Who's responsibility is it anyway? Thoughts on traditional culture from the viewpoint of a traditional artisan.

[Miura]

17 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

Jussi poses a critical question.
In all fields of Japanese Art there simply are not enough trained/competent restorers and from what I have seen and heard over 40+ years  that number is not exactly growing. 
There are many reasons for this…….the time it takes to learn……insufficient income in a very expensive world…..a lack of the basic ability to start with……disillusionment half way through…..insufficient teachers…it’s a long list.

 

So, no matter how much we would like to see everything correctly conserved imo it is simply not realistic or even possible.

 

If there is an answer to this dilemma I’d like to hear it. We do not live in the “ideal world”. We live in one full of harsh realities.  It saddens me greatly and is extremely frustrating. 
 

That is absolutely true . And there will be less. I think that the biggest things thwarting this is:  1. status quo of the collectors.  2. The positions of the "preservation" organizations.  3. Modern education which teaches shortcuts and shortens attention spans 4.  Misinformation of the community by self appointed experts

Change those things, and there is your answer.  The community was not like this in the 60s and 70s.   Greed and jealousy put us where we are today.   It can be what it once was.   but to Luc Taelman's point, a right of passage makes for good artisans. 

[Jon Masutatsu]

A compelling read throughout, wich made me the more curious about seeing the author's work with my own eyes.

 

Is this the standard of your Teacher?

 

Is this the standard of a Master Craftsman?

 

Can't help but feeling a bit disillusioned..

 

 

[Matsunoki]

1 hour ago, Miura said:

Change those things, and there is your answer. 

Not looking for an argument but I cannot see how changing these things will create more qualified restorers/artisans/craftsmen…(or whatever fancy words are used to describe them). To blame potential customers for the lack of a sufficiently skilled workforce is not logical. We are crying out for those skills on swords, koshirae, and apparently also armour. I have numerous things I would love to get restored correctly - how is it my fault that the necessary skills are in acute shortage?

I know I will get shot down for saying this but maybe, in a modern world, if we just made it a little bit easier for potential students to learn the skills without (paraphrasing here) making them work for years for nothing and generally giving them hell while they try to learn- perhaps we might see an increase in the talent pool?

I say this with great love and respect for Japanese traditions and craftsmen but sometimes (actually very often) not embracing change when the world changes can result in “problems”. Sometimes a compromise is necessary.

I can see tracers heading my way as I hit “submit”

Colin

[Brian]

Ok...this is too much reading and even I am getting bored with this whole back and forth.
I'm closing this debate. And from now on, will only allow discussion of armour itself, and all the topics associated with it as LONG AS people themselves are kept out of it. In other words, I don't want to see any discussion of PEOPLE. Just methods, construction, history, etc etc etc.
This is just plain boring now guys. Everyone seems to be obsessed with who is doing what.
Just take a break armour guys. We all need to breathe for a bit.
Oh...and for the record, this has NOTHING to do with the legal threats that I am again getting. I don't care about those...by all means proceed. I am just plain sick of this section being like a kid's playground.
Get back to the history and construction and educational posts that don't hint at one side or the other?