In general, craft refers to manual skills or techniques. People use skills and techniques to output crafts. (Cambridge English Dictionary, 2023) Craft has different representations in different fields. In terms of skills, the craft can be paper cutting, resist dyeing, embroidery, or the sushi-making skills, badminton stringing skills mentioned in my video. In modern society, many crafts exist as techniques, such as video editing, computer programming, etc.

Craft is something worth contemplating, and upon deeper exploration, it can be found that most of human life is composed of different types of crafts. According to Mark (2011), the craft can represent the culture and ways of human life during different periods and expressions. In any period, the use of certain crafts can tell us stories behind the skills and techniques used. Even today, we can still learn about the creators, their lives, and their stories through previous crafts.

Craft is often associated with the spirit of craftsmanship, which means the meticulous creation of objects by the maker and the mastery of skills exhibited during the creation process. (Oxford Learners Dictionaries, 2023) Not everything can be called a craft. Craft must be a product that includes the emotions and creativity of the maker, and it is created with high-quality skills, techniques, and knowledge. In Japanese, craftsmanship is called “Shokunin,” which is explained more deeply. According to Tasio Odate, Shokunin represents not only superb skills and techniques but also an attitude and social responsibility. The social responsibility of Shokunin is dedication, striving to do their best both spiritually and materially. (Sachiko Matsuyama, 2018) In Chinese, craftsmanship is called “工匠精神”(Gong Jiang Jing Shen). The meaning of this word is divided into four parts: dedication, lean, focus, and innovation. Dedication represents the love and awe of craft and the dedication of the whole body and mind. Lean represents high requirements for the process and the pursuit of perfection in detail. Focus is the conviction of the heart, persistence, and dedication to the craft. Innovation is the pursuit of breakthroughs and innovations, always improving one’s craft. (Baidu Baike, 2023)

In my video, Jiro is portrayed as a craftsman, and his craft is sushi. Jiro dedicated his life to making sushi, and while he is a chef, I prefer to call him an artist. He is extremely disciplined and has an exceptional dedication to his craft, maintaining high standards throughout the creation process. He once said, “I’ll continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is.” He is always eager to improve his craft because nothing is ever perfect. According to Cheyne (2022), craft does not have to be perfect, and the process of exploring perfection can lead people to sustainable and more meaningful experiences.

This is the story of Jiro that we see through his craft, his way of life, and his attitude. Therefore, the craft can be a work that includes the artist’s effort, emotion, and story, or it can be a form of expression. Through craft, the creator could convey their emotions, attitude, spirit, and story to people. No matter how much time has passed, the emotions and stories expressed by the creator during that period will be re-understood and reinterpreted. Jiro wants to express this to society and why he wants to pass on his skills. Skills and techniques may change with different people, but emotions and stories do not. In my opinion, the craft is like a huge container with many media fragments, and each fragment is a way for creators to communicate with people. Craft cannot be replaced by machines or industrialization because machines cannot communicate with people under repetitive operations and do not have any emotions and stories. Each craft is unique, and they all tell their own stories.

References

Baidu Baike 2023, 工匠精神, baike.baidu.com, viewed 1 April 2023, <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B7%A5%E5%8C%A0%E7%B2%BE%E7%A5%9E/3993110?fr=aladdin>.

Cheyne, P 2022, Imperfectionist Aesthetics in Art and Everyday Life, Taylor & Francis.

Cambridge English Dictionary 2023, CRAFT | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary, dictionary.cambridge.org.

Mark, JJ 2011, Crafts, World History Encyclopedia.

Oxford Learners Dictionaries 2023, craftsmanship noun – Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com, Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com, viewed 1 April 2023,<https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/craftsmanship>.

Sachiko Matsuyama 2018, Shokunin and Devotion, Kyoto Journal, viewed 1 April 2023, <https://www.kyotojournal.org/culture-arts/shokunin-and-devotion/>.