Eleven categories of Yamanashi crafts are being exhibited and sold at Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square in Tokyo’s Akasaka district through November 5. The prefectural exhibition opened on October 23 and combines a product display with demonstrations and selected making experiences.
The programme changes by day. Bamboo-work demonstrations and explanations are scheduled for October 27, with crystal and gemstone work on October 29 and 30. Amehata inkstones follow on October 31 and November 1. Visitors should check the organiser’s detailed programme for individual activities and age restrictions.
The prefecture has held joint exhibitions of its local traditional crafts since 1994. This edition is intended to improve recognition and expand sales channels in the Tokyo metropolitan area, rather than being an announcement of measured sales growth.
Local perspective
The Tokyo venue separates the place of production from the place of discovery: a visitor can compare several Yamanashi craft traditions without travelling to each workshop. The changing demonstrations also make the visit date consequential, since a shelf display and a maker’s explanation offer different encounters with a product. This is a concrete way to read the exhibition’s sales-channel purpose, while leaving actual orders, income and later travel to Yamanashi unclaimed.
山梨の工芸11品目を東京・青山で展示販売 日替わりの実演も
山梨県の郷土伝統工芸品11品目を展示販売する催しが、東京都港区赤坂の伝統工芸 青山スクエアで11月5日まで開かれている。10月27日は富士勝山スズ竹細工、29・30日は甲州水晶貴石細工、31日・11月1日は甲州雨畑硯の実演などを予定。県は1994年から共同展示会を続けており、首都圏での認知や販路の拡大を目指す。個別体験の年齢制限などは主催者の詳細案内で確認が必要。
独自考察
産地と出会いの場所が異なる点が、この展示の特徴だ。東京で複数の山梨の工芸を比較できるうえ、実演が日替わりなので、商品を見るだけか作り手の説明に触れるかで訪問日の意味も変わる。販路開拓という目的を具体的に理解する手掛かりだが、受注・所得やその後の山梨旅行が増えたと断定するものではない。