Japan 2021Kuma to Shika
The East Japan Project (EJP) was launched in order to propose new products using the traditional craftsmanship of artisans from Northeastern Japan as a means to help rebuild the Tohoku region which suffered extensive damage due to the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and revitalize the culture. Following the Kumamoto Earthquake of 2016 and floods caused by torrential rainfall in 2018, the decision was made to expand the EJP to cover the entire nation. We started to focus on materials deeply rooted in each locale and the techniques of the artisans, and work on ways to discern how these people could continue practicing their craft while living a comfortable life.
Kuma to Shika (Bear and Deer) is a product series which was created in collaboration with Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten as an attempt following EJP in order to promote items closely related to daily life that have a deep relationship with traditional Japanese craftsmanship. KKAA has continued to evaluate items that are used in daily life which utilize the materials and techniques of the projects in which we have been involved for a long period of time. This has resulted in the birth of various “contemporary crafts” which have a deep connection to the respective locale, such as wood shelving made using traditional joinery, dish cloths died with Kuma bamboo grass and cedar, Origami-like tapestries made from Washi paper containing wood chips, tote bags that have pleats made from industrial mesh sheets, and traditional Japanese trays made from copper with a hatsuri finish.
