｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1994 ｜

For centuries, straw or "wara" has been used to wrap priceless Arita pottery. Although straw is strong, pliable, readily available, cheap, and environmentally friendly, the technique is unfortunately a dying art. Among the few craftsmen who keep the old traditions alive, 70-year-old Masaru Hashimoto shows how straw can be used for just about anything from the most delicate porcelain to massive pots. This is a fascinating study of a fascinating tradition.

｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1994 ｜

Japanese "urushi" lacquerware is justifiably famous worldwide for its exquisite finish. This program shows every step in the lacquerware process from the painstaking collection of drops of sap from lacquer trees in the hills, to the laborious processing of the sap into lacquer and the creation of the lacquerware itself. With many turning to cheap, imported lacquers, 70-year-old Shoji iwadate and his son Takashi may be among the last craftsmen to practice this traditional art.

｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1993 ｜

Although the Japanese have practiced ukai, or cormorant fishing for over a thousand years, cormorants are now a protected species and for some time, until his son Takeshi received license, the only man in Japan with a license to catch these creatures for training was Hiroyuki Numata. As much about humanity as it is about nature, this documentary offers a rare look at how the traditional secrets of an ancient craft are passed on from one generation to another.

｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1993 ｜

Every summer for hundreds of years, Japanese skies have lit up to the delight of old and young alike. Such marvelous pyrotechnics are the product of special expertise demanding skill, dedication and considerable creativity: it is not easy to become a fireworks master. In this fascinating study of a unique craft we watch the father and son team of Tamon and Akio Aoki prepare meticulously for a major - and impressive - display at Ise Shrine.