Kirikane consists of precisely cutting ultra thin foil (less than 1/1,000th of a mm) and affixing each strip to create a pattern. This technique has been passed down in Japan since the Asuka period a an ornamental craft used for Buddhist statues. Today kirikane is designated as one of 74 traditional industries in Kyoto. Kyoto-based kirikane artist Otsuka Kasen has incorporated these traditional techniques to create a business card holder. The holders are based on natural images depicting the changing four seasons, ranging from scenes of cherry blossoms, autumnal leaves, and fireflies. Otsuka expresses each image using a delicate touch, allowing you to feel the charms of the kirikane craft. Her products are quickly growing in popularity.

Otsuka developed a deep interest in Buddhist arts after taking a Buddhist art class in elementary school. After finishing school, she joined a Buddhist statue-making workshop, and came across the kirikane technique while overseeing the coloration of the statues. At the time, there were not many people who were trained in the craft. Otsuka learned kirikane through word-of-mouth instruction, using a trial-and-error method to master the technique. At the age of 25 she became a kirikane artist, making authentic items such as lacquered tea ware and more. In addition to showing works at the Tanko Biennale Tea Ceremony Arts Open Exhibition and the Japanese Traditional Crafts Kinki Exhibition, she has lectured and shown in Germany and other places overseas, receiving significant praise for her work.

As a decorative art form that developed through Buddhism, kirikane is a unique craft, requiring the foil to be applied without any preliminary sketching, despite requiring complex curves along the human body. The special business card holder was created using a bold and delicate technique which was once praised as being akin to magic. You’ll never want to let it go, as the unfading brightness of the foil almost feels like a living thing.