Craftsmen in Time and Space (2020-24)
Watching the artisans at work, I came to realize that intelligence also lives in the body. It was as though they were carving into the immense current of time the things worthy of being preserved. I found myself wishing that my own filmmaking could aspire to the same.
A Master Weavers of Amami
(2021, 15 min, NHK World)
Once central to life on Amami Oshima, Oshima Tsumugi silk carries within its elegant surface the hardships and resilience woven through the island’s history.
Director: Naoki Uchiyama
Cinematography & Editing: Naoki Uchiyama, Toru Kubota
Natural Ice Farmers
(2021, 15min, NHK World)
In Nikko, a father and son cultivate natural ice using nothing but the cold of winter. Their quiet labor in harmony with nature restores a fading sense of time.
Director: Naoki Uchiyama Cinematography: Naoki Uchiyama, Toru Kubota
Keeping Barrel-brewed Soy Sauce Alive
(2021, 15分, NHK World)
Traditional soy sauce brewed in wooden barrels now faces extinction. On Shodoshima, one brewer rises to revive the lost craft of barrel-making.
Director: Naoki Uchiyama
Cinematography: Naoki Uchiyama, Toru Kubota
Kioke Shoyu
Kioke Shoyu
(2022-24)
Traveling across Japan’s breweries, this film captures the traditional craft of soy sauce making. Each region reveals its own climate, flavor, and the heritage carefully preserved by generations of artisans.
Director / Cinematography / Editing: Toru Kubota
Japanese ‘Sumi’ Inksticks
(2019, 15min, NHK World)
Seeking the purest black, a sumi ink artisan devotes his life to soot and fire. In Suzuka, a thousand-year-old craft still burns brightly today.
Director: Naoki Uchiyama
Cinematography: Naoki Uchiyama, Toru Kubota