'The Scent of Sakai' 堺の香り - Handmade incense stick craftsman
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- Kinzaburo Kitamura is your typical hard working and inconspicuous craftsman. Still spry at 73 years old, he has been producing high quality incense sticks and fragrances from his little shop in Sakai City, Osaka for over 35 years. Although incense sticks are commonly made throughout the world, it is one who is able to blend fragrances, create recipes as well as producing the sticks, can he or she be truly called a master. With no one to succeed him after he retries, the world of handmade incense sticks may soon lose one of its greatest artisans.
*Correction: At 0:38 the certificate for Living National Treasure was awarded by a TV show, not by the Japanese government
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'The Japanese Artisan Series' is a non-commercial project by Edwin Lee (Hong Kong) in collaboration with One Ocean Partners (Singapore). It focuses on documenting little-known but highly skilled artisans and tradespeople across Japan centering on themes of tradition and succession. With Japan's ageing population, low birth rate and reluctance of young workers to enter such niche industries, these people's traditional skills are in danger of being lost.
Watch other films in the series:
'The Art of Imono': • THE ART OF IMONO - Jap...
'The Spirit of Noh': • 'The Spirit of Noh 能' ...
'Wasabia Japonica': • 'Wasabia Japonica' - A...
'The Reluctant Master’: • ‘The Reluctant Master’...
'The Art of Musk Melon': • ‘The Art of Musk Melon...
Mr Kiitamura's shop 薫主堂 can be found at 2-1 Kitahanchōnishi, Sakai-ku, Sakai-shi, Osaka
goo.gl/maps/ok...
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Music: 'Conversations' by Tiny Music Studio (Licensed from Premium Beat)
Gear talk:
Sony a6300 Slog2
Sony Zeiss 16-70mm f4 / Sony Zeiss 12mm f2.8 / Zeiss ZF 50mm f1.4 / Nikon 100mm f2.8
Beholder DS1 gimbal
Edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Colour Graded in Davinci Resolve 15
This made me feel tremendously sad. I am 55 years old and have been enjoying high-quality Japanese incense since I was about 12. A few months ago, I tried making my own using a little hand extruder that only extrudes one piece at a time. It is thrilling and exciting. I love the patience and carefulness that is required. I would do anything to learn from this man. But have no idea how that could ever be possible being that I am in the U.S. and work for supermarket wages.
WoRN808 Never give up on your dream. Have you heard of Keith Austin? He was an American who went to Japan to become a master swordsmith. There is a video about him on CZcams.
You sound like the most charming and fascinating human. Adorable, love your comment. Thanks for taking the time to post it. :)
@@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293 You sound like a gentle and supportive soul, thank you for complementing a stranger on the internet. (not me but this comment still made me smile so you're awesome)
@@leoisforevercool Oh Leo you big softy, you! xoxo :)
This comment thread is wholesome and gave me the fuzzy warm feelings
I got a sampler set of his work from a contact in Japan and they're sublime.
It's very sad that nobody wants to continue this venerable tradition.
I need to please send that info this way. Sorry I took to long . I fell for the wrong boy. 😢 but I am here to get the healing.
This is a tragedy 😭😭😭. I would take internship immediately if I could travel to Sakai, Japan. My heart aches at this monumental loss
Sad, as an incense fanatic this would have been my dream to learn this craft from experienced person like him. :'/
Then do it. In the video he says he started at 35. Learn the language and go for it. Nothing stopping you.
My heart breaks seeing that no one is learning and pass it on! It's so ironic life... I came across this video because I want to learn how to make incense. By hand. Machines can't replace everything and they take out the magic of all of it. I would give everything to go and learn this art. Technology and machines shouldn't replace incense making but we should use them to teach others who are far away and want to learn. This art doesn't have to die like this, there's people out here who would give everything to have this opportunity!!
