Former NHK Kajiura Asuka to become a “traditional craftsman”! “It was a daily occurrence to bleed from the fingertips with a knife.”[Joshi Ana’s second life]| Smart FLASH[光文社週刊誌]

Mr. Kajiura said that bleeding was a daily occurrence at first.

“From my third year at the company, I was in charge of a corner called ‘Tokai Techniques’ that introduced traditional crafts and craftsmen from the three prefectures of the Tokai region on an evening information program. I came to hear about the current situation where there is no…”

That’s what I’m talking about.NHKannouncer’sAsuka KajiuraMr. (41). In order to keep the traditional crafts alive, I hoped that the craftsmen I met would show me how wonderful they are, but it is the craftsmanship that makes it difficult to stand out.

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“While I was visiting my master, I ended up leaving NHK to pursue a career as a netsuke craftsman (laughs).”

A netsuke is a drawstring that hangs from the belt of a kimono.

“When I first started, it was a daily occurrence for me to bleed from my fingertips with a knife (laughs). I started my training by carving a perfectly round boxwood tree, then carving it in the shape of a chestnut. It took me a year and a half to get this far.”

He says he wants to keep improving.

“While honing my skills so that I can make works like my master, I would like to continue activities that make people think that traditional crafts and craftsmen are wonderful.”

Asuka Kajiura

Born September 11, 1981 Born in Gifu Prefecture Joined NHK in 2005 Worked as a netsuke craftsman since 2010.The exhibition “Rinkyu Hikarisaku” by the female craftsman group “Rinkyu”, which is active in the three Tokai prefectures, is being held at the Yokkaichi City Cultural Center until September 4th.

( Weekly FLASH September 6, 2022 issue
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