Since it’s founding in Florence in 1921 Gucci have become synonymous with craftsmanship and quality and in their latest campaign in Japan the heritage brand are highlighting the same values in Japan’s master craftsmen. As an “irreplaceable cultural property” itself the brand have launched the blog “HAND” where they are putting focus on Japan’s monozukuri roots and living cultural treasures.
The blog features videos and articles that attempt to uncover the tradition of craftsmanship and draws parallels with the Gucci brand. Part one looks at Akihisa Yamamoto a traditional craftsman who inherited the status of “person of intangible cultural heritage” from his grandfather after learning his techniques. Yamamoto was invited to exhibit his handcrafted mirrors at an exhibition with Gucci to commemorate their 90th anniversary last year. The video shows the pain staking process Yamamoto applies to produce his products that are works of art as much as they are mirrors. Scraping, shaving, and chiseling to slowly turn the material into the finished product Yamamoto exemplifies the attention to detail that traditional Japanese products are born out of.
The blog is a nice branding exercise from Gucci in Japan showing understanding of the importance of cultural value and history and a need to protect the skills that have been passed down through generations. This kind of association reverberates particularly well in Japan where a mature luxury consumer looks to associate themselves with heritage brands where understated but extremely high levels of quality are demanded.
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Darrell is a native of the U.K. and has been in Japan since 2002. He consults on innovation and strategy at the 
