HERITAGE, REFINED

Kyoto's artisanal roots and the push to evolve traditional Japanese aesthetics find voice in the city's luxury hotels.

- CEDRIC TAN

Once in a while over the long centuries, a remarkable deviation might occur within the artisanal realms of Japan, usually owing to the political and social climate of differing epochs, like when the Nara (AD 710 to 784) preference for monolithic bronze statues was passed over for the Heian (AD 794 to 1185) penchant for enigmatic wooden figures. Historically Japanese aesthetics have remained distinct and immovably set for remarkably long stretches, perpetuated by a system that involves a lengthy apprenticeship with the master from one generation to the next. This system called dento survived largely intact into modernity, extending a lifeline to many of Japan's cherished crafts, from paper making to wood block printing, into the present day.

Enter the modern era and naturally a remarkable thirst for change within Japan's design zeitgeist emerges. Avangardism entered the mainstream consciousness over the Showa period (AD 1926 to 1989) and experimentations with traditional forms became an expressive outlet from the '60s until today.

Exacerbated by the success of Japan's branding around the world, creative forces from fashion designers to architects progressively and ingeniously imbued old forms into the modern frame, leading to the proliferation of mass production methods to meet rising demands. This squarely led to the demise of many old métiers in Japan but traditional crafts and craftsmanship in Kyoto escaped total annihilation because discerning entrepreneurs and hoteliers, buoyed by tourism prospects and faith in local artistry, had very specific ideas about what truly defines a quintessentially Japanese - and luxurious - experience in Kyoto. And at the very forefront of that discernment is the city's deep artisanal roots.

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