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aTraditionalCraftsdbcAizuwakamatsuTraditionalCraftExperi-ence(Okiagari-koboshi,paintedcandles,andAkabeko)(AizuwakamatsuCity,FukushimaPrefecture)aThetraditionalstudioYamadaMingeiKobohasa400-yearhistory.Here,youcantrypaintingatradi-tionalJapanesedoll(Okiagari-koboshi)thatalwaysreturnstoanuprightposition.DecorativecandleshandmadefromnaturaltreewaxandfigurinesofalegendarycowfromAizucanalsobefoundhere.民芸品Mingeihin(TraditionalCraft)CraftingHistory:ExperienceJapan’sTraditionalArtsWithJapanesehistorydatingbacktotheprehistoriceraandmuchofitsartandculturehavingdevelopedoverthepastthou-sandyears,Japanhascertainlyhadtimetocreateitsowndistinctcrafts.Political,eco-nomic,andculturalcircumstancesthroughoutthishistoryhaveledcertainregionstospe-cializeinparticularcrafts.Dedicatedartisans,whohaveofteninheritedtheirskillsfrompre-viousgenerationsoftheirfamily,canbeseentodaycarefullycreatingtraditionalproductsintheareasofceramics,textiles,lacquerware,metalworking,dollmaking,bambooworking,woodworking,papermaking,andmore.26Ratherthanproducingworksofartthatwouldbeconnedtomuseums,thesear-tisanscreateartisticproductsforcustomerstopurchasefortheirownenjoyment,withsomeartisansmakingthistheirlivelihood.Moreover,manycraftingshopswelcomevisitorsandarehappytoletthemparticipateincertainpartsofthecraftprocess.Uniqueexperiencesthatcanbeenjoyedinthere-gionsaroundTokyoincludepaintingwashi(Japanesepaper)productsinAizuwakamat-su,weavingsilktextilesinGunmaPrefecture,andmakingpotteryinIbarakiandTochigiPrefectures.Learningfromaveteranartisanwillnotonlymakeforanunforgettableexpe-rience,butalsogiveyouaverymeaningfulmementoofyourjourneyinJapan.