｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜

Master potter Takahiro Ohta of Koishiwara, a small town with a rich pottery tradition, demonstrates the arduous process of making a large mortar. Though losing ground to electric mixers, these mortars are still valued for their utilitarian charm, and Ohta's son plans to carry on the trade.

｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜

The Japanese dramatic art of "Kabuki" is steeped in tradition, extending even to the curtains used: elaborate "doncho" curtains are woven by hand with seasonal motifs and weigh up to a ton. Meet the many craftsmen involved in their construction and discover the work that goes in before the curtain goes up.

｜Length : 27min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜

The "taiko" is more than merely a musical instrument--this large drum has its origins in religious ceremonies and holds the power to inspire awe in the listener. Witness the painstaking process of crafting a "taiko" drum as demonstrated by the Asano brothers of Ishikawa Prefecture, heirs to a 400-year-old family tradition of drummaking.

｜Length : 24min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜

Facing heavy competition and forced to adapt to modern management styles, street stall operators still dream of sweet success. Meet several of these determined entrepreneurs and learn the creative ways they find to survive and thrive.

｜Length : 28min. ｜Year : 1996 ｜

Hooked on Preservation

Shinzo Igarashi, known as the "Char Man," is dedicated to hooking the Nikko Char sport fish. But he prizes his catch neither as a meal nor a trophy. Instead, the 68-year-old Igarashi carries the char in a tank on his back to the isolated source of a mountain stream. There he releases the fish, an endangered species, to multiply in safety.