Shokunin

sho-ku-neen 

The word translates to artisan or craftsman, but the true spirit of the shokunin is much more.  Many ancient shokunin were farmers who gathered materials from nature during the spring and summer while tending to their fields.  During the winter months, they worked indoors as craftsmen.

This concept of transforming natural material into something useful or valuable to others conveys the sense of responsibility to nature, to their community, and to their craft that is essential to the shokunin spirit.  Every creation is the result of endless repetitions in pursuit of perfection, both from the shokunin’s own practice and from the experience handed down from countless shokunin over centuries.

When asked how long it takes to make a single item, the shokunin’s response is ......

KŌSHIN-GAMA

SHINOHEI-GAMA