The Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Tokyo will host a special exhibition titled "The World's Best: The Mastery of Japanese Manufacturing" starting December 7th. This exhibition brings together over 200 unique and uniquely valuable Japanese products and technologies. The exhibition runs until May 6th, 2014. Museum director Mamoru Mori appeared at the preview held on December 5th. He spoke about the importance of imbuing objects with "spirit," saying, "For example, Japanese swords were simply weapons hundreds of years ago, but they survive today precisely because the spirit of 'Bushido' was later infused into them." Kazuyoshi Suzuki, the exhibition's general supervisor, explained the difference between Japanese and Western art: "In the West, art is something the upper class creates in honour of 'God,' whereas Japanese beauty is rooted in the everyday lives of ordinary people." Furthermore, regarding the "kintsugi" technique used to repair broken tea bowls, he commented, "The unique Japanese spirit of not throwing away broken things but repairing them and preserving them as works of art for future generations is wonderful."
The exhibition also features a wedding dress adorned with 13,262 genuine pearls, the most in the world, which was registered with the Guinness World Record last year, and a wedding dress made from the "world's thinnest silk." Designer Yumi Katsura also appeared and commented on the pearl dress, "It has been my dream for 48 years to create a dress with real pearls, not imitation pearls." The dress was created in collaboration with jewelry brand MIKIMOTO, and each Akoya pearl was hand-embroidered over a three-month period. The dress will be on display until March 3rd next year.
A model also appeared at the venue wearing a dress made from the "world's thinnest silk." The dress is made from silk by Fukushima-based Saiei Orimono, winner of the Prime Minister's Award at the 4th Monozukuri Nippon Grand Awards. Made from multiple layers of sheer, thin white fabric, the dress flutters gently as the wearer walks. The dress connects to the wearer's fingertips like a feathered robe, giving it the air of a heavenly maiden. Katsura said of the dress, "Weaving something with silk that's one-sixth the thickness of a human hair requires advanced skill. It uses 55 meters of fabric, yet weighs just 600g." The dress will be on display from March 5th next year. Also on display was a metal string instrument made using Yamashita Kogyosho's "hammered sheet metal" technique. This technique, in which artisans repeatedly hammer and stretch metal, is also used on the faces of Shinkansen bullet trains. "If we were to make this instrument with a machine, it would require a huge amount of money and time, but if it's made by hand, it can be completed in a short amount of time. No matter how mechanized things become, truly cutting-edge products are made by people," Suzuki explained.
The exhibition also features a wide range of Japan's latest technologies, including "sakiori," a technique in which old cloth is torn into thread and rewoven; "kamon" (family crests) inspired by natural motifs; and kimonos with shark-like patterns. It also showcases robots, toys, automobile engines, and the Epsilon rocket.
"Japanese people have the technology to make things that are useful to people and to make good things even better. It's important for us to first learn about these great things about Japan. Then, we can share the wonders of Japan with the world," Suzuki said.
[Event Information]
THE World's Best Exhibition - Mastering Japan! Manufacturing -
Venue: Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)
Address: 2-3-6 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Dates: December 7th to May 6th, 2014
Closed: Tuesdays (however open on public holidays and during spring and winter holidays), New Year's holidays (December 28th to January 1st)
Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission: 1,000 yen for adults, 300 yen for those under 18, free for preschool children 6 and under
