(Tokyo, Kyoto , etc.)
(USA and Europe, etc.)
(Tokyo and Kyoto)
Activities
Japan Traditional Craft Revitalization Contests are designed to revitalize traditional Japanese craft to flourish in the 21st century. Each contest selects 10 exceptional individuals with outstanding ideas, talent, track record and passion, and provides them with a package of support designed to move them forward in their craft revitalization-related projects.
Succession Training
Together with the NPO Shishokai, we co-founded the School of Traditional Building Arts (Shin-Machiya Juku) in Kyoto. To meet the growing demand for high-quality traditional construction, our school teaches nearly forgotten skills and provides tradespeople with a direct path to mastery. Our intensive, year-long Sunday courses accommodate those in the early stages of their careers. JapanCraft21 provides full scholarships to all students. Our program is intended for individuals who plan to live in Japan and help revitalize traditional Japanese architectural techniques.
Education
At JapanCraft21, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of craftspeople through initiatives such as Shin-Machiya Juku (our School of Traditional Building Arts) and our Apprentice Training Program, while also educating the public about the value of fine Japanese master craftsmanship through social media and our online magazine. Also, in order to maximize our effectiveness in achieving our craft revitalization vision, it is imperative that we educate both our staff and our membership. We accomplish this with regular online lectures for all of our members and quarterly events for our patrons.
Craft Reseach and Reporting Program
Our research program aims to create a first-time ever, comprehensive, online database for all traditional crafts in Japan, many of which are unknown to the world.
Phase I: (Completed December 31, 2023) We researched all traditional crafts from northern Hokkaido to southern Okinawa and were able to create a list totalling about 1000 genres.
Phase II: (Completed February, 2026) We created a site containing a photo, Japanese description, English description, and location map for each of the 1000 genres.
