The Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design (京都伝統産業ミュージアム) in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, is currently holding "Tradition Meets Today #7" in its exhibition room. A joint exhibition with the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology, "How Far Can Materials and Techniques Spread? (素材と技術は、どこまでひろがる？)", is running alongside it. Both exhibitions continue through Monday, December 28, 2026.
The exhibitions present where Kyoto's traditional industries stand today as they keep evolving while facing social issues, such as finding new uses as lifestyles change and exploring environmentally friendly materials. Through displays of products and production processes from a total of 12 businesses, they show how handcraft techniques refined over many years are being put to practical use in society through scientific approaches and collaboration with other fields.
Featured Products (12 Businesses in Total)
Tradition Meets Today #7
This section displays works by artisans and artists who carry on the foundations of the craftsmanship that supports traditional culture while continuing to take on new challenges with a contemporary sensibility.
清原織物 – Tsuzure-ori Art Panel: Three-dimensional fabric art woven from extra-thick silk thread of the kind used for stage curtains.
KYOTO Leather – Foil-Stamped Sneakers "HAKU": Shoes made of domestic cowhide leather, finished with Kanazawa gold leaf and Kyoto's traditional foil-stamping technique.
もとやま畳店 – Tatami Chair "夢の畳": A chair made with carefully selected domestic rush (igusa) and built to suit the ryurei style.
Weaving the Future – Nishijin-ori "Oh NeoNeo": Clothing designed and woven by combining Nishijin weaving techniques with biodegradable polyester yarn.
山元染工場 – Kata-yuzen Wrapping Paper: Made from more than 100,000 stencil patterns that had been stored for stage costumes, digitized and reconstructed.
COCOO – Urushi (Lacquer) Fabric "URUCEE": A cloth material in which lacquer is soaked into and set within the gaps between fibers, giving it flexibility and water resistance.
北山杉共創プロジェクト Ju-Raku-So – Washi and Paper Thread Upcycled Products: Cloth woven from paper thread, which is made from washi paper produced from unused Kitayama cedar resources.
How Far Can Materials and Techniques Spread? (素材と技術は、どこまでひろがる？) — In Collaboration with the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology
With support from the Institute, this section focuses on "the world just before a material becomes a product" and breaks down how techniques change materials.
辻徳 – Twisting Paper: Paper Thread and Paper Cloth: Strong paper thread and cloth made by deliberately cutting the base paper for gold and silver thread thick, then twisting and weaving it.
京都みす平 – Weaving Bamboo: Yae-ami Suiren Blind: A misu bamboo blind, used in special spaces, hand-woven from carefully selected bamboo.
杣長 – Making Threads Stand: Cosmetic Puff: A puff made of polyester velvet fabric with the pile length precisely adjusted.
佐藤喜代松商店 – Applying Tree Sap: Mycelium Vase: A vase 3D-molded from sawdust and cultured mycelium, with lacquer applied to the surface.
陶葊 – Letting Light Through Clay: Translucent Porcelain "ゆうはり": Porcelain that lets light pass through, made with cellulose nanofibers, a wood-derived material.
Exhibition Details
- Name: Tradition Meets Today #7 / Concurrent exhibition supported by the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology: "How Far Can Materials and Techniques Spread?"
- Dates: October 1 (Thu) – December 28 (Mon), 2026
- Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last admission 5:30 PM). Closed on Tuesday, November 24, Monday, December 7, and Monday, December 21.
- Venue: Exhibition Room, Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design (Miyako Messe, Kyoto City Kangyokan, Basement Level 1)
- Admission: General ¥500; elementary, junior high, and high school students and technical college students ¥400. Various discounts are listed on the official website.
- Organizer: Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design (Kyoto Industrial Promotion Center Co., Ltd.)
- Official page: https://kmtc.jp/special/2026/09/13/9264/