There is something very wrong in our world when such craftsmanship is left to disappear. So many in Japan are working themselves to death working extensive hours in the cities for the profit of others instead of being content with the quiet, peaceful life of small business ownership.
Indeed. And a loss of these skills is also a loss for the world
if he teaches me i will learn and pass on his craft.
@Christen Jensen I hope they were serious. I'd had the same first thought, but my Japanese is not sufficient (and such major change is scary). I truly hope to learn enough to be able to take on such a serious endeavor, or at least to assist, but it's a difficult thing.
The problem is, he dont want to teach because he is afraid his quality get worst, so he don't teach even to his son
@@sakaitraditional2596 typical father.. my dad destroyed his boat because he didn’t want any one else to enjoy it.
While I do see how this is indeed sad, I also felt like it was overwhelmingly wholesome as well as beautiful. This man is fully aware that he is the last to run his families shop, yet he’s come to terms with it. There’s so much wisdom he holds. While it will be sad for this family business to end, there’s something extraordinary in knowing that no one will ever be able to recreate it perfectly. He is, quite literally, a master of his craft, and his work will live in his customers memories. You can’t trade that for anything.
All my respect... I'm actually crafting handmade incense stick with a base of Tabu's wood. Just my hands, a little hand extruder that can only extracts one stick at a time. I'm working hard, creating my own perfumes, watching as many videos I can to learn more and more...
Cross my fingers to open my e-shop of japanese handmade incense
Great documentary. How about starting a series of tutorials in which he teaches the art and craft of making hand made incense? This would preserve the art forever and in many generations to come people could still learn how to make it themselves. Otherwise this tradition would really disappear from the face of the earth as he says in the documentary.
In Sakai, there is the incense maker association. We still promoting this art. But unfortunately Mister Kitamura is not member of this association...
Eric Chevallier A point to consider: he is not part of the association yet you still made a documentary about him :)
I believe that the important part is preserving the art, not being part of any association. Imagine how it would sound like if in years from now, after the art would vanish from earth, someone would ask why no one made a series of documentaries on how the incense is made and the answer would be “because the only master that still existed was not part of the association...”
@@TheWoodWorkingPilot yes but if he was in the association i could help him more with the city promotion center. But even that he dont want to preserve his shop lol.
Eric Chevallier too bad he is not willing to join. It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks...
however just making videos of him in the process of making incense does not require him to join any association..
I greatly admire Japanese craftsmen and craftsmanship. Whatever they do their dedication is amazing. Most of the world isn't ready to say goodbye to them 😢.
Beautiful Documentary! I think the world needs to know more of such Traditional Japanese Skills & crafts which are practically non-existent in this highly industrialized yet soulless drive towards profitability. However it is saddening that most of such are under threat of being forgotten in the annals of Time.
Doesn’t he have any family member or maybe a son to take the trade? Its really sad to lose this wonderful art.
making incense…what a master craftsman
The music selection is perfect for this. I lowkey love it. Kinda reminds me of the 'optimistic' or 'artisanal' side of IDM. I think of like... Plaid, Jon Hopkins, Benn Jordan, Ochre... artists like that.
Thank you for showing this and lots of Love for Mister Kitamura ☘
True taonga(treasure) I’ve always wanted to learn this with incense and plants. Maybe time for me to learn. This would be something I’d pass onto my grandchildren.
Amazing work & craftsmanship by Mr Kitamura. I am from India & I have passion to make incense & recently learned how to make masala incense sticks. Really Sad to see that he will be shutting his shop but pls let me know how can we help him by giving some trade orders & interested to learn from him.
Breaks my heart. The skill sounds very therapeutic. Thank you for the share.
amazing craftsmanship big respect to Mr Kinazburo Kitamura. As I am also in the same field exporting Tibetan and Nepalese incense touch my heart watching this video.
Beauiful video. Thank you for giving the story to the world.
i could work there and make my life out of big city for sure
beautiful video, such high artistic quality, very gifted artwork
I would so love to learn this craft
Wish he could find a succeeding and worthy disciple who could continue this art ..
