Japan is unique in its combination of quality and ceremony regarding tools, directly feeding into its respect for tradition, regionality & mastery of technique. At the hands of their skilled owners, different tools can be seen to come to life (Tsukumogami), have a death (Kuyō), be dedicated to technical mastery (Intangible Cultural Heritage asset), or be shared with the general public (Factory Festivals). I have been making & researching tools within my artistic practice for over 10yrs.

The Tool Appreciation Society; home to my international research into artisans, making and tools. This is a gentle split that I give my artistic practice and my research into tool use internationally.  This split was really useful for me (and something I regularly employ) between my work as an artist and that as a researcher of tools.  It encapsulates my longstanding research into tools and their cultural importance.

My top 6 tips for successful artist research. I share these ideas as my best practice, feel free to use, disagree or agree as you see fit. Some of these I’ve had to learn the hard way and some are from being on the other side of the situation.

When thinking about the lifecycle of tools, it is essential to think about which tools are the ones that we treasure and how we make our conscious or unconscious delineation between what is necessary and what isn’t? 

I was able to experience a variety of workdays whilst travelling in Japan; both the closest and the furthest away to my working life were in the factories of Tsubame Sanjo. Often I was a visitor for part of the day but in three places; Gyokusendo, Suwada and Tadafusa. I was there for full working days, allowing me to experience the entire routine. Life in Tsubame and Sanjo felt familiar as I was visiting metal workshops and studios for the two weeks I was there; a large proportion was spent with Gyokusendo. My workshop set-up in the UK is quite similar to the artisans’ workshops I met, and lots of the tools felt very familiar.

Gallery of toolmakers I met along my travels

From an outsider's point of view, in a nation with a strong appreciation of seasonality, thinking about location seems natural. KOUBA – The Factory Festival in Tsubame-Sanjo is a fantastic example of what happens when a place collectively markets and organises around its unique characteristics. The Factory Festival gives national and international visitors a rare opportunity to visit factories and artisans, see inside their workshops, and witness things being made or even try themselves. Such experiences drive some sales and, more importantly, raise awareness of the skill and dedication necessary to make these goods.

The Factory Festival was an exhilarating experience: sharing behind-the-scenes in workshops to build a greater connection with the general public. I think we have a lot we could learn from this in the UK and this is a key area for me to explore with The Tool Appreciation Society. Something like the factory festival could work well in the UK, but the regional identities in Japan work so well. To mark a region as ‘x’, the capital of ‘x’ in the UK, would help establish this thinking.