
Keeping regional traditional/heritage crafts also helps to create tourism content that prevents global uniformity.
Immerse yourself in a fully authentic experience with heritage crafts to avoid over-tourism
After the pandemic, I saw news about over-tourism in many countries. In Japan, Kyoto is one of the areas with severe problems. Busses are constantly too full for locals to use them comfortably, and popular tourist spots are also packed with people.
I visited Kyoto last November on holiday, worried about over-tourism. I avoided the buses, took subways, and walked mainly. I did not come across the crowded people like I saw on the news. Why? Every place I visited was not a tourist spot—everything to do with traditional items. I didn’t see any temples, shrines, or gardens, but I was 100% satisfied with soaking myself in the world of traditional items and local authenticity.
Food and local crafts are the two ways to enjoy local authenticity by actually experiencing it—by eating, cooking, making, and touching. As I mentioned in the first section, local crafts are formed by the local resources, weather, climate, culture, and history. The best part is that local heritage/traditional crafts are produced in different areas of the country, not necessarily in tourist hot spots.
Adding local heritage/traditional crafts experiences to a tourism category can benefit tourism professionals and help keep the heritage crafts industry alive all over the world. It is suitable for culture or crafts enthusiasts, creative professionals, and second-or-more-timers in the country looking for something different. It also can avoid global uniformity and set the ground for respecting traditions and other cultures one step further.
I have no intention of blaming people for visiting popular tourist spots. I understand why these places become overcrowded. I also want to visit the Sagrada Familia, Venice, the Parthenon Temple, and more before I die.
Heritage wisdom in the world is now an international resource
Traditional ways of making different things can help other parts of the planet and our future. Kept heritage crafting wisdom has to flourish in diversity from all over the world. To Continue to nurture new artisans, the traditional/heritage crafts industry has to thrive.
To keep the industry, we can start by being curious:
- Look for traditional crafts in your area or your next holiday destination
- See if any artisans in action are available
- Look up how the crafts began and how they relate to the region
- Think if there are any ways to collaborate the crafts with your business, just for fun—like the heritage crafts tourism in the previous section
My mission, “Redefining Luxury to Preserve Heritage Craftsmanship for Hints to a Sustainable Future,” is more than I can chew on. I do the thing I can do: curate and retail items that blend the modern lifestyle and heritage craftsmanship of Shikoku for international use. I also take bespoke orders to be made by our collaborating, independent local artisans, craftspeople, and artists.
I hope this article piqued your curiosity about heritage crafts. For the least, please stop and think once before dismissing something (methods, materials, customs) just because it is old or outdated.
In a future article, I will discuss the “Danger of ubiquitous blindness.” It will reveal why many people do not see traditional/heritage crafts in their regions/countries. If you haven’t, please follow me and check the next article.
Thank you very much for reading my article till the end.
If you are in the tourist industry or your next holiday destination is Japan, I can coordinate and attend visits to my collaborating artisans in Kagawa, Shikoku, Japan.
I can also coordinate and attend exhibitions with artisans’ demonstrations and virtual heritage crafts workshops.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
