Japonisme and Japanese Manufacturing
Japonisme and Japanese Monozukuri (manufacturing). Although the terms originated in different contexts, they seem to share a common Japanese spirit at their core.
Let us consider why Japanese craftsmanship is attracting worldwide attention from the perspective of Japonisme.
What is Japonism?
Japonism means “Japanese style” when translated directly, but it actually refers to the trend of strong interest in Japanese culture and appreciation of Japanese art that prevailed in Europe, especially France, in the late 1800s.
Japonism was the catalyst for Japanese culture's growing influence on culture and life outside of Japan beginning in the early 1900s. Although trade with the West had already begun in earnest with the arrival of Perry's ships (the Black Ships) in 1853, it was during this period that Japanese lifestyle items, crafts, and works of art unique to Japan, including ukiyo-e prints, kimono, ceramics, lacquer ware, swords, and folding screens, began to be valued in earnest.
Japonism had a strong influence on Western painters and designers such as Gauguin and Monet, and architectural techniques and forms such as Japanese houses and bridges are said to have brought new thinking to European architects.
The “simplicity,” “functional beauty,” and “use of natural materials” of Japanese manufacturing were different from the decorative and excessive designs that were mainstream in the West at the time, and were seen as innovative. The essence of Japonism was a yearning for “something Japanese.
Japonism can be said to have the following characteristics
Culture of the common people
Ukiyoe were woodblock prints featuring landscapes such as Mt. Fuji, cityscapes, prostitutes, Kabuki actors, etc. They were a popular culture that spread during the Edo period (1603-1868) as a form of entertainment that could be easily enjoyed.
Therefore, in Japan at that time, ukiyo-e were not “works of art” but rather popular items that were a part of daily life, much like posters or manga today. In the West, this was accepted as art.
It can be seen that “practical use” rooted in the lives of the masses came into contact with “art” without clear boundaries.
Simplicity and minimalism
In contrast to the overdecorated and extravagant designs that prevailed in the West at the time, Japonism was “minimalist” in its simplicity and minimalism.
It is sometimes credited with triggering the acceptance of “simplicity” in the West as a new aesthetic sense.
The utensils of the tea ceremony are devoid of superfluous ornamentation, and elements other than those that serve a function are stripped to the bare minimum. The place of the tea ceremony is also a simple space with nothing superfluous. Such Japanese culture has greatly inspired Western artists.
Observation of Nature, Harmony
Japanese arts and crafts often incorporated natural materials and forms into their function and design, which appeared novel to the West.
For example, natural materials such as bamboo, paper, wood, and earth are often used in crafts and architecture in ways that take advantage of the characteristics of the materials. These include washi paper, buckets, shoji screens, wagasa (Japanese umbrella), mino (straw raincoat), lacquerware, clay walls, and bamboo komai (small bamboo dances). In addition to being used simply as a material, the technique of preserving the beauty of its texture has developed in Japan.
Crafts, paintings, and ukiyoe woodblock prints frequently depicted flowers, birds, wind, and the moon (animals, mountains, the sea, cherry blossoms, snow, autumn leaves, etc.).
For example, in Hokusai Katsushika's “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” and Hiroshige Utagawa's “Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido Highway,” natural objects were depicted realistically while abstract elements were incorporated to powerfully express the beauty of nature, a technique that made a fresh impression in the West. Ukiyoe by Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige is said to have influenced Western painters (Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, etc.).
From the perspective of the West, which at that time tended to focus on mass production and the development and expansion of industrial scope due to the Industrial Revolution, Japan's attitude toward nature and its aesthetic sense were seen as novel.
Craftsmanship and Spirit
Japanese swords, lacquerware, temples, shrines, Japanese houses, and bridges emphasize the beauty of functionality.
Japanese traditional houses, such as the Gassho-zukuri style in Shirakawa-go, are truly a product of “beauty of use” (functional beauty). They have a rigid structure to cope with the harsh snowy climate, and their steeply pitched thatched roofs are designed to allow snow to naturally slide off. On the other hand, the interior of the house was designed to be space-efficient, providing space for sericulture and other activities. The garden blends well with the surrounding landscape, and its scenery became popular, attracting foreign tourists even before the inbound boom.
Japanese gardens, such as the Karesansui Garden at Ryoanji Temple, were kept simple and abstract in pursuit of beauty. The ability to express the aesthetics of “blank space” and “minimalism” in such a common place as a garden gave Western artists a new perspective.
As written in Junichiro Tanizaki's “Shadow Reiatsu,” Japan has a traditional expression based on its unique aesthetic sense, a technique of expressing beauty in simple expressions by adopting the beauty of “shadows” and “margins. This is different from mere minimalism, which captures the essence of natural scenery and human expressions with minimal lines and shapes.
