ABSTRACT
JAPANESE society, following the Chinese model, is divided into ski, the ruling class, no, the farmer, NO, the artisan, and sko, the merchant. The artisan in Japan, as traditionally understood, was a maker of useful things. Fine arts, architecture and engineering are included in the NO group. There is more cooperation in this class than the mere social grouping indicates. Painting, for instance, occupies a large place in applied arts. The pictorial enters into all sorts of carving, into the manufacture of ceramic wares, into lacquers and even into embroideries and the metal industry. The sculptor works with the architect who, in turn, collaborates with the engineer. It is the perfect teamwork of men in the artisan class, working together to produce beauty, that has contributed most to Japanese success in every form of creative endeavor.
