Digitizing Tacit Knowledge | Hosai Matsubayashi XVI
Preserving 400 Years of Craftsmanship
The tacit knowledge of artisans—their senses, tactile experiences, movement skills, intuition, and unarticulated mental models (Nonaka et al., 1996, 2000a, b)—represents an invaluable legacy that written records and video documentation alone cannot fully capture. In a time when many traditional crafts are at risk of disappearing, preserving this knowledge has become more critical than ever.
Recognizing this urgency, we have embarked on a pilot project to digitize the embodied knowledge of Hosai Matsubayashi XVI, the current steward of Asahiyaki pottery. For over 400 years, his family has made pottery in Uji, Kyoto. This long heritage makes Hosai-san the ideal candidate for our pilot, as it provides an opportunity to explore how his family has passed down tacit knowledge for 16 generations and how this knowledge evolves across time.
Hadjimichael, Ribeiro, and Tsoukas (2024)
Digitizing Tacit Knowledge Through Motion Capture
According to Hadjimichael, Ribeiro, and Tsoukas (2024) research on tacit knowledge, learners initially experience tasks as a series of unrelated particulars that require focal attention. However, through repeated engagement and guidance from skilled practitioners, they develop a “phenomenal body” capable of responding to situational demands with intuitive fluency.
Our pilot attempts to capture the tacit knowledge of master craftsmen by digitizing their physical movements through motion capture (mocap) technology and using AI agents to compare that data with learners across the same field.
Unlike written instructions or static demonstrations, motion capture system can capture the physical expression of craftsmen—bringing us closer to understanding their tacit knowledge
Understanding Tacit Knowledge Through Data Analysis
Now that we have completed the first recording session of Hosai Matsubayashi XVI—we plan to take the following steps:
Capture Comparison Data: Digitize the body motion of apprentice craftsmen from the learner’s perspective.
Perform Data Analysis: Analyze data captured across multiple craftsmen and apprentice craftsmen to identify individual patterns, variations, and unique techniques.
Comparison Analysis: Using AI agents to compare the patterns, variations, and techniques across master craftsmen and apprentice craftsmen.
A New Era for Traditional Crafts
Our work with Hosai-san aims to digitize tacit knowledge and unlock opportunities for embodied learning:
Training and Education: Aspiring potters and apprentices alike can utilize Hosai-san’s tacit knowledge for immersive training through VR and AR technology.
Cultural Preservation: The tacit knowledge data serves as a digital archive, safeguarding traditional techniques that might otherwise fade with time.
Generative AI: The tacit knowledge can be used to train generate AI models, allowing for knowledge transfer across industries in collaboration with other artisans.
Bridging the Past and Future
We recognize that key tacit knowledge of Hosai Matsubayashi XVI’s craftsmanship from ceremonies performed prior to the firing to the firing temperatures within the kiln remain to be digitized.
The ability to preserve and transfer tacit knowledge through technology would be a significant step forward in cultural preservation for craftsmen of our generation. Our hope is that the success of our initial pilot will pave the way for future digitization efforts.
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Thank you to Professor Eugene K. Choi from Doshisha University for providing the research materials and Steven Harmon for providing the motion capture system.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Hosai Matsubayashi XVI and to the generations of craftsmen of Asahiyaki.
For more information, visit Asahiyaki's website.
