The Wisdom of the Hand: Hidden Potential

Fusako Fujiwara's magnum opus, which focuses on the manual housework passed down in Japanese homes and explores the wisdom and techniques embedded in those actions. This book introduces 35 manual tasks related to clothing, food, housing, and miscellaneous items, accompanied by abundant photographs.

The author meticulously observes everyday household actions such as "mixing," "cutting," "chopping," "sewing," "tying," and "wiping," uncovering their rationality and beauty. Using unique methods, such as light trail photography to visualize hand movements, the book highlights the value of life skills cultivated over many years.

This work received the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities in 1979. It is a masterpiece that documented the culture of manual work, which was gradually being lost amidst the lifestyle changes following the period of rapid economic growth, and re-evaluated housework not merely as labor but as an accumulation of wisdom and creativity. The content will also be of interest to readers keen on folk crafts, lifestyle culture, design, and bodily techniques.

[Title] The Wisdom of the Hand: Hidden Potential
[Publisher] Yamate Shobo
[Publication Date] September 15, 1979 (First Edition)
[Pages] 160 pages
[Size] Approx. 288*214*18mm / 482g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] TENO CHIE HIMERARETA KANOUSEI
[Author/Editor] Fusako Fujiwara/Author
[Printing] Toyo Keizai Printing/Printed
[ISBN] 00305400838534
[Condition] Used【5】Fair (Cover: small tear at top edge, Book body: stains at top edge, stains on title page)
[Accessories] None
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibitions] -

Fusako Fujiwara (1930-)

Born in Fukui Prefecture. Journalist, editor.

Graduated from Tokyo Woman's Christian University with a degree in Sociology. Joined Nihon Keizai Shimbun and worked as a reporter in the Women and Home Department, covering and writing about lifestyle culture, women's labor, and domestic life.

Her activities are characterized by a unique perspective that focuses on the techniques and wisdom passed down within households, viewing housework and daily life as culture. In her book "The Wisdom of the Hand: Hidden Potential," she meticulously documented the rationality and creativity inherent in everyday manual tasks.

Her books include "Onna no Naka no Onna I & II" (Woman within Woman I & II), "Shufu ga Shugyo suru Toki" (When Housewives Work), and "Te no Chie Himerareta Kanousei" (The Wisdom of the Hand: Hidden Potential).

Her main awards include the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities (1979).

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