Investigating some cultural factors influencing the selection of handmade Persian carpets in Japan

Abstract: Japan has been one of the export destinations of Persian carpets and has purchased a significant number of Persian carpets in recent years. Given that the criteria and reasons consumers choose carpets have a direct effect on the level of demand and supply, identifying and being aware of those standards and criteria is important and necessary for the manufacturers. The purpose of the present study is to study the cultural characteristics of Japan as one of the factors affecting the selection and purchase of carpets. For this purpose, this article studies the culture of both countries of Iran and Japan focusing on their cultural similarities and differences, and tries to explain the relationship between Japanese culture and people's taste in using carpet. The research data has been obtained through face-to-face conversations with carpet manufacturers and traders and the publication of a questionnaire which has been carefully examined. The results indicate that the culture of the destination country (Japan) can affect the choice and taste of consumers. Culture is used indirectly by applying the views of Japanese experts on exported Persian carpets. However, in the current products, the manufacturers of handmade carpets have not been able to implement the culture and point of view of the Japanese people in their products. Therefore, according to Japanese businessmen and Persian carpet exporters, more attention should be paid to this matter to stabilize the rank of Persian carpets in the expected market.
Many consumers of works of art who have a different culture from the creators or manufacturers of the work do not pay much attention to matching and harmonizing their taste with the taste of the creators, and having a work of art from a culture other than their own can be considered the most important reason for buying or preparing works of art. But when it comes to the practical use of a product with practical and artistic features, criteria for choosing and purchasing become important because products that have practical and artistic features provide both material needs (as a means of livelihood) and spiritual needs (in line with the need of beauty and friendship) for those who are interested and consumers. Although these criteria are primarily related to the conditions and place of life and the material use of the product, since the living conditions of any society have a direct relationship with the cultural features of that society, it also affects the choice and purchasing criteria of the products used. On the other hand, it urges the creators of the works not to be indifferent to the cultural features of the consumer society in order to attract more audiences.
Culture has many indicators, and failure to pay attention to any of these indicators will cause the failure of sales of products, produced in one country to export to another country. Therefore, before producing the product, the cultural compatibility of the product in the destination country should be checked. Based on the cultural indicators of that country, the manufacturer proceeded to produce the product in a targeted manner.
The Persian carpet is a product that has two practical and artistic aspects. This product, whether it is one of the necessary means needed in life or a work of art, has for many years exceeded the scope of use by the people who produce it, beyond the geographical boundaries of production, and by exporting it as a commercial product to different countries and even continents, it is used by people with different lifestyles and aesthetic tastes. In the traditional way of exporting carpets, which has been customary in Iran for a long time, the factor of culture has not been comprehensively studied. In some cases, this neglect has caused irreparable damage to exports.
Since the amount and volume of exports of this commercial product play a significant role in Iran's economy, it becomes important and necessary to identify factors such as cultural components that affect consumers' interest and the actual amount of carpet exports.
Research Questions: Which aspect of Persian carpet production is prone to direct or indirect susceptibility from Japanese culture?
Which part of the production process of handmade carpets is compatible with the culture of the mentioned country?
What are the opportunities and challenges of Persian carpet manufacturers and exporters facing the consumers of this product in Japan?
Research Method: Current research uses the survey method to apply the opinions of experts in this field and analyze the information according to the dependent variables, including the type of raw materials of the carpet (wool, silk, cotton), the dimensions of the carpet, the design and pattern (medallion design-corner and hunting ground, etc.), dyeing and weaving style (urban, rural, nomadic).
Research data has been collected through interviews and questionnaires and has been carefully analyzed. For this purpose, the manufacturers, exporters, and sellers of Persian carpets who have had a direct relationship with the culture of Japan (some Iranian and some Japanese) were considered as the statistical population, and the sampling was done by quota and purposive method.
Also, the data from the questionnaire was analyzed in 2021 using descriptive-inferential statistics by SPSS 26 software, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.667, which means moderate reliability.