Kirikane is a decorative technique used for Buddhist statues and paintings. It requires high skills of cutting layers of gold leaves as thin as a hair, and placing them delicately onto Buddhist statues or paintings to create motifs. Chika Hasegawa is a young artist in Kirikane who has a workshop...

[Festivals of Japan Season 2] The "Toriou Festival" of Imari City, Saga Prefecture dates back to the mid-to-late 14th century. It is said to have originated from the defeat of warrior Kikuchi Takeshige against Ashikaga. Fleeing to the Ozato Region, Takeshige trained to withstand fire, originating this fiery and dangerous...

[Beauty of Japan Season 2] Jack Lee Randall is a shadow artist from the United States. He made the fateful decision to settle down in Toyama Prefecture after visiting there on one of his shows. His shadow performances evoke a sense of nostalgia in his spectators, and are full of...