Would You Binge-Watch This 60,000-Hour Lexus Documentary?

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Nothing is crafted like a Lexus — and a new Lexus documentary is here to prove it. Entitled “Takumi: A 60,000-hour story on the survival of human craft,” the film reveals the lives of Japan’s master crafters — including one who has dedicated his life to making Lexus one of the most refined vehicles on the road.

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Practice makes perfect

“Takumi” is the Japanese word for “artisan.” And it’s more than a nice word to put in your Twitter bio — it’s an official designation for people who have spent more than 60,000 hours honing their craft. That’s the equivalent to working eight hours a day, 250 days a year, for 30 years.

In a world where so much is automated and dependent upon technology, the Lexus documentary celebrates the human pursuit of excellence. According to Spiros Fotinos, the head of Global Brand at Lexus International, “The concept of Takumi has physically and philosophically been at the core of the Lexus brand since it started 30 years ago. Our Takumi masters have over 60,000 hours of experience developing their craft. To celebrate the brand’s anniversary year, we wanted to capture the essence of Takumi, and their 60,000-hour journey, on film.”

About the talent

Through this documentary, Lexus invites us into the lives of four Takumi. Notably, we get to meet the man who puts the finishing upscale touches on each Lexus that rolls off the assembly line at the Tahara plant in Aichi, Japan. Others include a double Michelin-starred chef, a master paper-cutting artist, and a carpenter who works for a temple-building company that dates back to the year 578.

Where to watch

A feature-length cut of “Takumi” premiered at the DOC NYC film festival, and you can catch the full-length, 30-year-long version at Takumi-Craft.com. But if you skip it, don’t worry — that run time is padded out by looping footage to illustrate the mind-boggling patience and dedication these artisans demonstrate in their work.

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If you don’t have 60,000 hours to watch artisans hone their craft, you can catch the 54-minute version on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Instant, Google Play, and iTunes when the film premiers on March 19th.

Source: Lexus

Kimiko Kidd

Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.