Survival strategies for the transformation of traditional Japanese crafts based on the Double Diamond model

Abstract

Traditional crafting is challenged by a weakening demand due to lifestyle changes and rampant, cheap alternative imports. With great difficulties in tapping into new markets and scarce successors carrying forward crafting traditions, external support is required to facilitate a positive transformation of traditional crafting. This study selected six cases as examples of positive transformation in traditional crafting designated by the Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI). Field interviews and investigations were performed, followed by a craft transformation framework based on the Double Diamond model. This study classified the survival strategies of traditional Japanese crafting industries into internal and external environmental reforms through an extensive literature review. Internal environmental reforms are related to collaborative reconstruction, design creativity, and brand recognizability. In contrast, external environmental reforms pertain to industry tours, industry-government-university-institution collaboration, and diverse marketization. This study’s findings are as follows: 1. Crafting survival strategies effectively promote public cultural recognition of its tradition; 2. Analyses of survival strategies through internal and external environmental reforms might inspire sustained operation of crafting traditions; 3. Craft transformation might contribute to cultural reflections in the past and present. Japanese crafting traditions should survive and thrive generation after generation through fueling by survival strategies.