Bamboo has long been used in architecture and everyday tools. Today the Kyoto bamboo industry is in decline due to lifestyle changes and the lack of bamboo craftsmen. One artisan uses traditional methods to create fashion accessories. A fence builder promotes bamboo through QR codes and artworks. A master craftsman developed fireproof bamboo and nurtures new talent to expand his market. Discover how the younger generation is working to revive interest in bamboo by infusing modern sensibilities.

Glass arrived in Japan with the Christian missionaries in the 16th century. Kyoto aristocrats, high-ranking samurai and wealthy merchants used the much-prized foreign glassware as a gesture of hospitality toward guests. Today, locally made glassware continues to evolve within the fields of cookery, art and the sciences. Various materials are fused with precision and rustic sensibilities. Discover the essence of Kyoto values and aesthetic sensibilities through the works of master glassmakers.