Event Report: CSGJ Student Affiliate End of Year Social Featuring Yuki Tokunaga “Japanese Culture Through the Lens of Traditional Crafts”
On April 8th, 2025, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan hosted its End of Year lunch social, featuring a lecture by guest speaker Yuki Tokunaga. Tokunaga is the founder of Culpedia, an organization dedicated to fostering cultural exchange and preserving traditional arts, as well as a collaborative researcher at the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo. In an intriguing presentation, he shared his experiences and insights on the diminishing status of traditional crafts in Japan. The event also featured an array of Japanese donburi dishes and wagashi desserts for CSGJ faculty and students to enjoy. Affiliates were able to relax and reconnect following a fruitful year of academic events and socials.
In his lecture, Tokunaga recounted his interest in Japanese culture and his path to becoming a culture specialist. He revealed that the production value of traditional Japanese crafts has shrunk by 80% between 1983 and 2015. Tokunaga cited several cultural exchange projects he had organised, including the “Momotaro Project” where the traditional Japanese folktale was translated into English, Indonesian and Persian and then reimagined by traditional painters from the three countries. In addition, Tokunaga discussed his research in Kyoto, illustrating the decline of the traditional craft industry with many craftsmen, production processes, and materials in jeopardy. Crafts in danger include the shakuhachi (bamboo flute), nishijin ori (woven textiles), and various Shinto ceremonial vestments. Overall, he emphasised the importance of understanding and preserving traditional culture.
Following the presentation, there was a lively social session with the attending affiliates. We would like to thank Mr. Tokunaga for his insightful presentation, as well as our student and faculty affiliates for their continued participation at our events this past year. We hope to see many of you return to the program for the 2025–2026 academic year. To learn how to join the program for next year, click here!
