Meet two Japanese master craftsmen at Japan House London with a special talk featuring chazutsu (tea canister) maker Yagi Takahiro from Kaikadō and kioke (wooden bucket) maker Nakagawa Shūji from Nakagawa Mokkōgei.

Founded in Kyoto in 1875, Kaikadō was the first manufacturer to create airtight tinplate tea cannisters. Sixth-generation owner Yagi Takahiro continues to develop elegant and functional products while following Kaikadō’s time-honoured methods, meticulously crafting each canister by hand.

He is joined in conversation by wood craftsman and contemporary artist Nakagawa Shūji, the third-generation successor to Nakagawa Mokkōgei. Managing Nakagawa Mokkogei’s Shiga-based workshop, Nakagawa makes kioke wooden buckets by binding wood together with metal or bamboo hoops without the use of nails. Once ubiquitous in the Edo period (1603-1868 CE) as tubs for bathing and containers for food such as rice and miso, Nakagawa has developed kioke for alternative contemporary purposes such as cooling champagne to incorporate them into modern life.

Introducing their respective crafts, Yagi and Nakagawa discuss what it means to be a shokunin (craftsman) in contemporary Japan and the importance of handing down specialist skills to preserve them for future generations.

The talk coincides with a curated display of Kaikadō tea cannisters and Nakagawa Mokkōgei wooden buckets on the Ground Floor of Japan House until 14 June 2022.

Booking Essential | Admission Free