{"id":837,"date":"2024-03-27T09:40:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T00:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/?post_type=live&#038;p=837"},"modified":"2024-03-27T18:43:36","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T09:43:36","slug":"%e4%bc%9d%e7%b5%b1%e3%81%8b%e3%82%89%e9%9d%a9%e6%96%b0%e3%81%b8%e3%80%82%e7%9f%b3%e5%b7%9d%e7%9c%8c%e3%81%8b%e3%82%89%e3%81%af%e3%81%98%e3%81%be%e3%82%8b%e3%83%8d%e3%82%aa%e3%83%bb%e3%83%88","status":"publish","type":"live","link":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/en\/live\/%e4%bc%9d%e7%b5%b1%e3%81%8b%e3%82%89%e9%9d%a9%e6%96%b0%e3%81%b8%e3%80%82%e7%9f%b3%e5%b7%9d%e7%9c%8c%e3%81%8b%e3%82%89%e3%81%af%e3%81%98%e3%81%be%e3%82%8b%e3%83%8d%e3%82%aa%e3%83%bb%e3%83%88\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tradition to Innovation. Neo-traditional Initiatives from Ishikawa Prefecture"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"live-lead\">\n    <h2 class=\"live-lead__title\">The Appeals of Tradition and Inheritance &#038; Innovations from Settlers and Different Sectors<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"live-lead__text\">Alongside Kairaku-en in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Koraku-en in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, Kenroku-en in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. The picturesque views of the garden in each of the four seasons have continued to capture the hearts of visitors across generations. On November 22 (Wed), 2023, CJPF Live was hosted in the Gyokusen-an Rest House, which offers stunning views of the Kenroku-en Garden. While bringing together samurai and court cultures and flourishing as the home of many of Japan\u2019s leading traditional crafts and cultural elements, Ishikawa Prefecture today is seeing an influx of personnel with new and interesting perspectives. It has a new culture that perhaps can be called \u201cneo-traditional.\u201d Traditions that change shape over time and that are carried into the present day while continuously evolving and transforming. Innovations that are conceptualized and created by new settlers with new perspectives. In this article we bring to you discussions and observations on neo-traditional from diverse, multi-faceted perspectives on everything from the tea ceremony, art, food, and sake, to technology, regional revitalization, and overseas perspectives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"live-youtube\">\n    <div class=\"live-youtube__main\">\n        <h2 class=\"live-youtube__title\">\n            <span>The Tea Ceremony. Gold Leaf.<\/span><span>Sake. Japanese Cuisine.<\/span><span>The Appeals of Tradition <\/span><span>and Inheritance.<\/span>        <\/h2>\n        <div class=\"live-youtube__youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tB0OUXFSwLA?si=_n4mZKj1daaPLlD6\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p class=\"live-youtube__text\">In session one, leading figures from various sectors engaged in discussions on the theme \u201cFrom tradition to innovation\u2014Neo-traditional.\u201d Born in Kanazawa City, Sokyu Nara is an artist, craftsman, and deputy tea master at the Konnichian tea room of the Urasenke school of tea, responsible for communicating the spirit and history of Japanese tea both in Japan and overseas. Nara encountered Japanese art at a young age and is well-versed in the traditions and cultures of Kanazawa. He says, \u201cThe tea ceremony is a comprehensive art form in which every moment must be treasured. We handle exquisite handicrafts and focus our thoughts on the tea room and adjoining garden. We experience all four seasons and concentrate on annual events that have continued since long ago. As a comprehensive art form, it is important that we maintain its traditions while innovating processes in line with the times.\u201d Ahead of the discussion, Nara hosted a tea ceremony for those in attendance.<br \/>\n\u3000Kanazawa is by far the largest producer of gold leaf in all of Japan. This gold leaf is used in traditional architecture, lacquerware, pottery, and other handicrafts. Mina Takaoka is the representative director and president of Hakuza, Inc., a company manufacturing and selling modern accessories and cosmetics using gold leaf. Growing up seeing her father\u2019s passion for gold leaf, Takaoka decided to take over the family business as she \u201ccouldn\u2019t let the gold leaf industry or the company come to an end.\u201d She is currently developing new and innovative products including an original pure gold and platinum leaf, metal leaf accessories (acrylic bangles), and metal leaf containers. She says, \u201cThe best way to carry metal leaf into the next generation is by making attractive products for people today while maintaining the craft\u2019s traditions.