Traditional art forms can serve as launching points for new, cutting-edge products and technologies. Japanese silk braiding, kumihimo, traces its roots to the Jomon era (5500 BC) with techniques now integral to the production of high-strength materials such as the fiber-reinforced plastics used in products from golf clubs to airplane wings. In fact, NASA has been researching silk braiding in attempts to develop applications for spacecraft. In this program, leading kumihimo artist Makiko Tada and Hiroyuki Hamada, Professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology, explore the artistry of kumihimo and how ancient craftsmanship is being applied to new technologies.

Moderated by Joe Earle, Director of Japan Society Gallery.