12 Jobs That Take A Lifetime To Master | So Expensive | Insider Business
TLDRThis video explores the dedication and unique techniques of artisans around the world, highlighting their commitment to excellence in traditional crafts. From Yoshiyuki Hata's meticulous calligraphy brush making in Japan, to the revival of ancient Tyrian purple dye in Tunisia, and the ethical production of foie gras in Spain, each story showcases the artisans' passion for preserving their craft. It also delves into the challenges and innovations within industries like Japanese denim making, the creation of Damascus steel knives, and the cultivation of ceremonial-grade matcha and olive wagyu beef in Japan. These narratives not only celebrate the artisans' skills but also their influence on maintaining cultural heritage and pushing for sustainability in their fields.
Takeaways
- ๐ Making handmade luxury goods like carpets, kimonos or knives requires meticulous craftsmanship and can take months or years to produce.
- ๐ฉโ๐จ Artisans customize and embellish materials like wool, silk or metal to create one-of-a-kind pieces valued for their beauty and quality.
- ๐จ There are masters of crafts ranging from calligraphy brushes in Japan to bronze pots in Korea who have specialized in these trades for decades.
- ๐ Globemaking is a rare and intricate craft - customized globes with handpainted maps and engraved bases take 4-6 months and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
- โ Ceremonial matcha is made from the youngest, most nutrient-rich leaves which are carefully shaded, harvested and stone-ground over an hour to preserve flavor.
- ๐ฅญ 'Egg of the Sun' mangoes grown in Miyazaki, Japan are perfectly ripe, unblemished fruits obtained through meticulous greenhouse cultivation methods.
- ๐ท In Extremadura, Spain, Eduardo Sousa makes 'ethical' foie gras by letting geese roam and eat acorns freely, unlike force-feeding used in typical production.
- ๐ On Japan's olive island, farmer Masaki Ishii spent years developing olive-fed wagyu, which has 30% more oleic acid than regular wagyu beef.
- ๐ผ The finer and more intricate the pattern welded into Damascus steel, the stronger, sharper and more valuable the hand-forged knife.
- ๐จ From dyeing the smoothest indigo on jeans to painting flawless calligraphy brushes, perfection is achieved through generations of mastery.
Q & A
How long did it take Yoshiyuki Hata to collect the hairs used to make his high-quality calligraphy brushes?
-Yoshiyuki Hata spent 20 years collecting and combining only the best hairs to make his calligraphy brushes.
Why is goat hair considered one of the best materials for making calligraphy brushes?
-Goat hair from the Yangtze River Delta white goats is classified as Type III hair and is highly sought-after for brushmaking because it's soft yet durable and retains ink well.
What makes the process of making iron kettles in Japan so tedious?
-The process of making iron kettles in Japan is tedious because everything is done manually, from making the molds to shaping the kettles with hammers to applying the lacquer by hand.
How does climate change affect the production of Tyrian purple dye?
-Climate change has led to changes in water temperature that have severely declined the murex snail population, making it harder to source enough snails to produce the dye.
What makes Japanese selvage denim different from regular denim?
-Japanese selvage denim is woven on old narrow shuttle looms which produce a rougher, heavier, and more irregular fabric. It is also dyed with natural indigo and sewn by hand, increasing cost.
Why did it take so long for Eduardo Sousa's foie gras to gain popularity?
-It took until 2006 for Eduardo's foie gras to gain popularity when he won an award at the SIAL food expo, drawing attention to his ethical production methods.
What is the benefit of using olive pomace to feed wagyu cows?
-Feeding wagyu cows olive pomace increases the oleic acid content in the beef, making it even more richly marbled and tender.
How does the labor involved impact the cost of a handmade globe?
-The extensive labor required at every stage of production, which can take 4-6 months per globe, accounts for most of the high cost of a handmade globe.
Why is ceremonial-grade matcha ground slowly using a stone mill?
-Grinding matcha slowly on a stone mill preserves nutrients and gives ceremonial-grade matcha its fine, glossy texture, distinguishing it from lower culinary grades.
What extra care makes Taiyo no Tamago mangoes so expensive?
-Taiyo no Tamago mangoes receive extra care like vine management, controlled greenhouse conditions, and fruit protection to grow perfect, unblemished, sweet mangoes.
Outlines
๐๏ธ The Art of Calligraphy Brush Making
This section introduces Yoshiyuki Hata, a third-generation brushmaker from Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, who has dedicated his life to the meticulous craft of making calligraphy brushes, a tradition spanning over 90 years. Hata's approach, described as 'no-compromise craftsmanship,' involves a painstaking process of selecting, preparing, and aligning high-quality goat hair to create brushes that are highly valued by master calligraphers. The narrative highlights the declining number of skilled brushmakers and the challenges of maintaining traditional craftsmanship in the modern era.
๐ Global Craftsmanship and Dedication
This paragraph expands on the theme of dedication to craftsmanship around the world, comparing Yoshiyuki Hata's brushmaking to other artisans' work, such as the intricate process of making Zellige tiles in Morocco and the revival of ancient Tyrian purple dye in Tunisia. The focus is on the artisans' meticulous attention to detail and the preservation of traditional techniques, illustrating the universal value of craftsmanship and the challenges of passing these skills to the next generation amidst modern pressures.
๐บ Moroccan Zellige Tile Craftsmanship
Detailing the labor-intensive process of creating Zellige tiles in Fez, Morocco, this paragraph emphasizes the skill and patience required to craft these unique tiles. It describes the entire production process from clay preparation to the final design assembly, highlighting the importance of each artisan's role in maintaining the tradition's integrity. The narrative underscores the tiles' aesthetic appeal and the challenges of attracting new talent to this traditional craft.
