HONG KONG, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CNN's 'Artisans' meets the dedicated craftspeople who hope to preserve the traditional art of woodworking, where Japanese heritage and innovation coexist in harmony, for generations to come.
Osaka's Danjiri festivals are thrilling processions where hundreds of men haul intricately handcrafted wooden floats through city streets at breakneck speed. Though sometimes dangerous, it is a great honor for both participants and the craftspeople who spend years carving elaborate myths and magical creatures into the wood. CNN meets Akihiko Maeda, an Osaka-born artisan dedicated to preserving this craft by training young artisans and collaborating with foreign designers to create contemporary pieces.
In Kyoto, Buddhist sculptor Yozan Miura has found a unique way to merge his faith with his craft. Miura places his sculptures on drones where, during prayer services, they are programmed to descend in formation, to bring to life a Buddhist teaching about the arrival of the Amida Buddha to welcome the spirits of the dead. He still carves the original designs out of traditional Japanese cypress, but to make the statues light enough for flight, he digitally scans his wood-carved designs and 3D-prints hollow resin replicas just a few inches tall.
A miyadaiku, or temple carpenter, is responsible for maintaining Japan's temples and shrines, while also renowned for producing some of the world's longest-surviving wooden structures. In Osaka, Kojiro Kitada, a trained miyadaiku, has mastered the art of carving from a single block of wood, a skill he now applies to crafting furniture in his studio. One hour west of Osaka, Yuriko Tokunaga, a second-generation woodworker, is reviving the traditional technique of finishing wood with a kanna, or Japanese plane, rather than the sandpaper typically used in modern furniture-making. Tokunaga believes using a kanna allows her to connect more deeply with the material and to feel the life story of the rare, locally grown trees. Together, these artisans are bringing Japan's ancient woodworking traditions to contemporary furniture design.
Finally, the classical Japanese theater, Noh, performed since the 14th century, is getting an update. The skill of carving and painting the distinctive wooden masks worn by Noh performers was historically passed down from father to son. But today, female artisans are at the vanguard of the craft, like Kanagawa-based playwright, Lilico Aso, who carved a series of masks reimagining pop stars like Rihanna and Ariana Grande as mythical goddesses from Noh dramas, while Shuko Nakamura uses paper and modelling clay to create fantastical, sometimes comically oversized designs. These mask-makers are helping preserve one of the world's oldest surviving theatrical arts, while challenging Noh's traditionally conservative culture.
Saturday, 16th November at 1:30pm HKT Sunday, 17th November at 7:00pm HKT Monday, 18th November at 2:30am HKT
About CNN International CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
HONG KONG, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CNN's 'Artisans' meets the dedicated craftspeople who hope to preserve the traditional art of woodworking, where Japanese heritage and innovation coexist in harmony, for generations to come.
Osaka's Danjiri festivals are thrilling processions where hundreds of men haul intricately handcrafted wooden floats through city streets at breakneck speed. Though sometimes dangerous, it is a great honor for both participants and the craftspeople who spend years carving elaborate myths and magical creatures into the wood. CNN meets Akihiko Maeda, an Osaka-born artisan dedicated to preserving this craft by training young artisans and collaborating with foreign designers to create contemporary pieces.
In Kyoto, Buddhist sculptor Yozan Miura has found a unique way to merge his faith with his craft. Miura places his sculptures on drones where, during prayer services, they are programmed to descend in formation, to bring to life a Buddhist teaching about the arrival of the Amida Buddha to welcome the spirits of the dead. He still carves the original designs out of traditional Japanese cypress, but to make the statues light enough for flight, he digitally scans his wood-carved designs and 3D-prints hollow resin replicas just a few inches tall.
A miyadaiku, or temple carpenter, is responsible for maintaining Japan's temples and shrines, while also renowned for producing some of the world's longest-surviving wooden structures. In Osaka, Kojiro Kitada, a trained miyadaiku, has mastered the art of carving from a single block of wood, a skill he now applies to crafting furniture in his studio. One hour west of Osaka, Yuriko Tokunaga, a second-generation woodworker, is reviving the traditional technique of finishing wood with a kanna, or Japanese plane, rather than the sandpaper typically used in modern furniture-making. Tokunaga believes using a kanna allows her to connect more deeply with the material and to feel the life story of the rare, locally grown trees. Together, these artisans are bringing Japan's ancient woodworking traditions to contemporary furniture design.
