We weren't meant to be well known.

We were the underground.

A shattered bowl... But in his hands, whole again.

May I ?

This man is an art restorer.

Even the most serious damage vanishes, thanks to his skills.

This is the plate.

Impressive.

The contents of his work are largely top secret.

Calling it "top secret" may be a little dramatic.

But we don't normally show the work to others,
or reveal that we did it.

With each day, a new request awaits.

Hello.

Thank you for coming
all the way from Tokyo.

Right this way.

The client is Kumazawa Masayuki, age 90.

He's a pillar of the Japanese art industry.

The Kurita Museum, where he serves as chairman, is one of the world's foremost ceramic museums.

In the 1980's, known ceramic-lover Freddy Mercury even made a secret visit.

The request concerns a piece that was popular in that era.

What a handsome horse!

The design here is really impressive.

It's as clear as if it was painted yesterday.

The ceramic horse was created in Arita, Saga Prefecture, in the early Edo Period, and then taken overseas.

The elusive piece is one of only a few in the world.

It carries its own history of prior restoration.

In 1980, I'd really wanted to buy
one that was sold at Christie's.

It was 40,000 pounds, which at 500 yen
to the pound was 20 million yen.

The next time one was auctioned in
London, it went for 100 million yen.

All of the legs have been repaired.

They were all broken.

It seems like it.

That's right.

The paint is chipping where the
repaired section has aged.

The latest request is for them to strip away the now crumbling repairs, and restore it a new.

Here, too. You can see the cracks.

You're right. There they are.

The state of the legs may actually
be pretty bad.

I'm quite concerned about it.

Take a look from the front.
It's narrower here.

I can't help but notice how
narrow the legs are.

They might have been joined poorly.

They don't look like horse legs.
They're like goat legs.

It really does bother me.

The piece seems to have lost its true form in a prior restoration.

We can't be sure until we remove them.

They take a closer look at the subject in question.

Is the damage really limited to
what we saw at the museum?

Will it light up?

I'm shining a black light on where
it's been fixed with resin.

Paint should react under the light.

Look at the brush strokes here.

This must have been painted.

Even the ears have been attached.

I bet this is all hollow and made from resin.

The whole tail, too.

The entire thing is added on.

- So it's very extensive.
- It seems like it.

Here it is.

They're able to clearly identify the repaired sections.

We'll have to chip away at it.

There's nothing there.

Try from over here.

Their blade soon uncovers the truth.

They've all been repaired.

And the surface is hard.

What's this surface under it?

It seems to be plaster.

It seems like they've attached all this
with some kind of powdered resin.

This resin seems foreign.

It isn't from Japan.

Let's check the odor...

The resin must be really old.

Now for the front legs.

Let's pull it a little.

It seems like there's a rod inside.

Both of the sections are real,
and they've joined it here.

They managed to stick it together.

It's the same for this one.

As I thought, they've all been fixed.

Let's apply a release agent next.

They'll use a chemical to strip away the previous repairs.

-Here goes.
-Ready.

Don't let the towel fall in.

The belly should be fine.

It's submerged to the edges,
so given a few days, it should come apart.

Meanwhile, the subject of another request arrives at their workshop.

It's a plate that, like the decorated horse, was made in the Edo Period.

This isn't going to be easy.

It'll be a challenge.

In it goes!

Arita, in Saga Prefecture, was the birthplace of ceramics in Japan.

The client behind the request is the youngest ever living national treasure, the 14th generation Imaizumi Imaemon.

For generations, his family has created a form of pottery known as Nabeshima ware.

Hello.

Hello.

Thank you for making the long trip.

This painted Nabeshima-ware plate was made some 350 years ago.

The design is unusual in that it utilizes colors with celadon.

At the time, the Nabeshima Domain had garnered prestige for its works,

which were presented as gifts to shoguns and daimyos.

The ceramics are considered among the finest in Japan.

I think it was back in the 1960's or 70's.

They'd been filming the plate from directly above.

A lens or a magnifying glass fell on the plate,
breaking it.

