The 41st Nihon-Kogeikai: the very best traditional Japanese arts & crafts of the Kinki region

This is a very unusual post in the sense that I do not have any pictures for you, only a poster (front and back) that's not even my own design. My defense is that this exposition is too amazing to miss and it was not allowed to take pictures, understandably maybe.

Anyway, this exposition is still two more days held at the department store Isetan Mitsukoshi in Osaka. The Nihon-Kogeikai (or Kogeiten) is a traveling exhibition of the very best traditional art & craft works of the Kansai region (or Kinki region, which is the same). Every item on display won prices earlier in another 'competetion' of a sort. That could be regionally or nationally, but all works are Japanese arts & crafts and belong to one of the following disciplines: woods & bamboo craft, ceramics, lacquer ware, textiles (kimono a.o.), dolls, glass, metal ware or 'miscellaneous'. The most exquisite of these art pieces were collected together to star at this 41th expo. Each of the 5 days of the exhibition a master in one of the art & craft forms will give a presentation, today a bamboo master is taking the stage. Even is you do not understand Japanese, go see the best the Kansai region has to offer, you will not regret it!

Every prefecture in Japan has it's own regional exhibition with the best works in the traditional arts. From these regional winners the best are hand picked to continue to the 'Nitten' exhibition. A national 'competition' for the very, very, very best in arts & crafts of Japanese traditional handwork. The Nitten is also a traveling exhibition. Unfortunately for me it has already visited these region's for this year exhibition, but I'm rooting for nest time I visit Japan.