One of the things I’ve always admired about Japanese craftsmanship is its respect for materials. It’s a mindset that largely stems from the nation’s Shinto tradition, but I believe that reducing waste and making the most of what we have is something that should be universally embraced by all craftspeople, not just the Japanese. A great example of the nation’s respectful and economical use of wood is the work of Hikiyose, which hails from the Odawara area of Kanagawa Prefecture, a region known for its wooden crafts. The brand creates “wooden products in the spirit of kamaboko” and its designs are simple, yet elegant and beautifully-crafted.
In this video from Hikiyose, viewers can see how the brand’s designers utilize all parts of the wood, not just the sections that are easy to use. The wood is cut into circular sections that are subsequently sanded and stacked, forming the building blocks of Hikiyose’s unadorned, yet beautiful tablewares – including bowls, plates, trays and cups made from Japanese cypress, maple and walnut.
我最欣賞日本工藝的其中一個地方，就是它們對物料的恭敬態度。這種思維主要源自當地所崇拜的傳統神道，但我認為全世界所有工藝師，不單來自日本的，對於減少製造廢物、善用手上資源此一原則都應大力推崇。最近我遇上其中一個尊敬和善用木材的例子便是日本的Hikiyose，這個來自神奈川縣著名木器工藝小鎮小田原的品牌，以當地「做蒲鉾（魚板）的精神」，應用在木器的製作之中，其設計雖然簡約，卻精緻優雅，巧奪天工。
從Hikiyose這段錄像，大家可以看到，除卻容易塑型用的木幹，品牌的設計師如何將木材的各個部位用到盡。他們首先把木材切割成圓餅狀，然後經過打磨工序，再將木塊如積木般疊起，組合成Hikiyose簡樸無華的美麗木器，包有括以柏木、楓木、胡桃木製成的碗、碟、托盤和杯等。