Amazing video! Please keep doing more!
Hello 😊
My name is Norberto y consulto si puedo publicar en mi página de Instagram algunas escenas que tiene este bello video, desde ya gracias 🙏😊
With natural resources depleting, I see the incense business retiring also. I need to grow a sandalwood tree and whats that other one, agarwood. The sandalwood tree takes 60 yrs minimum to be used for incense.
I really love this series. Please keep up the good work !!!!!!
Thanks for the kind comment! Just for that let me show you the newest film that's only on Vimeo for the moment: vimeo.com/277509714
i would love to work with him and teach me this wonderful work
another fantastic look into craftsmanship!
I like how the title says “hand made” but he uses an industrial press and extruder
It’s a shame no one will carry on this craft.
There are still people making these by hand, in other countries. And there are also people making small quantities and selling them on places such as Etsy. I am just learning how to make them, using bamboo sticks, incense that I buy online, and other herbs/woods/flowers/resins that I forage locally. Has this gentleman tried putting out an advert for someone to take over his lovely business?
He's pretty old school so I doubt it. He seemed resigned to the fact that he'd be the last owner
Japanese masters prefer to disappear than to to see them old high quality traditions get worst.
Excellent work! This gentleman's work is truly invaluable, and I suspect it will be all the more so as the world enters into the end of the cehap fossil fuel era. I'd consider traveling to Sakai to apprentice with him. How did you find Kinzaburo, btw? And is it possible to contact him? At any rate, hats off to you on this high-quality production!
Hello. I knew him through a friend Eric who works at the Sakai Crafts museum: osaka-info.jp/en/page/sakai-traditional-crafts-museum
It may be difficult for you to contact Kinzaburo directly. Best to go through the museum. Let me know if you get to meet him!
I wonder if you met him yet.
@@FalloutMediaHK overlooked this reply, but thank you! I appreciate the info!
@@haze2427 not yet, but once foreigners can freely travel back and forth through Japan, I will
@@hermestrismegistus6421 Nice! Thanks for the update, all the best to you!
I only wish if I could buy it from India
unfortunately, it still a really small factory with one craftman. They sell only in them shop in Sakai city
This particular video in the series is very sad. The other masters are trying their best to preserve their tradition while he's here willing to demolish his store.
When I talked to him he was fairly resigned to the fate of his shop. I suppose there's nothing he could do about it anyway.
Maybe it's more about location, real estate, him maybe he wouldn't wish the headaches on anyone else. People who have approached him to learn, maybe they just want to learn from him and take it for profit. Take his recipes and mass produce them. Convince him to work even harder and make more incense so it can be sold on the world market. The world is sick these days. Has no respect for art or craft. The only response is to each one learn a craft, even if it is not to become to be a master, but to learn what goes into such a thing. For each of us to appreciate something, not because it is rare and expensive, but because it is made with care and attention.
@@WoRN808 The problem of real traditional apprenticeship in Japan its money. For amazing craftman like mister Kitamura, the way of learning is free of payment. The apprentice should learn during many years, everyday, just watching and feeling, not practising, and live by himself.
japanese people are more willing to come to terms with things like that, it’s part of the culture. they have a saying 「しょうがない」(it can’t be helped)
Is there any way to contact this man?
I went to the website and nowhere did I find internship details.
Unfortunately he don't look for apprentice.
Dear Mr Edwin,
Wish to have a quick call or chat with you. Pls let me know how to connect with you.
Wow. So this was actually pretty sad to watch to the end.
Can i be your sucessor? j.j i make my own business also and it actually is close category with perfumery. I start from 0 and this make me sad.
「物の哀れ」
Automation is destroying lives, we need to smash these machines to pieces.
Nasamkar
True taonga(treasure) I’ve always wanted to learn this with incense and plants. Maybe time for me to learn. This would be something I’d pass onto my grandchildren.