The Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries will hold the “KOUGEI EXPO IN OKAYAMA” (the 40th Traditional Craft Products Month National Assembly) at Convex Okayama in Okayama Prefecture from November 3 to 5, 2023. The KOUGEI EXPO (Traditional Craft Products Month National Assembly) is held every November as the central event of “Traditional Craft Products Month,” which was established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to promote public understanding of traditional crafts and their popularization and boasts as many as 50,000 to 100,000 visitors each time. The 40th edition of the event, which began in 1984, will be held in Okayama Prefecture for the first time.

The main theme of this year’s event is “The Land of Sunshine is the Stage of Sunshine.” The key visual, which evokes the sun, is based on the idea that heritage traditional crafts from all over Japan will be meeting in Okayama Prefecture, which has a mild climate and many sunny days.

The festival will feature “TEWAZA LIVE,” which includes a workshop for adults and children alike, production demonstrations by artisans, and showcase of raw materials for raw silk and lacquer. Furthermore, there will be the “CRAFT MARKET” where visitors can purchase excellent products from all over Japan, and “The 25th Japan Traditional Craftsmen’s Association Works Exhibition,” an exhibition and competition of new craftworks where the outstanding skills of traditional craftspeople shine. In addition to traditional crafts from all over Japan, there will also be a corner introducing Bizen ware and Katsuyama bamboo crafts, which are nationally designated traditional crafts from Okayama, the host city of the event, as well as a display, sales, demonstrations, and hands-on production of local traditional crafts from Okayama Prefecture.

The 240 nationally designated “traditional crafts” are commodities for daily use made by hand by craftsmen in regions that have a considerable scale of production, mainly using raw materials and techniques that have been used continuously and handed down for more than 100 years. Various handicrafts have evolved with the changing times but are still cherished by people, adding color to their daily lives. This event is definitely worth a visit to experience the charm of handcrafts from all over Japan.

Related information

KOUGEI EXPO IN OKAYAMA (The 40th Traditional Craft Products Month National Assembly)

Dates: November 3 to 5, 2023
Venue: Convex Okayama Medium Exhibition Hall (675 Ouchida, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture)
Website: https://kougei-expo.com/okayama/

*For more details of the event, please check the official website.