Finally, the classical Japanese theater, Noh, performed since the 14th century, is getting an update. The skill of carving and painting the distinctive wooden masks worn by Noh performers was historically passed down from father to son. But today, female artisans are at the vanguard of the craft, like Kanagawa-based playwright, Lilico Aso, who carved a series of masks reimagining pop stars like Rihanna and Ariana Grande as mythical goddesses from Noh dramas, while Shuko Nakamura uses paper and modelling clay to create fantastical, sometimes comically oversized designs. These mask-makers are helping preserve one of the world's oldest surviving theatrical arts, while challenging Noh's traditionally conservative culture.
Saturday, 16th November at 1:30pm HKT Sunday, 17th November at 7:00pm HKT Monday, 18th November at 2:30am HKT
About CNN International CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From January 6–8, 2026, Arspura, a premium smart home appliance brand focused on healthier kitchen air, presented its latest IQV™ innovations at CES 2026 and hosted a three-day brand program in Las Vegas. Centered on exclusive technology, respiratory wellness, and user experience, the program brought together experts, product leaders, and real customers to spotlight how better cooking environments can start with better indoor air management.
At the heart of Arspura's CES showcase was its proprietary IQV™ Dynamic Particulate Capture Technology, designed to capture cooking smoke, grease particles, and odor at the source—helping reduce the common "smoke escape" problem many households experience with traditional ventilation. Through live demonstrations and deep-dive sessions, Arspura emphasized a clear brand promise for modern kitchens: Cook freely, breathe freely.
To watch highlights from Arspura's CES 2026 showcase, visit:
Day 1: Uncovering the Kitchen's Invisible Health Threats
On the first day of CES 2026, Arspura kicked off its brand program with a keynote by Professor Francesca Dominici of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Professor of Biostatistics & Data Science; Professor of Environmental Health).
Drawing on her research on air pollution and health, she highlighted the risks of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and emphasized that even low-level exposure can make people sick. She noted that PM2.5 can be particularly hazardous for older adults, people with existing health conditions, and individuals with asthma, and stressed that preventing cooking-related PM2.5 from dispersing indoors and reducing exposure at the source is crucial for family health.
Reflecting on this message, Arspura underscored its commitment to helping more households—especially those with asthma or nasal sensitivities—cook with greater comfort by reducing smoke and odor irritation, so more people can truly cook freely and breathe freely.
Day 2: Redefining a New Standard for Smoke-Free Cooking
On the second day, Arspura's product manager led a technical session explaining how IQV™ airflow design works together with high-airspeed capture (up to 13 m/s) to deliver high capture performance with minimal smoke escape. The presentation framed Arspura's approach as more than a product: a combination of technology and daily usability designed to make healthy cooking feel effortless.
Arspura also welcomed a special on-site visit and interview from media figure Yang Lan, who explored the booth experience and shared positive feedback on IQV™ technology and the IQV Hood concept—particularly its relevance for people sensitive to cooking fumes who want a more comfortable kitchen environment.
Day 3: Bringing Healthy Kitchen Living Into Everyday Ease
Arspura closed out CES 2026 with strong momentum, earning five awards during the show. To cap the three-day program, the brand invited its first group of IQV Hood users for a face-to-face sharing session, paired with immersive, hands-on demonstrations. Through interactive experiences and practical use scenarios, attendees felt firsthand how the product can deliver "health protection" and "easy cleaning" simultaneously, translating the idea of a healthier kitchen into tangible everyday value.
Passionate home cooks also shared how they had previously tried multiple traditional range hoods yet still struggled with smoke escape and lingering odors, while Arspura's IQV™ performance provided noticeably improved smoke capture and deodorization—making cooking more enjoyable and inspiring friends and family to upgrade after seeing the results.
What's Next for Arspura
Backed by strong recognition at CES 2026 and reinforced by firsthand user stories, Arspura's IQV™ showcase signaled a growing shift toward kitchen ventilation solutions that prioritize both health and everyday usability. Building on this momentum, Arspura will continue to develop smarter, cleaner-air technologies for modern homes.