This is the result of that restoration.

It seems to have a little discoloration.

The old repairs are breaking down.

I'm sure it didn't look this way
when it was repaired.

Where was it broken?

I think the break must have run
along this line.

I see.

This has seen a lot of use.

It must've been handled daily
to get worn down like this.

It'd probably take 10 years of daily use.

Originating from a daimyo's collection, the plate seems to have been held by a prominent Saga household.

I'd like to have you restore
the damaged area here.

I'm not certain whether the worn parts
should be repaired or not.

The use is part of the antique's heritage,
after all.

Perhaps you could repair it in moderation.

It's a vexing question.

Is it transparent when backlit?

It is!

It must run along here.

This line must be where the fix was made.
The joint surface.

It's been painted quite a bit.
This part is white, but this isn't.

This darker section is completely genuine.

So the flowers were added on?

That's right.

This one here was added.

What's that indentation in the celadon?

The restored paint flaked off there,
revealing part of the original.

Should we shave a little away?

Because of the degradation,
the paint on the surface comes right off.

The original celadon is beneath.

What's this pattern under it?

That's the original.

As the red flowers emerge, you can see that
the original was painted more delicately.

It's there beneath, just partially coming into view.

Next comes the remover?

We apply it and wait.

It came off.

Indeed.

Hopefully the fragments aren't too small.

This seems fine.

Let's pull it out.

As for the horse...

Lift it up.

The front leg came off.

Hold on.

There we go.

Anyway, we got all of the legs off.

They're all made from resin.

As we expected,
they have rods embedded inside.

What's that filled in around them?

I think it's resin to increase the durability.

If it'd been left empty like the original,
we could just tidy it up.

- We were able to separate it.
- Glad to hear it.

You can see how it's coming.

Imaemon inspects their progress.

There's the beauty of Nabeshima celadon.

The plate has regained its iconic colors.

The celadon green gleams as clearly as ever.

It looks nice if put together temporarily.

There's a little gap under this triangular piece.

With the celadon restored,
it's looking like its majestic self.

Now it just comes down to
how much wear to repair.

Right.

This doesn't fit.

There's a gap along the edge.

The contracting of the plate caused
it to warp when broken.

In broken plates, warping is inevitable.

The plate contracts when moisture is removed while baking in a kiln.

When a plate is broken, fragments warp back toward their original shape.

It's pretty pliable.
Should we try to bend it back?

By putting a little pressure on it,
the shape lines up almost entirely.

If we leave it alone,
there'll be a gap.

Could you bring me the string?

What role could string play...?

Mayuyama binds the plate with the string to apply force and eliminate the warping.

The effect of the initial junction ends up
being most important.

If you're left with a gap,
you have to paint over it.

We should avoid that.

I'll loosen it twice.

It should be aligned almost perfectly.

Mayuyama readies a clear resin.

He spreads it into the crack.

We've done very well
getting rid of the unevenness.

It's blended together nicely.

The line has vanished.

With this method, there's no need to paint over it to hide damage.

All the same,
it might still be a little uneven.

This part may be slightly raised,
and this area slightly deeper.

It might be a difference of
only 1/1000 of a millimeter.

It isn't good enough.
We'll have to try again.

Decades ago, one man made his name as a restorer.

It was Mayuyama's father, Manji.

In the postwar period, he devised revolutionary techniques capable of flawless restoration.

My father had an outrageous
degree of concentration.

If he was painting dots, he could do the same thing
hundreds or thousands of times.

If he wasn't satisfied, no matter how much time
it would take, he'd start it all over.

Mayuyama grew up in awe of his father's pride as a restorer.

As he inherited his father's techniques, a belief dawned within him.

I think a restoration tells a story.

If it isn't done well, the eyes are drawn to
those imperfections and flaws.

I came to think that in order to convey art to its fullest,
restoration needs to be nearly invisible.

Mayuyama is especially renowned for his skill in recreation of color.

Shall I mix the colors?

This is the color
I want to mix into the celadon glaze.

He mixes pigment for rock painting in with the resin.

