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Google Inc. has created a website that showcases Japanese craftwork to the world.
In the summer of 2015, Google collaborated with Shinya Maezaki, associate professor of Kyoto Women’s University, to create “Made in Japan,” a website that features traditional Japanese craftwork items. It is part of Google’s global-scale project called Google Arts and Culture, which is an online database of various art forms.
About 40 university students studying under Maezaki and several students from Ritsumeikan University were involved. The project members used a presentation style similar to that of fashion magazines in hopes of attracting visitors and increasing awareness of Japanese craftwork.
After seeing the website’s release in January 2016, craftsmen who needed publicity became interested in a possible collaboration.
When the website was completed, it had programs that featured 141 craftwork items from all of the prefectures in Japan. The pictures, texts, and videos were in Japanese and English. Visitors from Europe and the Middle East expressed their admiration for the tradition carried on by the Japanese craftsmen.
Japanese craftsmanship is currently faced with the problem of artisans retiring without any successors. Recognizing this, other organizations and individuals are also coming up with initiatives similar to Google’s.
One of them is Keigo Omaki, director of the Japan Handwork Encyclopedia—a video website that aims to raise awareness of Japanese craftsmanship and career opportunities. According to Omaki, young people do not realize that craftsmanship is a career that they can actually pursue.
Another group, the Fukuoka Doll Making Union, holds events and meetings to encourage the younger generation to take interest in traditional craftsmanship.