Craft is born out of the land and lives on through the hands of people. No form of craft can be seperated from the environment, both natural and cultural, in which it was created.
For centuries, Kyoto has been the home of a vibrant, inter-connected craft industry, built on the natural resources within its watershed: from the rivers to the trees and plants and all other forms of life the water supports. That watershed includes Keihoku, a mountainous region to the north west which historically supplied much of the lumber for the great architecture of the ancient capital. From here we offer a unique vantage point from which to explore the themes of making and craft and the wider contexts in which they exist.
Residents stay at our traditional country house in the heart of the mountainous region of Keihoku, 45 minutes drive north of Kyoto city.
For more than 1000 years Keihoku has had a reputation for supplying the high quality timber used in the city’s great architecture.
Here, much of the ancient wisdom and the old ways of life has been passed down to the modern day, in turn attracting a new wave of young people interest- ed in learning these more sustainable practices.
Aiming to restore craft to its place in the natural cycle of the forest. The Forest of Craft project includes planting the raw materials on which craft depends for the future generations and engaging in education around forest care and the relationship between the things we use and where they come from. In the Keihoku site we have planted more than 200 urushi trees to date.
Taking inspiration from the fab lab movement, Fab Village Keihoku is a maker space for both professionals and hobbyists with a focus on woodworking. Fab Village Keihoku(FVK) is where traditional knowledge and modern technology meet: as well as providing space for young craftspeople, we also collaborate on research into making processes and materials with local universities.
Through our work with craftspeople and professionals related practices rooted in tradition, we have built a unique network across disciplines. We have built a strong base of knowledge on the inter-connection of craft, culture, industry, infrastructure and nature. Residents can be introduced to specialists in fields of their interest at request. (Arrangements need to be made in advance, contact us to find out how we can meet your needs)
This study trip connects industry, infrastructure, and culture through meetings with people deeply embedded in different genres of tradition such as crafts, landscape gardening, tea ceremony, performing arts, Buddhism and Shinto. Through these experiences participants become aware of their own preconceptions and limited ways of seeing the world. We help to cultivate a new way of seeing that encompasses multiple perspectives, drawing from a broad range of fields such philosophy, history, economics, sociology, and ecology.
For more information about fees and application procedure see the PDF below.
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