Traditional Arts and Crafts of Japan and Nepal

Though Nepal and Japan are quite far apart, there are a number of similarities in the traditional arts and crafts of both countries - handmade rice paper, pottery, dyeing and printing, bambooware, metalware, woodwork and textiles.This comparative study of the income-generating traditional arts and crafts of Japan and Nepal studies each of these arts and crafts in detail. It finds that these arts and crafts have traditionally provided great job opportunities in both countries but that their survival is now threatened by cheaper machine-made goods. In Japan the public and private sector has responded with incentives for artisans and craftsmen to remain active and preserve the glory of the past, whereas in Nepal no such incentives are found. The Japanese have adapted the traditional arts and crafts without deforming their character; the Nepalese, however, are still practising their arts and crafts with only minor modifications. For those interested in the survival of the wonderful traditional arts and crafts in modern Nepal