\u201d<br \/>\n\u3000The Shata Shuzo brewery was established in 1823 in Bomaru-machi, Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The brewery\u2019s leading product is the Tengumai brand of sake made using the Yamahai brewing method, but eighth-generation head of the brewery Kazunari Shata has developed a new product, Gorin, which he is aiming to grow into a new pillar of the business. Shata has helped to open up new overseas markets in China, Korea, and the US, while he also helped to set up the sake category at the UK\u2019s International Wine Challenge competition. Moreover, with the development of the new Sparkling Junmai Daiginjo Awakage to get people interested in sake, and the launch of the mau. Tengumai Craft Sake shop as a hub for information, Shata is initiating various strategies that are suited to the current generation.<br \/>\n\u3000\u201cCarrying forward the culture of Japanese cuisine does not necessarily mean that it will stay in its current form,\u201d says Shinichiro Takagi, second-generation head of Zeniya, a traditional Japanese restaurant established more than 50 years ago. Takagi has been invited to cook at hotels and restaurants around the world, and to date has served his Japanese cuisine in 20 different countries. He continues to implement new ideas and tackle new endeavors in line with changes in the times and in society, and sees food as a key platform for Japanese culture. Takagi says that eating Japanese food can be the ideal starting point for people to get to know Japan\u2019s cultures and different regional climates.<br \/>\n\u3000In the first half of discussions, participants talked about tradition\u2014an element common to all their industries\u2014how they are working to go beyond this tradition, and the new challenges in today\u2019s ever-changing world.<br \/>\n\u3000Nara advocated the need for \u201cprotection and creation.\u201d In the tea ceremony, for example, while forms and manners may shift, its spiritual nature will remain unchanged. He says, \u201cI believe it will be important to provide genuine places and things that highlight their authenticity.\u201d<br \/>\n\u3000Takaoka, meanwhile, emphasized the word \u201cmaterial.\u201d Gold leaf is both an ingredient and a raw material. Depending on how it is used, it can either have huge potential or change the way it is perceived. She says, \u201cWhile we are facing some issues with the rising market price of gold, as a material, gold leaf gives us the flexibility to incorporate contemporary cultures to ensure it is carried forward into future generations.\u201d<br \/>\n\u3000Shata used the word \u201csluggish\u201d to show his concern for the sake industry. As there is such difficulty in finding the potential for new developments, he is concerned that the industry has become standardized. \u201cMoving forward, it will be key for breweries to brew sake that maximizes their unique characteristics,\u201d says Shata. Today, a wide range of sake varieties are being developed across Japan, and Shata is examining many different ways to brew sake for the next 100 years.<br \/>\n\u3000Cuisine is something created by people handling ingredients and consumed by people. This is precisely why Takagi believes that people are the most important part of the Japanese cuisine industry. \u201cThinking about how to grow alongside the staff working with you goes hand in hand with the growth of the business. This will no doubt be a source of motivation for carrying traditions forward,\u201d says Takagi.<br \/>\n\u3000In the second half, the theme of the discussions was \u201chow to create the future.\u201d The discussions began with a comment from facilitator Kenichi Watanabe, who said, \u201cI believe that the uniquely Japanese way of thinking can help us discover ways to continuously communicate something\u2019s value.\u201d<br \/>\n\u3000\u201cLike in the tea ceremony, it is important to use a single thing as a starting point to then ponder various other elements, which can be an understanding of the comprehensive art form,\u201d says Nara. \u201cFor me, you need to love something to make it sustainable,\u201d says Takaoka. Takaoka has inherited her father\u2019s love for metal leaf, and today loves the craft more than anyone else. She says that \u201cif you love doing something, you can continue to devote yourself to that passion in any way.\u201d Shata, meanwhile, says \u201cI want to create a future for the industry by brewing unique sake that values water.\u201d He says he is driving companywide efforts to develop a new Yamahai brewing method based on the idea of \u201cReturning to the technique\u2019s origins plus something.\u201d Again emphasizing the importance of people, Takagi says \u201cWhile it is of course important to develop people in Japan, examining how to increase the number of foreign people involved in Japanese cuisine overseas will play a key role in the industry\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"live-youtube\">\n    <div class=\"live-youtube__main\">\n        <h2 class=\"live-youtube__title\">\n            <span>Ishikawa as Seen from the Outside.