These three colors seem fine,
but since they're slightly reddish, I'd like to add this.

Just slightly. It's got both a bluish and reddish tint.

This is how the color comes out.

This one's a little thicker, though.

I'll give this a shot.

Once again, the line vanishes.

I'm great at making simple work look complicated.

Hello.

Nice to see you.

Mr. Kumazawa, the client behind the ceramic horse, has come to check in.

- I like your workshop.
- Thank you.

With the horse, we've been able to
cleanly remove the legs.

Here they are.

So, this was the replacement.

May I?

Of course.

This is good material.

This was inserted into it.

It was?

Yes, this component.

It's a metal rod, forreinforcement.

Here's the body.

Strange to see it this way.

I know.

It's coming back to life.
It's practically breathing.

One of the legs is actually a perfect fit.

It fits?

Which means...

It's an exact connection.

But its legs are so narrow.
This is the original?

The legs of the work, which Kumazawa described as like a goat's, are a tricky detail.

The horse's front legs have a narrower stature than expected.

It may fit like this.

Possibly so.

But if this is really the original...

Exactly.

So the back legs are narrow as well?

For the back legs,
the middle section is missing.

They might be in more of a position
to brace themselves.

Let's look at the photos
from the Hiroshima Prefectural Museum.

The museum in Hiroshima has two undamaged ceramic horses on display.

Clear as day, isn't it?

Look at the legs. They're powerful.

Before attempting restoration,
I'd better take a good look at these originals.

That might make it look more dynamic.

This one is like it's been tethered in the stable.

Mayuyama and son take a trip to see the two horses on display.

Impressive.

It looks powerful.

Having the legs spread like that
makes them look thicker.

And the front hoof is raised
where it touches the ground?

It seems like it may be pointing upwards.

The one we have is flush with the ground.

They notice a handful of clear differences in the form.

The tail isn't very pointed.

It's pretty round.

It is. I assumed it'd be pointier.

The one we have is pointed,
but this is its correct shape.

Let's check out the other one.

It's very different.
This one is white, and orange.

This one also has the raised front hoof.

It's an interesting look.

Feels like a racehorse.
A thoroughbred.

The slightly raised front hooves make the horse appear as if steadfastly standing its ground.

The impression given by the two horses differs dramatically.

Even a greater length of 5 milimeters
gives a different impression.

Even at this size,
just a couple millimeters matters.

And now, the restoration begins.

This is the only leg that fits on snugly.

We should use it as reference for the height.

The others are in poor shape,
missing the area between.

With 12 years of experience to his name, Mayuyama Yu is ready for the challenge.

Among the broken legs, the back right leg is entirely missing below the knee.

This material is used by dentists for taking molds of teeth.

The rear right leg is missing completely.

I need to rebuild it from scratch.

I'm taking a mold from the other back leg.

Next, he prepares plaster from powder.

Do you often use plaster?

I use it for making parts,
but my father doesn't as much.

If you use plaster as a core,
it gives it the feel of pottery.

It has a light, dry sound
that's made to resemble it.

Yu carves out the mold.

After graduating from art college, he wasted no time in joining his father as an apprentice.

I guess I removed it well enough.

- There's a little left.
- It looks fine.

How much will we need for the tail?

Just a little?

Hold on.
It might be more than you're expecting.

What if I add more later?

Not a good idea.

- I shouldn't build onto it?
- Make a perfect match.

But perfect is impossible.

Then around perfect.

"Around perfect"?
That's a contradiction.

Around perfect is around perfect.

Anyway, here's the resin.

You're going to need to mix
in a lot more powder to get enough volume.

But you can decide the hardness.

This should be OK.

You need way more. Obviously.

Can I turn on this light?

No problem.

I really need some light in here.

Mayuyama shifts his attention to the Nabeshima-ware plate entrusted to them by a living national treasure.

Next I'm going to add the red
I discussed with Mr. Imaemon.

That should retain the wear,
but soften it a little.

He displays his pinpoint accuracy.

Artisans used to do very precise work
with lines of this width.

