Japanese society has a deep historical and cultural foundation for the cultivation and shaping of craftsmen. The tradition of craftsmen was inspired during the Nara era, initially formed during the Middle Ages, established during the Edo period, and injected important force into Japan's economic take-off as a universal value in modern and post-war times. The religious beliefs and national character in the Japanese cultural tradition are the important foundation for the formation of the Japanese craftsman tradition. Driven by the idea of "god's handicraft," the pursuit of perfection and excellence gradually evolved into the value ethic and spiritual direction of the modern Japanese merchant systematically to become rich until the "craftsman society" was gradually generalized, and the craftsman tradition was well inherited and promoted here. However, under different historical conditions, craftsman tradition is inevitably integrated with economy and politics in a cultural form that is either advanced or backward, healthy or decadent. It has a counter impact on Japanese society. The secret to the success of Japanese manufacturing in the past was the apprenticeship system and lifelong employment system under the inheritance of family culture, where craftsmanship was inherited and developed under official protection. However, in the current era of significant changes in science and technology, Japan's former manufacturing giants have begun to seek quick success and instant benefits under the control of instrumental rationality. The culture of craftsmanship has gradually been hidden, and the lost craftsmanship tradition has led to frequent scandals or embarrassing situations.

Japan  /  craftsman tradition  /  cultural foundation  /  historical evolution