Living National Treasures

This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.Broadcast Transcript: Loud are the lamentations over the loss of national cultural identity in the growing homogeny of global world culture. Well, many countries are doing something about it and Japan is one of them. Not wishing to see such traditional art forms as bunraku puppetry or kimono silk dyeing vanish, Japan established Living Treasures. Begun in 1950 as a breastwork against the onslaught of Meiji Era industrialization, the program designates certain craftspeople as Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties. The lofty title comes with a mandate to pass the skill along so that there will always be a master of the intangible living among us. Oh. And in the understanding that artists can't live by intangibles alone, it also comes with a very tangible stipend. #ceas #hacker #japan #vonholte