Fall 2022, Paris: First in-person overseas exhibition

（Continued from part 1）

In September 2022, as the project entered its second year, an unexpected opportunity arose for LOCAL CRAFT JAPAN to hold an exhibition and events at Galerie Vivienne, which is said to be the most beautiful arcade in Paris. For the participating makers, it was their first experience showcasing their master crafts and the charms of their regions overseas. They exhibited and sold goods on the first floor, while on the second floor was a fusion of both real and virtual worlds, giving visitors a sense of the backstory to the craftsmanship process and regional culture. For example, the denim brand “REKROW” from Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture added context to their display by running a virtual tour of their home region alongside their products. Yoshino Forestry from Nara Prefecture held a VR workshop (well received at our inaugural launch in January), where visitors could feel the vibrations made when felling Yoshino cedar.

Sales display and VR workshop, first floor, Galerie Vivienne, 2022

Then, with the support of a grant from the Japan Tourism Agency, we returned there in September 2023, and also exhibited at “Maison&Objet”, one of the world’s largest international trade fairs.  In addition, TRUNK DESIGN toured exhibitions in the Netherlands (“MONO JAPAN”) and Taiwan (“Pop Up Asia”), sharing costs with a group of volunteer makers.

Maison&Objet, Paris, 2023

MONO JAPAN Fair, The Netherlands, 2023

Gallery space at Village Saint Honoré, Paris, 2023. We exhibited at three events at the same time.

這些活動取得了成效，LOCAL CRAFT JAPAN在「MAISON & OBJET」所營運的線上商談平台中成功註冊為品牌，還獲得了以訪日遊客為對象的媒體報導，這類的實績越來越多。

‘I want to visit Japan!’ Requests start arriving from abroad

Meanwhile, in May 2023, COVID-19 was reclassified as a ‘Category 5’ infection in Japan, similar to other common illnesses such as seasonal flu. This decision removed visitor restrictions based on the number of people entering Japan and the requirement for proof of vaccinations and negative test results, paving the way for a significant wave of overseas visitors.

Furthermore, at LOCAL CRAFT JAPAN, we have welcomed new product additions from different prefectures: Arimatsu Narumi Shibori textiles (Arimatsu & Chita, Aichi Prefecture), Echizen washi paper (Fukui Prefecture), incense (Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture), and silk textiles (Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture). In response to these developments, we gradually began to receive inquiries from people overseas who wanted to visit Japan (with the actual sales handled by our licensed agents).

For example, an American couple engaged in the wood craft industry wanted to go to Yoshino for their honeymoon. They came across the LOCAL CRAFT JAPAN website while searching for keywords such as ‘Japan’ and ‘woodwork’. Another person from the Netherlands is planning a trip to Fukui Prefecture after purchasing Echizen lacquerware at an exhibition in Amsterdam. We feel that the seeds we have been sowing are beginning to sprout.

Our long-term goal to promote craftsmanship in all 47 prefectures

Currently, the trend among wealthy people overseas is to commission a professional ‘travel designer’ to coordinate accommodation and transport for extended stays of up to a month or more, including everything from where to go and what to see and experience. So, LOCAL CRAFT JAPAN has partnered with “Eighty Days Japan”, a travel consultancy specializing in tours for overseas affluent clients. Through this partnership, we have refined the travel plans and itineraries developed by each participating region, utilizing their expertise in international overseas travelers to better meet the needs of our guests.

LOCAL CRAFT JAPAN is an ongoing long-term commitment, aiming to include all 47 prefectures of Japan. To drive this project forward, we will continue to steer its two wheels: with the management team, who promote regional crafts overseas, including through exhibitions and events, and with local travel hosts, who welcome and look after the overseas visitors in each region.

Alongside its long history, Japan has cultivated richly diverse local craftsmanship across its many regions, a heritage built by our predecessors. However, it is also true that it has become difficult to pass on these skills in many places due to an aging population and lack of successors. In this context, we hope to help pass on each region’s cultural history and beauty to future generations in a sustainable way by promoting craft tourism to meet makers with people both at home and abroad.