“There’s something to be learned from everything. From even the most ordinary, commonplace things, there’s always something you can learn.” – Haruki Murakami, Pinball, 1973.

I read this quote in the epilogue to Matt Alt’s book, Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World. (London: Constable, 2021).

It could be a summary of shokunin kishitsu (職人気質), the spirit of traditional Japanese artesanal culture.

In fact, Jiro Ono the consummate master of sushi, featured in the acclaimed documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and who was still going strong at the age of 100, says something very similar in the movie:

“I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more.”

This yearning, to learn, to achieve more is kojoshin (向上心), or aspiration, and it’s an integral element of the shokunin spirit.

Shokunin (職人) is a Japanese concept translating to “craftsman” or “artisan,” but its cultural meaning runs much deeper. It describes a master of a trade who dedicates their life to the relentless pursuit of perfection, continuously refining their skills, and feeling a deep, altruistic responsibility to their community and craft.

On visiting Japan, it was clear to me that alongside the relentless modernity, there’s also a deep respect for traditional craftwork at an extremely high level of skill. People are devoted to this and it’s marvelous to see.

Here’s the master woodcraftsman, Shuji Nakagawa, who makes exquisite wooden utensils:

“When I was a child, my grandfather was making 200 wooden buckets a month! Wooden buckets were used in every household for everything from wash buckets to rice trays. By the time I was grown, plastic had replaced them and my father had fewer than 20 orders a month. I knew that if I was unable to think outside the box, our beautiful heritage would be lost. This is not about nostalgia. What is more important is that we not lose sight of the original ideals that guided our ancestors–that deep, connection to the natural world through the materials we use and an awareness that our lives are but a moment in a continuum of the craftsman’s tradition.” — Shuji Nakagawa. Shokunin: Five Kyoto Artisans Look to the Future – Portland Japanese Garden

It’s interesting to witness the way the Japanese have revived and re-imagined their traditional crafts, and attempted with some success to strengthen this culture of dedication to perpetual improvement into the 21st Century.

“The word Shokunin (職人) means “artisan,” a word that signifies a person who has achieved a high level of accomplishment and a deep commitment to carry on the legacy of a traditional craft. A shokunin who works in the 21st century is an artisan whose work shows respect for the traditions of fine craftsmanship that have been handed down for generations—the handmade tools, the time-honored techniques, the finest natural materials, and the patience and indomitable spirit needed to carry on a painstaking craft.” - Shokunin: Five Kyoto Artisans Look to the Future – Portland Japanese Garden

Some reading

  • The Beauty of Everyday Things, by Soetsu Yanagi. Classic essays on Japanese folk crafts (mingei). Penguin Classics 2018.
  • Water, Wood, and Wild Things: Learning Craft and Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town by Hannah Kirshner. New York: Viking Press

Some viewing