Japan has a long tradition of superb craft work in many media, including ceramics, textiles, laquerwork, metal, wood, glass, and bamboo. The worldwide appreciation and respect for Japanese crafts is embedded in Japanese social mores and culture. Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan presents some of the finest examples of art-craft created in Japan in the past fifty years, submitted to the Japan Art Craft Association annual exhibition, an open and competitive showcase inaugurated in 1954.

A number of the artists included are considered "Living National Treasures," holders of special...