๐ฐ The Economics of Craftsmanship
This section discusses the financial aspects of artisanal craftsmanship, using the example of Zellige tile making in Morocco. It explains how the complexity of tile shapes and designs directly influences the production cost, making some pieces significantly more expensive than others. The narrative also touches on the global appreciation for Moroccan design, including its use in modern architecture, despite the difficulties in sustaining traditional craftsmanship and training new artisans.
๐ฎ Ancient Craftsmanship Revived
Focusing on Mohamed Ghassen Nouira's efforts to revive the lost art of making Tyrian purple dye in Tunisia, this paragraph showcases the painstaking research and experimentation required to rediscover ancient methods. Nouira's dedication exemplifies the broader theme of artisans working to preserve and revive ancient traditions, often facing significant challenges such as sourcing raw materials and mastering complex techniques without modern guidance.
๐ The Challenge of Sustainable Craftsmanship
This section highlights the difficulties of sustainable craftsmanship through the lens of Ghassen Nouira's Tyrian purple dye production. It details the laborious process of extracting dye from murex snails and the environmental and economic challenges faced, such as the decline in snail populations and the high cost of raw materials. This narrative underscores the delicate balance between reviving ancient crafts and ensuring environmental sustainability.
๐ฟ Japanese Denim: A Tradition of Quality
Exploring the intricate process of making Japanese selvage denim, this paragraph highlights the meticulous attention to detail and traditional techniques used by artisans in Kojima, Japan. It discusses the time-consuming methods of dyeing threads with natural indigo and weaving fabric on old shuttle looms, emphasizing the high quality and unique characteristics of Japanese denim. The narrative reflects on the dedication required to maintain this artisanal tradition in the face of modern manufacturing pressures.
๐ช The Craft of Damascus Knife Making
This section delves into the art of Damascus knife making, as practiced by master bladesmith Zack Jonas. It describes the complex process of creating Damascus steel, the skill and precision required at each step, and the unique aesthetic qualities of the finished knives. Jonas's dedication to his craft and the challenges of maintaining high standards in a niche market are highlighted, showcasing the blend of tradition and innovation in modern craftsmanship.
๐ช The Precision of Craft in Knife Making
Detailing the final stages of Damascus knife creation, this paragraph emphasizes the critical role of precision and skill in grinding, handle making, and etching. It showcases the care taken to ensure each knife meets the high standards expected by chefs and culinary enthusiasts, reflecting on the importance of craftsmanship in producing tools that combine beauty, functionality, and exceptional quality.
๐ต The Tradition of Japanese Iron Kettles
Focusing on the traditional craft of making iron kettles in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, this section outlines the meticulous process of designing, molding, and finishing each kettle by hand. It highlights the aesthetic principle of wabi-sabi embraced in the kettles' design, the historical significance of this craft, and the modern challenges of competing with mass-produced alternatives. The narrative underscores the artisans' commitment to preserving a centuries-old tradition amid changing market demands.
๐ฅ Preserving the Art of Korean Bangjja Yugi
This paragraph explores the traditional Korean craft of making hand-forged bronzeware, known as bangjja yugi. It details the extensive experience and skill required to work with bronze at high temperatures, the historical significance of the craft, and the modern efforts to sustain it. The narrative reflects on the challenges of preserving such a labor-intensive tradition in a modern context and the dedication of artisans like Lee Bong-ju to maintaining the quality and heritage of their work.
๐ The Global Impact of Handmade Crafts
Summarizing the overarching theme of the video script, this paragraph underscores the global significance of maintaining and celebrating traditional craftsmanship. From Japanese brush making to Moroccan Zellige tiles and Tunisian Tyrian purple dye, the narrative connects various crafts through their shared challenges of sustainability, the transmission of skills, and the balance between tradition and modernity. It highlights the artisans' dedication to their crafts and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กcraftsmanship
๐กartisan
๐กapprenticeship
๐กquality
๐กtradition
๐กprecision
๐กpatience
๐กdedication
๐กhandmade
๐กimperfection
Highlights
Proposed a new convolutional neural network architecture called LeNet-5 for digit recognition.
LeNet-5 had a novel structure with alternating convolution and subsampling layers to reduce dimensions.
Developed gradient-based learning techniques to train deep neural networks effectively.
Introduced hyperparameters like learning rate, momentum, weight decay to optimize training.
Showed LeNet-5 achieving near-human accuracy of 99.3% on the MNIST dataset.
Proposed approaches for distortion invariance like local receptive fields and weight sharing.
Inspired later breakthroughs in deep learning for computer vision applications.
LeNet-5 was commercialized by AT&T for reading checks, recognizing signatures.
Techniques like convolution, pooling became essential elements of deep CNN architectures.
First turning point from shallow to deep networks for pattern recognition.
Showed backpropagation viable to train multi-layer neural networks.
Enabled practical applications of deep learning to image and speech recognition.
Paper had over 70,000 citations reflecting huge influence on computer vision.
Ranked #1 most influential paper in AI by IEEE in 2016.
LeNet-5 was a major milestone advancing neural network design and training.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
How 11 Ancient Crafts Survived For Centuries | Still Standing | Insider Business
Why 11 Of The World's Priciest Items Are So Expensive | So Expensive Season 11 | Insider Business
Why Ceremonial-Grade Matcha Is So Expensive | So Expensive Food | Business Insider
10 Indian Businesses Making The Most Expensive Products In The World | So Expensive
10 African Businesses Making The Worldโs Most Expensive Products | So Expensive | Business Insider
18 Surprising, Billion-Dollar Food Industries | Business Insider Marathon
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: