Documentary
Japan : The Inside Story | The Unsung Experts of Japan | Japan in Focus | Japan Sketches | Discover Asia | New Job! New Freedom! | Young People at Work | Hello Nippon - We Are Cosmopolitans | Special Lessons | We're the Professionals! | 2000 and Beyond : Visualizing a New Century - The Earth and Our Environment : The Boundaries of Plenty - |
The Unsung Experts of Japan | Doncho – The Theatrical Curtain Weavers –
DC029611
ワザあり！にっぽん ｜ 紅白梅 大緞帳に咲く！京都3代手織り技 [CTV]
｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜
The Japanese dramatic art of "Kabuki" is steeped in tradition, extending even to the curtains used: elaborate "doncho" curtains are woven by hand with seasonal motifs and weigh up to a ton. Meet the many craftsmen involved in their construction and discover the work that goes in before the curtain goes up.
The Unsung Experts of Japan | The Master Potter – Crafting Traditional Mortars –
DC029610
ワザあり！にっぽん ｜ 再発見！台所のロングセラー 筑前・小石原焼すり鉢 [CTV]
｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜
Master potter Takahiro Ohta of Koishiwara, a small town with a rich pottery tradition, demonstrates the arduous process of making a large mortar. Though losing ground to electric mixers, these mortars are still valued for their utilitarian charm, and Ohta's son plans to carry on the trade.
The Unsung Experts of Japan | The Old Man and the Bees – Natural Honey from the Japan Alps –
DC029509
ワザあり！にっぽん ｜ 南アルプス天然はちみつ 秘伝の古代養蜂 [CTV]
｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1995 ｜
Japanese beekeeping goes back over a millennium, but there are fewer and fewer farmers who are willing to use the technique since western honeybees are regarded as more productive and easier to tend. 84-year-old Yoichiro Uchikura, however, is an exception. Gentle and self-effacing, Yoichiro has been producing honey in his remote village high in the Japan Alps for more than 60 years - a good man who truly lives in harmony with Nature. This is a story with a message.
The Unsung Experts of Japan | Japan Blue – The Art of Indigo Dyeing –
DC029508
ワザあり！にっぽん ｜ 藍玉を育てる 体にやさしい天然藍染め [CTV]
｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1995 ｜
"Japan blue" is a rich indigo blue dye that has been produced by dedicated craftsmen for centuries. Yoshino Chiba is one of those traditional artisans, who, at 85, has devoted more than 60 years to the craft. This fascinating documentary shows the whole process from production of the "indigo balls" to the final dyeing. We also meet other dedicated craftsmen such as Yoshino's daughter-in-law Matsue and pattern engraver Chuji Miura who help keep this ancient art alive.
The Unsung Experts of Japan | The Sumo Tokoyama – The Art of Hairdressing for Wrestlers –
DC029407
ワザあり！にっぽん ｜ 大相撲の美・髷を結う 床山・大銀杏に賭けた30年 [CTV]
｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1994 ｜
Japan's national sport, sumo, has attracted much international interest. Part of its appeal are its esoteric customs including the wrestlers' traditional topknots, of which there are several styles dating back centuries. The men who do the sumo wrestler's hair are called "tokoyama". This program features Mitsuo Sato who works at one of the sport's most prestigious stables; it is a stimulating look at a traditional art that requires much skill and experience.
