Blog

You can see the kumiko craftsmanship, the process of turning square timber into round sticks, and the final finishing touches to the bathtub using a hand plane.
And at the end, we and the Dubai team all ate watermelon together with the grandpa, grandma: even more than the filming until now, this was definitely a scene belonging to movie set!

This is quite amazing, also because I do not know how it could happen that our paths did not cross before.

Steve Beimel is a Californian guy living in Kyoto for some 50 years. He is leading a project that has been on my wishlist for years: making traditional crafts shine. It is not just a matter of saving, preserving or protecting. Beautiful things have the inner power to shine, and Steve is master in giving them right push into the limelight.

As the famous Mendelhsson quote recites: “tradition is the tendering of the fire, not the worship of the ashes”.

And definitely Steve knows the path as well as walks the path.

He ran a customized experiences travel agency for foreign tourists in search for the true japan but just before Covid he shifted full time to the https://www.japancraft21.com/ project.

I think I cannot describe his aim and mission as well as he does, so I would like to encourage those interested to get in touch with him directly.

Let me just say one thing: not only he is generously supporting talented craftsmen and renovating a gorgeous machiya but taking advantage of new regulations in the japan building standard law, he is taking the lead in building from scratch the first Machiya in 80 years!

see here for a Google photos album

I have the feeling that the two of us will find many projects to cooperate on, and you will learn a lot about him here in the future. But the bridging of the traditional knowledge to the new generations cannot wait, so I decided to share his info with the Bartok community with the hope that you also could find your personal projects to develop together with Steve.

There are about 3 different topics I would like to share with you about dragons.

I am excited and confused: which one should I start with?

Lets cool down, take a bath and a cup of tea.

①　Well, first things first: I spiritedly wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As you know 2024 is the year of the Dragon, and I chose the photo above as the cover for this newsletter because it looks like also the dragon … likes to take a bath!!
Actually, the story of the building portrayed in the photo is sweet and sour. The building is a tomb for 152 Chinese laborers who took advantage of a shipwreck near Ishigaki island (Okinawa) to mutiny while they were being transported to the USA. The survivors were hidden by the locals but they were finally found and executed here by British troops in 1852.
Of course, it is a sad story but the colorful decoration of the building dignifies this sacrifice and is a reminder that no matter the nationality or the language, it is natural for men to help fellow men and we should remember this also in 2024.

②　Ishigaki island keeps popping in my mind..!
On 30 December I worked until 4 am (31 December…) and before going to sleep I realized I had no schedule for the end of the year. I have 2 days completely free. No work, no plans whatsoever.
I love Okinawa and had the inspiration to check if there were some flights for Naha or Miyako Island.
Of course, everything was already sold out.
The only flight viable was a 7:00 am flight to Ishigaki but I decided to desist.
Not enough time to get ready and probably no hotels available.
And many things to wrap up to start the year with a clean desk.
But now I am connecting the dots: Ishigaki is the island of the dragon (the shape of the island resembles the head of a dragon) and … well … this is the dawn of the year of the Dragon!
I should have gone no matter what!
I have a bitter feeling in my mouth telling me that I should have listened to my gut feeling.
On the other hand, I am happy because I have a full year now to properly schedule a trip to Ishigaki.

Anybody wants to come with me? Let`s go!
And this happening was a reminder for me to listen more to my guts feeling from now on.
Don`t overthink: just do it!

③ This brings me to the last point I wanted to share with you concerning dragons.
I used my year end to complete the video-postcard I make every year for my Japanese contacts.

The title is 「crouching tiger, hiding dragon」
This year I made also an English version. Feel free to take a look!

https://youtu.be/D1kKXpAu1Fk

Background: 
forgive me a brief personal parenthesis: for the last 3 years I added a morning and evening mindfullness meditation to my daily routine. 
This truly changed my life!
I can now witness that “thoughts do become reality”.

I can now witness that thoughts become reality.
But in 2024 I want to go one further step 「crouching tiger, hiding dragon」: 
My thoughts are limited and so my reality can only develop to a modest extent.
But by being aware of the “hidden dragons” around me (experts, masters, people I love etc.) I can absorb their wisdom and push the limits of what I can do!

※ the saying「crouching tiger, hiding dragon」matches some aspects of the Japanese idiom 「dragon jumping tiger」 that I also like a lot, but it has a different focus.