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Not many artisans left? In this age of mass production, yadda yadda.

I beg to differ. Masters of craft are always rare and valued, and Japan certainly has a long tradition of that. But artisanship, art and craft, and handmade items are still going strong. Not just in traditional societies around the world, but everywhere. In America even. In the last half of the 20th century there has been produced craft items in the United States, and elsewhere in the Western World, that rival any made in history, imo. Beautiful and useful items both. New trends in hand-made items are emerging, as one-off bespoke items are sold in vast quantities over the internet.

Just because most knives or chairs or baskets are mass produced, doesn't mean that there aren't dedicated craftsmen and artists pouring their heart and soul into these items they make by hand.