Between Tuesday 01 to Sunday 13 September 2026, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow Dr. Clara Momoko Geber-Mérida gave local audiences in Norwich an insight into the world of women in traditional craft in Tokyo through a specially curated exhibition, Making Tokyo’s Craftswomen Visible: Traditional Techniques in Motion. Despite their long history of working in craft spaces, women’s roles within these industries have been largely confined to the background or support roles, representing only sixteen per cent of the nation’s traditional craft makers according to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The exhibition shed light on a new generation of craftswomen who are emerging as important makers in their own right and changing the landscape of traditional crafts. Taking a selection of high-quality prints as its focus, the displays traced the work of several craftswomen from Tokyo’s Arakawa District – from copper teapots by Kumaki Kaho and Nakamura Akiko, to folding fans by Fukatsu Yoshiko. Clara’s unique position as both scholar and photographer allowed a particularly intimate insight into this world, working closely with the women she interviewed for her research while capturing the impressive skills and knowledge they have developed relating to their craft.
The subject of the exhibition is a timely one – while these craftswomen are making important and fundamental changes to the landscape of traditional crafts within Japan, their industry is also increasingly at risk from issues around the inflating cost of raw materials, studio and accommodation prices, and of childcare. Clara’s exhibition not only explored the work of these remarkable women, but also provided attendees with direct ways of engaging with the work of the makers through QR codes throughout the exhibition linking to individual websites and Instagram pages.
During an opening event, Clara expressed her sincere thanks to all involved in the arrangements for the exhibition and associated activities, as well as to the craftswomen themselves who had opened their workshops and lives to her, allowing her to capture, create and curate this personal portrayal of their crafts through a carefully built relationship of mutual respect and trust. Attendees were also treated to a series of specially produced postcards featuring some of the images of crafts from the displays. As well as being a souvenir from the exhibition, the postcards also provided the physical means to implement one of the key messages of the exhibition—that to help secure the future of these craftswomen, we can share and spread the word about their work. A small library of associated publications from the Lisa Sainsbury Library was also available within the exhibition, allowing visitors to explore the broader context of traditional crafts within Japan and how the makers featured in the displays related to this.
The exhibition was accompanied by a well-attended workshop which proved so popular that a livestream was offered to accommodate attendees from across the world. Women in Traditional Craft: Past, Present, and Future Possibilities invited a panel of six international speakers along with an opening presentation by Clara, to discuss topics relating to women in traditional craft and future directions for the field. Presentations included: Dr Clara Momoko Geber-Mérida (Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow 2025–2026) with an introductory session on ‘Women in Traditional Craft – A Complicated History?’; Dr Ai Fukunaga (Chester Beatty) on visible female craftspeople in Edo-period art; Dr Christine Guth (independent scholar) on Utamaro’s print series portraying women and craft culture; Dr Ryoko Matsuba (Ritsumeikan University) on gender and recognition in Japanese papermaking; Dr Monika Hinkel (SOAS University of London) on women’s roles in mokuhanga woodblock printing; Dr Victoria Mitchell (Norwich University of the Arts) on endangered British crafts and women makers within it; and Hitomi Hosono (ceramic artist) on her own journey from Kutani painting to botanical porcelain sculpture. The final roundtable discussion looked forward to the future of traditional crafts and women’s role within this, and essential discussions on the unique position of researchers and scholars in preserving and disseminating knowledge about these spaces that are increasingly under threat. You can view the full programme here.
Through the displays and activities, Clara encouraged us to reframe our current perceptions around gender and craft in Japan, to carefully consider the particular gendered experience of women working within crafts, and how we as individuals can transform our appreciation into tangible support for the determined and inspiring women at the heart of this generational change within Japan’s craft community.
With many congratulations to Clara for undertaking and presenting this important research and highlighting this to local, national and international audiences.
With thanks to the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation for their support of the workshop.
Olivia Butler
Digital Research Coordinator | Event and Project Coordinator