The technique was really something.

Each line is less than half a millimeter wide.

This line is no good.
It's gone too far inward.

If I don't correct it, I'm sure to regret it.

The scratching is pretty heavy here.

As requested, he adds an appropriate degree of wear.

Well, this seems about right.

Meanwhile, Mayuyama's son shows his own prowess.

I've made a core out of plaster
that'll have the same color and texture as the original.

Even though it isn't outwardly visible?

That's right.

I used two powders,
one with a finer black grain.

Looks like vanilla beans.

Exactly.

Even if no one sees it,
it gives me a sense of satisfaction.

If I don't go that far, I'll wish that I had.

Does your father often do this as well?

Do you?

With vases and things like that,
if I can fix the interior first, I try to.

You don't ever feel that
you put in too much effort?

To be honest, I probably do.

But too much for one person is not enough
for another.

It's really about personal satisfaction.

If you can't be satisfied with it,
you don't feel like you've finished the work.

My perspective may be a little unrealistic.

But I feel that when the interior is properly done,
the exterior can give off a different impression.

Like when you're impressed with something
that appears very simple.

If you peek inside, there's often great care
taken with the inner structure.

Although it's not something you could see from
the outside, I feel like it gives an impression.

To people who do this sort of handcrafted work,
I think the interior may be important.

If my son carries through with that quality,
I think it'll build up his skills.

Hello.

How are you?

We've brought the completed piece.

I've been looking forward to it.

Oh my.

It's been given fresh new life.

The refreshing aesthetic that delighted nobles centuries ago has been reborn.

The bluish green celadon is as clear as sky after the rain.

Wear has been applied in just the right amounts.

Although it's hard to place one's finger on,
it exudes a style and dignity.

It's quite colorful, isn't it?

Like the moment after a rain.
It pours down and then the sky clears.

This is your first time seeing it
in this condition?

That's right.

It's been broken as long as I can remember.

I'm delighted.

It's as if the plate itself is pleased.

I'd better ask for help on this part.

Sure.

Now comes the critical moment: How to attach the sections that Yu assembled.

I rebuilt the tail a few times.
This seems to be the best one.

We can't change it after it's attached.
It all comes down to this.

We'll just have to try our best.

Right.

They adjust the angle of the leg, making every millimeter count.

Let go of it.

This is the best we'll get.

Don't let it get messed up.

It seems just a little longer here.

But we can shave this part down.

I think the angle is just about right.

- Not bad.
- Well done.

It's much wider now.

The legs stand apart powerfully.

We've improved the stance
to be much more natural.

The key to achieving this stance was a small amount of the original left at the knee.

Based on the angle, they were able to build from it.

The finishing touches are performed by the master himself.

You can't even tell where it begins.

You can't, can you?

I need to add a little black patterning here.

These pictures they gave us look different there.

This is the real thing.

When it was fixed before, they painted it all white
and then added the black without reference.

How will you fix it?

We can't just ignore
the original intent of the work.

We'll need to repaint it
with the same atmosphere as the original.

There's red in the black?

This black has a reddish tint.

Black alone won't work.

Now I'll apply it.

This pattern was painted by an experienced artisan,
so it looks very natural.

Even if you try to give it a good balance,
the details catch your eye.

But if you try to paint it briskly,
that doesn't quite work either.

This black doesn't have much red.

To Mayuyama's eyes, even black has a gradient.

The thick black areas have a red tint.

It fades out in the thinner parts.
It's just the thick paint.

Just a bit.

Hello.

Please step inside.

Mr. Mayuyama has arrived.

The shape of the legs has changed completely.
Much better.

Well done.

A real improvement.

The legs look so dynamic now.

The ceramic horse is given bold new life.

After spending an eternity with its legs pressed together, it seems as if it might race off at any moment.

You've exceeded my expectations.

Masterful.

The horse is alive.

I have no desire at all to draw attention
to my restoration work.

I just want people to appreciate the horse
in all its natural beauty.

Hidden among the shadows, father and son prepare for their next request.