At a workshop in Tokyo, a dozen or so tourists watched as green and white wax was poured into warm water. As the liquid turned into a sheet, they were asked to slowly pull it up and roll it, gasping at its transformation into lettuce. Hands-on lessons in the art of creating food replicas have … Read more
But the Tokugawas need not have worried; the Maedas wanted to secure their region’s future by investing in crafts rather than weaponry. Doing so not only transformed Kanazawa into one of Japan’s most prosperous cities (even today, 99 per cent of Japan’s gold leaf is produced here), but also afforded a certain amount of protection … Read more
In Singapore, small versions of this goddess are birthed each week at Say Tian Hng, the city state’s only surviving Taoist idol workshop. Its family of artisans hand carve a variety of deities from blocks of camphor wood before embellishing them with paint. Ng Yeow Hua colouring the lips of a golden statue of Guanyin. … Read more
