BBC 4

October 28, 2022 10:12 PM

'Handmade in Japan' Episode 1: Samurai Sword. Episode 2: The Kimono. Episode 3: Mingei Pottery.
posted by clavdivs (8 comments total)

One of the last things I watched on TV before I left home for adulthood was Jacob Brownowski's 1973 BBC series The Ascent of Man. One section was on forging katana in traditional style: they gauged the T°C of the steel from its colour! So cool neat! This link is my red-as-the-sunset-in-midwinter jam, thanks!
posted by BobTheScientist at 2:30 AM on October 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

This will be of extreme interest to certain individuals in my life. Thank you
posted by medusa at 4:05 AM on October 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

Site dies with an adblocker running. Too bad, I would have watched those.
posted by Snowflake at 9:00 AM on October 29, 2022

Yeah, on a mobile device this awful drop-down pop-up kept dropping down right over the top 1/3 of the video. Like, over and over. I'd hit the little X and five seconds later it would come back. Really cool stuff, but is it available on any other website?
posted by cubeb at 9:54 AM on October 29, 2022

The first half of the kimono video was wonderful to watch. Tannin and mud warp ikat, beautifully photographed. Then an ad played and the playback broke but I am glad I got to see the full winding, patterning, dyeing, weaving part.
posted by janell at 10:00 AM on October 29, 2022 [1 favorite]

If you like this, you will LOVE the this YouTube channel. Every imaginable traditional Japanese craft, with beautiful soothing music and occasionally a little commentary.
posted by SinAesthetic at 12:36 PM on October 29, 2022 [5 favorites]

Really cool stuff, but is it available on any other website?

yt-dlp (a command-line downloader for youtube and other videos) works with that site (dailymotion).

Probably a bunch of GUI downloaders and browser extensions do too, but I don't have experience with them.
posted by trig at 2:38 PM on October 29, 2022

These were all delightful, thank you! (No ads, no popups at all, Chrome + ABP)
I loved the bit in the katana video where the smith introduced his wife as "our finance minister" and she sort of laughed and playfully punched him in the arm. Such a human moment. Just lovely!
posted by xedrik at 1:16 PM on October 30, 2022 [2 favorites]