<\/span><span>Looking at Possibilities in Regions <\/span><span>and Their Food Cultures<\/span><span>from New Perspectives.<\/span>        <\/h2>\n        <div class=\"live-youtube__youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ffHRS8i0LfM?si=1AyicSCBdyMUCNh-\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p class=\"live-youtube__text\">In session two of this CJPF Live meeting, participants discussed future possibilities from new perspectives. The four panelists were Koji Kinoshita, head of the Kanazawa Maimon Sushi Group; Shota Itoi, a chef at Auberge eaufeu who at the age of 26 became the youngest ever winner of the Grand Prize at RED U-35, a competition for chefs under the age of 35; Benjamin Flatt, chef and owner of Flatt, a guesthouse serving Noto Italian and fermented food; and his wife Chikako Funashita, who is the guesthouse\u2019s landlady.<br \/>\n\u3000In the first half, discussions revolved around what the participants had gained by incorporating new perspectives. Kinoshita was raised in Kanazawa, which enabled him to combine ingredients, techniques, and store designs unique to the city to transform industry conventions. He believes that carrying forward food cultures developed by the former Kaga Domain could hold the key to the future. \u201cMy aim is to further refine the cuisine from Kanazawa, which combines the delicacies of court culture with the boldness of samurai culture,\u201d he says. Itoi, who built up experience in Burgundy and Lyon in France and San Francisco in the US, says that \u201cclimate and culture\u201d are key to the future of the food industry. Flatt, who moved to Japan from Australia, and Funashita used the phrase \u201cthe kingdom of fermentation.\u201d The unique fermented foods of Noto are linked to the area\u2019s environment, traditions, and cultures, and interested chefs from around the world have contacted the guesthouse to find out more. Funashita says, \u201cWe want to carry this small part of the area\u2019s long history and pass on to the next generation.\u201d<br \/>\n\u3000The second half of the discussions were about possibilities for the future that Ishikawa Prefecture can communicate to the rest of the world. Kinoshita suggests \u201cthe development of skilled workers.\u201d He says that as there are so few Japanese-managed sushi shops outside of Japan, it will be important to develop first-class sushi chefs who can help to spread Japan\u2019s authentic sushi culture worldwide. Meanwhile, Itoi\u2019s aim is to create new value by opening restaurants in underpopulated areas, which are increasingly common in Japan, attracting likeminded chefs to increase the flow of people and in turn drive business growth. His desire is to position food at the center of future initiatives and attract chefs. Flatt and Funashita both say Noto is a chef\u2019s paradise. Together they have initiated various projects that make full use of Noto\u2019s rich range of ingredients, such as the Noto Lab project, which links local food, chefs, and people, as well as popup kitchens.<br \/>\n\u3000Participants then talked about co-creation, which is one of the themes of this CJPF Live meeting. Kinoshita says that \u201cfood plays a major role in a sustainable society. I hope to work with fishing businesses to conserve resources and protect the environment.\u201d Itoi adds, \u201cWe are all working toward similar goals. As such, in the process of working toward your own goals, co-creation will naturally occur.\u201d Flatt and Funashita, meanwhile, described their strong desire to work with others to keep the wonder of Noto alive.<br \/>\n\u3000After the CJPF Live meeting, we heard stories of people who had been so captivated by the charms of Ishikawa Prefecture that they had ended up relocating. Everyone involved in this meeting was a leading figure in their sector who had worked to improve and communicate their respective region\u2019s appeals. Facilitator Kenichi Watanabe called them cultural ambassadors.<br \/>\n\u3000Since the pandemic, people have increasingly used virtual channels for their activities. However, without visiting a region first-hand, you cannot truly experience its climate, landscapes, and food cultures, for example. Watanabe concluded the CJPF Live meeting with the following message: \u201cPlease visit each of these regions yourselves to experience their true charms.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":849,"template":"","class_list":["post-837","live","type-live","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","en-US"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/live\/837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/live"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/live"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjpf.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}