Bamboo has long been a familiar material close to the lives of Japanese people, used in various forms such as baskets, tools, and building materials. On the other hand, bamboo craft as a fine art is a profound world built upon meticulous handwork and a refined sense of form.

In this interview, we spoke with bamboo artist Shosei Fujitsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture's only National Living Treasure in the crafts sector. Known for his signature technique "彩変化", which shifts color depending on the angle from which it is viewed, how did Fujitsuka embark on the path of bamboo crafts and arrive at this unique form of expression?

In Part 1, we look at the unexpected origins of his flagship technique, "彩変化", and the path a star-loving young man took before encountering bamboo.

The Unexpected Origin of the Magical "彩変化"

A natural material like bamboo vividly shifts its color depending on the angle you look at it. A piece that appears dyed in rich purple when viewed from the right transforms seamlessly into jet black as your perspective moves to the left—

This is "彩変化" (Saihenge), the signature technique of bamboo artist Shosei Fujitsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture's sole National Living Treasure (Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property) in the crafts field.

Fujitsuka has pursued his own distinct expression ever since an era when using vivid colors like green or purple was considered taboo in the world of traditional crafts. Yet this magical technique, now his trademark, didn't come to him during rigorous bamboo training. In fact, its origin traces back to his youth—before he knew the first thing about bamboo—and a view from a crowded commuter train.

"When I was around 20, I saw a billboard that I thought was really interesting, and it just stayed in the back of my mind. Then, about 30 years later, it suddenly popped back into my head."

Fujitsuka recalls with a casual smile.

In the early 1970s, as a young man commuting to Shinagawa on the Tokaido Line, Fujitsuka was captivated by a massive billboard along the tracks. It consisted of triangular prisms lined up side-by-side that rotated at regular intervals to reveal a completely different image.

"Wow, how cool that it changes in an instant," he thought.

Yet that pure sense of wonder would remain dormant deep in his mind for years to come.

About 30 years passed, and Fujitsuka, having established himself as an independent bamboo artist, suddenly remembered that billboard. The conventional wisdom for bamboo strips was that they had to be either flat or round. But what if he shaved the bamboo strips into triangular shapes and assembled them with the apex pointing forward? By dyeing the left and right sides in different colors, wouldn't the color change depending on the viewing angle, just like that billboard?

He dyed bamboo split to a certain width black, shaved off both sides and the back to expose the natural white bamboo, and then shaved along the diagonal to create triangular strips, assembling them with the point facing front. Following meticulous calculations and painstaking handwork that no one had ever attempted before, his first "彩変化" piece was born in 2004. This groundbreaking technique, which expanded the boundaries of traditional craft, was born from a minor discovery during a young man's daily commute.

So, why did Fujitsuka, who was then commuting to Shinagawa, take his first steps into the world of bamboo craft? The answer lies not in some grand, romantic calling, but in a very real story of setback and decision-making.

A Young Man Enchanted by the Starry Sky and Breaking Free from "Hobbyism"

Born in Fukagawa Town (now Fukagawa City), Hokkaido, and raised in Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, Fujitsuka was a child whose worst subject was arts and crafts. He disliked drawing, preferring music and physical education. But above all, he loved the "starry night sky."

"I wanted to become an astronomer or work at an observatory, but you really have to be exceptionally smart for that. So I figured, well, that's impossible for me."

After graduating from high school, his passion for music led him to land a job at a record company. Day in and day out, he listened to records like Karajan's "運命" or the band The Tigers (which Kenji Sawada belonged to) to inspect them for scratches. However, feeling that "this isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life," he decided to quit.

Still unable to let go of his passion for the stars, he took a job at a service center for an optical equipment manufacturer that dealt in astronomical telescopes and similar products. His workplace was at Ikebukuro PARCO. There, he spent fulfilling days working as an "astronomy instructor," teaching children about the wonders of the night sky.

However, an incident dramatically changed Fujitsuka's destiny. Parents with children frequently visited the service center to buy telescopes. Believing that buying an expensive telescope for an elementary school student would be wasteful since they couldn't fully use it, Fujitsuka deliberately recommended and sold affordable, suitable options instead. Seeing this, a department manager visiting from headquarters called Fujitsuka over and reprimanded him:

"You're not doing this as a hobby!"

Those words struck Fujitsuka deeply.

"I realized, 'Ah, I really am doing this like a hobby.' You shouldn't turn the things you love into a job after all. Because you can't treat a job like a pastime."

Because he loved music, he joined a record company. Because he loved stars, he joined a telescope manufacturer. Fujitsuka had always turned his passions directly into his line of work, but at this point, he reached a major turning point.

To Watch the Stars at Night: A Fateful Encounter at Ikebukuro PARCO

"I wanted to earn an income doing a completely different job just so I could watch the stars at night. Sleep during the day, watch the stars at night. I realized I couldn't be an office worker to do that—being self-employed was the only way."

If he were self-employed, he could manage his own time. He could watch the stars all night long. To make that happen, he needed to learn a trade. One day during his break, while considering possibilities like becoming a shrine carpenter, he casually stopped by a shop selling bamboo crafts located one floor above where he worked at Ikebukuro PARCO.

There, he casually peered at a single round bamboo basket.

"Where do you even start weaving this?"

It was the moment pure intellectual curiosity sprouted in the heart of a young man who was supposed to be terrible at arts and crafts.

"I thought, maybe if I learned from an old artisan somewhere, I could do this. I envisioned going home to make baskets during the day and stargazing at night."

The initial encounter with bamboo for Fujitsuka, who would eventually rise to become a Living National Treasure, stemmed from the utterly shameless motive of "securing time to look at the stars."

He knew nothing about bamboo. He had never even touched traditional crafts before. Yet, driven solely by his passion to "watch the stars at night," 23-year-old Fujitsuka resolved to knock on the door of bamboo craft making. However, when he finally tracked down a master craftsman who exhibited at the Nitten exhibition, the master's very first words to him were completely unexpected.