Artisan x Designer

The program features paper lantern collaborated by artisan Kunpei Yoshimoto and designer Mic Itaya, whose specialty is atmospheric designs. Chochin paper lanterns are a traditional product in Ibaraki Prefecture. We follow how a traditional chochin is transformed into a contemporary, playful lighting fixture.

Designer Hiromichi Konno gives uncompromising attention to even the smallest details. Artisan Yoshiki Matsui is known for his never-say-die determination. This installment of Artisan x Designer takes place in Takaoka, a city known for its traditional cast metal products, and it follows these two men as they collaborate on a compact side table that is made of metal, but that nevertheless gives off a feeling of warmth.

Tsutomu Kanaya is a widely admired designer. Kenichi Yoshihashi is a mold-making artisan who specializes in traditional Seto ceramics. The two have collaborated to create a ceramic lampshade with an intricate pattern and a warm aesthetic. The pattern is meant to replicate the look of lace stitching-it was hand carved by Kanaya. This episode documents two men collaborating to challenge the conventional wisdom of traditional Japanese ceramics.

Designer Eiji Shibata and welding artisan Kazuhiro Ugajin collaborated to create a one-of-a kind stainless steel "handcycle". It can be enjoyed by people of all ages, including those who might have issues with mobility. This episode of "Artisan x Designer" follows the fusion of Shibata's functional, elegant design and Ugajin's high-precision welding skill.

The goal of this episode's artisan and designer is to win global name recognition for Tokushima Prefecture's high-end wooden furniture. Up and coming designer, Eisuke Tachikawa, and veteran furniture artisan, Takayuki Motobayashi, collaborated to create a unique chest with drawers that open two ways. The chest has won multiple awards, including one from Wallpaper, a prominent British design magazine. The program follows the quest to create both innovative furniture and a world-class brand.

Commissioned by a struggling enameling company, designer Makoto Koizumi proposed an enameled kettle that balanced beauty and functional simplicity. Koizumi wanted the kettle to be completely white, even though it was considered impossible to make enamel stick to the edges of a utensil. Artisan Taiichi Masabayashi had to buck 200 years of conventional wisdom. He succeeded, and the all-white enamel kettle has gone from strength to strength. It's even being sold in high-end stores in the US.

A chic chair, but what material is used to cover it? Actually it's a kind of soft rush called igusa: the material used for the surface of tatami mats. Designer Keita Shimizu's mission is to make the most of igusa's appeal in modern design. To create this beautifully comfortable chair he collaborated with tatami producer Naoki Ishibashi. Their shared goal is to make brand-new interior items that blend into diverse lifestyles, transcending user age, gender and nationality.

This installment showcases a beer glass featuring Mt. Fuji, which was just added to the World Heritage list. The glass might seem like any other, but pour some beer in, and a snow covered Fuji appears. The design was created by Sugahara Glassworks, a well-established firm, and young designer Keita Suzuki. There were several difficulties during production, including an original shape that made the glass hard to hold. The program shows the creators' perseverance in creating this fun glass.