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Winners Announced for the 2nd Kyoto Craft and Design Competition “TRADITION for TOMORROW”!

第2回 京都クラフトアンドデザインコンペティション「TRADITION for TOMORROW」受賞者発表！

The Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto / operated by the Kyoto Industrial Promotion Center Co., Ltd.) held the awards ceremony for the 2nd Kyoto Craft and Design Competition “TRADITION for TOMORROW” on March 22, 2026, and officially announced the winning works.

This competition invites proposals that bring traditional craft techniques and materials into contemporary life. This year, a total of 138 entries were submitted from a wide range of participants—from teenagers to people in their 70s—representing regions across Japan from Miyagi in the north to Okinawa in the south, as well as international entries from the United States and Mexico.

Following a rigorous selection process, the winning works were chosen for their ability to harmonize tradition with modern lifestyles. These include a wooden bench addressing forestry challenges, a sweatshirt incorporating the traditional kinsai (gold embellishment) technique, and jeans reinterpreting Okinawan textile traditions.

◉Grand Prize: “BENCH ”A”” Keiichi Doi

Overview: A two-seater bench made from Kyoto-grown cypress (hinoki), featuring a simple yet highly refined design.

・Craft Field: Woodworking
・Materials: Cypress (from Kyoto Prefecture)

▼Selection Rationale

  • Addressing forestry challenges: By adding value to softwood (hinoki), typically used as a construction material, the work proposes a new way of delivering it to everyday life as furniture.
  • Refined aesthetics and craftsmanship: The piece achieves both structural strength and visual lightness depending on the viewing angle, demonstrating a distinctly Kyoto-style restraint and precision in craftsmanship.
  • Versatility: Its high level of completion allows it to integrate seamlessly into environments ranging from commercial facilities to public spaces.


◉Runner-up Prize: “POP Shochikubai” by Miyake Crafts × Kyoto Seika University

Overview: A sweatshirt decorated with kinsai, a traditional embellishment technique used in bridal kimono, designed to be washable at home.

・Craft Field: Kinnsai, Kyo-Yuzen
・Materials: Cotton, silver foil, metallic foil

▼Selection Rationale

  • Everyday application of craft: Traditionally associated with formal occasions, kinsai is reimagined in a playful design for casual wear, integrating tradition into modern fashion without imposing it.
  • Practical innovation: The technical achievement of adapting a delicate traditional technique to a washable, durable apparel item was highly valued.


◉Student Prize: “Ramie Jeans Prototype – Akizu” by Nagi Otsuki (Graduate School, Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts)

Overview: Jeans made from traditional Okinawan ramie (choma) fabric, dyed with Ryukyu indigo and natural dyes.

・Craft Field:Weaving
・Materials: Warp: Ramie (dyed with Ryukyu indigo, Indian madder) Weft: Ramie (dyed with fukugi)

▼Selection Rationale

  • Reinterpretation of materials: Utilizing the unique crisp texture and translucency of ramie, the work reconstructs denim into practical clothing suited for hot climates.
  • Conceptual depth: By combining traditional techniques with the iconic workwear form of jeans, the piece conveys a strong artistic message rooted in regional culture.


◉Audience Award: "High Stool" Yoshio Furutani

Overview: A counter stool crafted from zelkova wood from Shokoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, finished with fuki-urushi (wiped lacquer). Constructed using the traditional joinery technique kaku-hozo, all joints are carefully carved to create smooth, flowing surfaces. The deep seat carving and supportive back rise are designed for ergonomic comfort.

・Craft Field: Woodworking
・Materials: Zelkova, lacquer

The Audience Award was determined by public voting conducted during the exhibition period from February 7 to March 8. Out of 1,441 total votes, this work received the highest number (89 votes) and was selected as the winner.


◉Special Jury Award (2 works)

"Sosen Aogi" Shimizu Shoten Co., Ltd. “Chiso Metal Fittings Tray [Sushi]” by Haruka Fujimoto (Graduate School, Tokyo University of the Arts)
Overview: A newly designed fan that can be enjoyed both as a functional cooling tool and as a decorative object, featuring an original structure that does not use traditional fan ribs (nakabone). Overview: A craftwork that recreates the vivid colors of sushi using only the natural coloration produced by chemical reactions in metal, employing traditional metal engraving and hammering techniques.　
▼Selection Rationale
  • Technical response to industry challenges: In addressing the serious shortage of fan ribs, the work presents a bold conceptual shift—forming a fan without ribs—resulting in a contemporary and refined aesthetic.
  • Reconstruction of tradition: While overturning conventional notions of folding fans, the piece retains the delicacy and elegance of hand craftsmanship, successfully elevating it into a design that resonates with modern sensibilities.
 ▼Selection Rationale
  • Fusion of technique and playfulness: The work reinterprets kazari-kanagu (decorative metal fittings), typically used as supporting elements in Buddhist altars, by applying them to the familiar motif of sushi—achieving a striking balance of precision and humor.
  • A new translation of tradition: The piece updates highly specialized traditional techniques into a form that intuitively conveys both “impressiveness” and “enjoyment” across generations and cultures, showcasing a uniquely flexible, student perspective.


◉Miyakomesse President’s Award (Special Award by the Organizer, 2 works)

“Cylindrical Kumiko Lantern ‘Bokyo (Longing for Home)’” by Takahiro Saeki “Yo–In: Nishijin Textile Dresses Expressing Duality” by HOUSE of DAISHO
Overview: A lantern crafted using kumiko woodwork, traditionally made in square or polygonal forms, here reimagined into a cylindrical structure through extensive experimentation. By combining traditional patterns such as nijū-bishi (double diamond), the piece evokes the mountain landscapes of the artist’s hometown. Overview: A pair of dresses made from Nishijin textiles, proposing a shared experience in which a mother and daughter wear the same fabric as an obi and as dresses. The designs interpret the emotions surrounding a wedding through the duality of yo (light) and in (shadow).
▼Selection Rationale
 Challenging technical limits with narrative expression: Achieving a cylindrical form—considered highly difficult in kumiko, which relies on straight wooden elements—demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship. The use of multiple traditional patterns to depict an evocative “landscape of home” was highly valued as a new form of expression.		 ▼Selection Rationale 

Emotional value and expansion of tradition: The work elevates Nishijin textiles beyond material use into a symbolic medium that carries the bond between mother and daughter. By translating traditional kimono textiles into contemporary dresses, it presents a new way for craft to accompany important life moments.


Introduction of Judges

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