Simple expressions and designs do not fade away.
Japonism is said to have influenced architectural philosophies such as “Less is More,” the modernist movement, and the “simple and functional” philosophy of Apple products that subsequently emerged in the West. The question that had taken root in the West until then was, “How luxurious and excessively ornate should we make our products? to “how to eliminate them? Japonism played a role in this aesthetic shift.
The reason why simplicity became the new aesthetic is that by eliminating ornamentation, we can return to the essence of beauty and make it stand out more purely.
This is all about Japonism so far, but this is only from the Western point of view. In Japan, people have long refined their objects and lifestyles over time with the same perspective and attitude that characterizes Japonism.
The Japanese Spirit of Monozukuri
The Japanese spirit of monozukuri has a deep relationship with Japan's unique group of craftsmen and discipline that has existed since the Heian period (794-1192), more than 1,200 years ago.
The traditional artisan groups (craftsmen, masters, etc.) that were formed in the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo periods laid the foundation for the Japanese spirit of monozukuri. For example, there is a view that the “functional beauty” of the Kamakura period and the “stripped-down expression and pursuit of popular entertainment” of the Edo period are deeply rooted in today's artisan culture and Japanese design.
Technique and Perfectionism
In Japan, craftsmen such as sword smiths, carpenters, and potters have been respected for their lifelong dedication to mastering their craft. The spirit of pursuing perfection has been carried over into the attitude of modern Japanese manufacturing.
Harmony with Nature
Influenced by Shinto-like nature worship, the attitude of respecting nature and processing materials gratefully by taking advantage of their characteristics has taken root. In woodworking, grain and knots are often utilized in design.
Kinkakuji, a Zen temple in Kyoto, is a three-story tower decorated with gold leaf, and is characterized by its harmony with nature. It is registered as a World Heritage site and is a symbolic building representing Japanese culture.
The “Mottainai” Spirit
Japan has always had limited resources. The concept of not wasting these resources and making the most of what is limited is in line with a sense of gratitude to nature. In particular, the spirit of mottainai has been cherished since the postwar period when resources were in short supply, leading to highly efficient manufacturing, such as the fuel efficiency of cars.
Group collaboration and study
Japan has had a “craftsman culture” since before the Edo period (1603-1867), in which master craftsmen, master beggars, and apprentices were cultivated.This allowed skills to be honed and passed on, and uncompromising craftsmanship to be maintained.
In addition, there was a tendency to value team harmony and improvement over individual genius, which is still rooted in the corporate culture of kaizen (improvement) today.Against this background, Japanese companies have always sought to improve quality and efficiency, and have made continuous efforts to increase value and eliminate waste in the processing trade.
The artisan culture was a harsh one, but from a different perspective, it could be said that the democracy of techniques has always been high.
Fusion of Technology from the West and Japanese Manufacturing
While this Japanese spirit of monozukuri is the foundation of the Japanese craftsmanship, Japan has been flexible enough to accept and integrate new technologies, culture, and wisdom from the West.
Japonism is said to have influenced architectural philosophies such as “Less is More,” the modernist movement, and the “simple and functional” philosophy of Apple products that subsequently emerged in the West.
The question that had taken root in the West until then was, “How luxurious and excessively ornate should we make our products?
to “how to eliminate them?Japonism played a role in this aesthetic shift.
Shinkansen
The Shinkansen has realized the “world's fastest and safest railroad” by applying Western railroad technology, track design, and vehicle design technology, while integrating unique technologies such as streamlined design to reduce air resistance and vehicle weight reduction.
Semiconductors
Although semiconductors themselves have nothing to do with Japonism, it can be said that the spirit of “beauty of use” and “beauty sought in simplicity” that took root in Japan promoted precision design and improved the performance of semiconductors. Japanese companies contributed greatly to the process of developing transistor technology invented in the U.S. into high-performance semiconductors through microfabrication technology and other means.
Daily necessities and hobby products
There are also daily necessities and hobby products that take advantage of high-precision metal processing.
Take, for example, a precision-processed seal. Future seals, in which the seal surface appears from an empty metal plane, are popular mainly in Asia.
Mirain
https://hobbymetal-japan.com/products/mirain
Precision-processed puzzles are also popular.
ZIREL
The above is a description of the similarities between Japonisme and Japanese craftsmanship.
Japonisme is rooted in traditional Japanese culture, and Japanese monozukuri is similarly based on traditional Japanese values. Both had one thing in common: a uniquely Japanese sense of beauty and high quality were highly valued!