There was a time when the word “craft” made some people think of hippies weaving raffia lampshades or crocheting tea-cozies. It was something a bit homemade—stuff you did at home in the garden ...

There is a popular theory that it takes at least 10,000 hours of focused practice for a human to become expert in any field. In Japan, there are craftspeople who go far beyond this to reach a special ...