"We are losing our culture."
Traditional cultures around the world are steadily declining due to natural disasters, war, climate change, and population decline. In particular, in the field of traditional crafts that require human skills, technological innovation has led to higher degrees of automation and efficiency, accelerating the disappearance of traditional techniques. In Japan, artisans of traditional crafts are aging, and there are many cases where traditional skills and knowledge that have been customarily passed down orally are lost without being recorded or passed on to the next generation. This problem of cultural loss is not limited to just Japan, but is occurring all over the world. Many traditional craft artisans are elderly, between 70 and 90 years old, and their "skilled techniques" are being lost. The mission of this project is to promote the preservation and inheritance of local culture by digitizing the skills of traditional craft artisans and archiving them on a data platform accessible from around the world

The Tōkaidō, once the main artery for the exchange of people and goods, is still home to traditional crafts and techniques deeply rooted in the local communities. TGDA visits workshops along the Tōkaidō route from Tokyo to Kyoto, engaging in dialogue with master artisans to document tacit skills and oral knowledge that are often difficult to express in words. To digitally preserve these invaluable techniques, we employ cutting-edge technologies such as spatial data capture with next-generation headsets and motion scanning using 3D sensors. This allows us to record detailed information, from the artisans' hand movements and creative processes to the atmosphere of their workshops.

At the core of "DENSO DESIGN" promotion of this project lies its universal corporate purpose and a strong commitment to social contribution. Guided by the corporate philosophy of "Connecting the World and the Future, and Contributing to Human Happiness through the Creation" DENSO DESIGN aims to realize its corporate vision of a Society of Circulating Happiness. Positioned as part of this effort, the TGDA project serves as a bridge between technology and culture, striving to convey the diverse forms of human happiness to future generations. Traditional skills are disappearing, endangering cultural diversity. DENSO DESIGN preserves and revitalizes these techniques through technology and innovation, generating new value and societal benefits. TGDA project will records, preserves, and disseminates these vanishing traditional skills, engaging in the creation of new value through the fusion of technology and tradition. Through these efforts, the company aims not only to safeguard cultural heritage but also to generate a positive cycle that benefits society as a whole.

The TGDA project embodies this vision and is led by DENSO's in-house artist, Yuki Yoshioka. Moreover, DENSO is committed not only to preserving external traditional crafts but also to passing on advanced skills accumulated within the company. At DENSO's factories and workshops, the techniques of outstanding skilled workers are scanned and digitally archived, creating a record of in-house craftsmanship. This initiative not only supports skills education but also contributes to human resource development and operational efficiency. In this way, TGDA serves as a practical platform for reflecting on the technologies and culture within DENSO, connecting their value to the future.

As a future challenge, TGDA aims to leverage the motion data of master artisans collected through the project to digitally simulate their techniques, generating unprecedented rules and patterns of craftsmanship. This approach will create a system in which the artisans who contributed can also co-create and share in the value generated. The project also considers the use of AI, exploring new manufacturing methods in collaboration with robotic arms. By integrating traditional crafts with cutting-edge technologies such as AI and robotics, TGDA seeks to explore the potential of human-robot partnerships in creative manufacturing. Through these efforts, TGDA aims to challenge the evolution of traditional skills and the creation of new value, establishing a platform for innovation where technology and culture can coexist and evolve together.

The TGDA data platform records and preserves these endangered skills, supporting the conservation of locally rooted culture and its transmission to future generations. As a worldwide open platform, it provides access to anyone around the globe. To extend the relevance of these skills into the future, the platform offers opportunities for individuals from diverse fields to utilize the data, fostering cross-disciplinary exploration and innovation. Looking ahead, TGDA also plans to include examples of traditional European crafts, such as Venetian glassmaking, French lacework, and German woodcarving. By archiving these techniques, the project aims to preserve and share the rich heritage of craftsmanship across Europe, enabling cross-cultural learning and innovation.