Focusing on country’s traditional artisans
All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced today the launch of a new
website theme that celebrates “CRAFTSMANSHIP” as part of its “IS
JAPAN COOL?” program, which helps promote Japan to international
visitors. This new theme will have two features, including
interviews with seven traditional Japanese artisans and the SAMURAI
AVATAR.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180613005466/en/
ANA's "IS JAPAN COOL?" introduces new
theme "CRAFTSMANSHIP" (Graphic: Business Wire)
Japanese "CRAFTSMANSHIP" is a treasured skill no machine can
replicate. While many crafts are mass produced by machines today,
Japanese craftsmanship is handmade and created by skills passed
down for generations.
Although these skills are now becoming rare in today's world,
Japanese artisans take pride in their work and treasure the time
they put in creating their masterpieces, devoting their lives to
cherish the techniques inherited from their predecessors.
Through this new theme, ANA aims to share the treasured craft
legacies and put a spotlight on the beautiful Japanese hidden
talent.
“IS JAPAN COOL?” was launched in 2012 to bring Japanese culture
and attractions closer to people all around the world. In past
years, the website has covered Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Washoku
(Japanese cuisine), Anime (animation), Matsuri (festivals), and
DOU, reaching more than five million visitors from 152
countries.
The 2017 theme was DOU (DŌ), which is a composition of Japanese
traditional “budo (martial arts)” and “geido (performing/fine
arts).” This theme, illustrating Japanese arts through the use of
cutting-edge technology, was recognized with the bronze award in
the Interactive Craft category at THE ONE SHOW 2018, one of the
world’s most prestigious advertising accolades, on May 11,
2018.
“ANA hopes to preserve and honor Japanese craftsmanship,”
Takashi Shiki, ANA’s chairman of sales and marketing said. “We
believe the history and the skills of Japanese craftsmanship should
be cherished. We hope to encourage visitors to learn more about
Japanese artisans and traditions.”
IS JAPAN COOL? CRAFTSMANSHIP
The new theme focuses on artisans who practice traditional
Japanese arts and also includes interactive features such as
producing personalized samurai figures, the SAMURAI AVATAR.
On the interview page, visitors can read features and view
movies of unique Japanese skills such as traditional Japanese
carpentry, swordsmithing, armor making, dyeing, inkstick making,
glass cutting and food-sample making. Viewers can first enjoy a
50-second introduction movie that highlights the craftsmanship of
the seven artisans.
50-second footage
For each artisan, there will be a ten-minute movie introducing
the daily work and personal story of why they have chosen this way
of life and their dreams of inheriting and passing down their
legacy. Additionally, interview pages provide a photo gallery where
site visitors can enjoy crafts produced with wholehearted devotion
by Japanese artisans.
On the SAMURAI AVATAR page, visitors will be able to make their
own SAMURAI AVATAR, while experiencing the craftsmanship of
creating Japanese armor. Visitors simply upload a photo of
themselves and freely customize each part of the SAMURAI AVATAR and
create a one and only Japanese armor. After creating the SAMURAI
AVATAR, visitors can share it on social media, print it out on a 3D
printer to create their own action figure, or post it on a webpage
with other people’s SAMURAI AVATARS from around the world.
60-second footage offers a short summary introducing the outline
of the SAMURAI AVATAR. The movie uses CG images to demonstrate how
to make original Japanese armors from a selection of preferred
shapes and colors to create a 3D armor figure.
60-second footage
“We hope to increase awareness of the daily endeavors and
special skills of various craftsmen and artisans,” Shiki said. “The
website offers special content that will enable site visitors to
easily enjoy and learn about Japanese traditional culture.”
Recently, the number of international visitors to Japan has
exceeded the previous annual record of 28 million visitors. This
new content will help promote a deeper understanding of Japan,
saluting the craftsmanship and spirit of artisans who practice this
craft legacy.
To download the images within this press release, please refer
to the following
URL.http://www.ana-press.com/2018-06-13/(Available until
July 13, 2018 5PM JST)
About ANAFollowing the “Inspiration of Japan” high
quality of service, ANA has been awarded the respected 5-Star
rating from SKYTRAX for six consecutive years starting in 2013.
Additionally, ANA has been recognized by Air Transport World as
“Airline of the Year” three times in the past 10 years - 2007, 2013
and 2018, becoming one of the few airlines winning this prestigious
award for multiple times.ANA was founded in 1952 with two
helicopters and has become the largest airline in Japan, as well as
one of the most significant airlines in Asia, operating 85
international routes and 119 domestic routes. ANA offers a unique
dual hub model which enables passengers to travel to Tokyo and
connect through the two airports in the metropolitan Tokyo, NARITA
and HANEDA, to various destinations throughout Japan, and also
offers same day connections between various North American, Asian
and Chinese cities.ANA has been a member of Star Alliance since
1999 and has joint venture partnerships with United Airlines,
Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and
Austrian Airlines.Besides the full service and award winner carrier
ANA, the ANA Group has two LCCs as consolidated subsidiaries,
Vanilla Air Inc. and Peach Aviation Limited. The ANA Group carried
53.8 million passengers in FY2017, has approximately 39,000
employees and a fleet of 260 aircraft. ANA is a proud launch
customer and the biggest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
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“IS JAPAN COOL? CRAFTSMANSHIP” PR Office: AUR, Inc.Ashita Iju
(Mr.), Miyabi Ishida (Ms.), Kento Ohsawa (Mr.), Ariha
Ogura (Ms.), +81-3-5545-3888ijc_pr-ml@aur.co.jporANACorporate
CommunicationsTEL +81-3-6735-1111publicrelations@ana.co.jp