Introducing the 21st Century Takagamine Forum
This project seeks to identify and implement the solutions for the challenges facing kogei (roughly translates as “craft”), which have been unsolvable by the efforts of individual creators, by generating multi-sector properties through cross-genre collaborations. At the same time, the project provides support and implements activities to increase as many kogei fans as possible and to increase adept kogei appreciators and sublime kogei users. Since the first forum was held in Kyoto in 2015, we have been implementing various industry-government-higher education collaborative projects as well as workshops and open call projects that go beyond the existing frameworks. On the last day of the first and second forums, we released our “Kyoto Proposal” and “Tokyo Proposal” aimed at all members of our society. Aspiring to further extend our national network for collaborative kogei activities in 2017, we are holding our third forum this year in Kanazawa under two themes: Traditions and the Contemporary Era and Kogei and Tourism.
About Takagamine
In the early Edo Period (early 17th century), an artist named Honami Koetsu, who engaged in tea ceremony, calligraphy, lacquer art, and ceramics, attempted to create an ideal environment for kogei (roughly translates as “craft”) activities at the foot of Takagamine ridge located in Northern Kyoto where artisans would create works intently and virtuosi and appreciators of various fields would gather. Hoping to materialize this idea among the creators and users of the 21st century, we have incorporated the geographic name “Takagamine” into our forum name.
