TOKYO -- The world's luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, rely heavily on Japan's traditional crafts to develop new products. But as the country's craftspeople age and fewer apprentices take up the trade, the number of skilled workers in the industry is falling relentlessly.
To counter this existential threat, producers of crafts, retailers and individual craftspeople are striving to develop overseas markets and train future masters, a growing number of whom are women.
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