I first came across the Japanese word shokunin (職人) when I watched a documentary about the accomplished bonsai artist Ryan Neil, the founder of Bonsai Mirai outside Portland, Oregon. The word can be translated as craftsman, artisan, tradesman, worker, or workman. Yet, the literal translation is not sufficient to transport its full meaning – as with many Japanese words. Shokunin are a people who love their craft and work, have high work moral and discipline. They repeat the same processes over...