Nara holds within it soil that has been fired and refired countless times.

The ancient roof tiles of Hōryū-ji, the great furnace that cast the bronze Buddha of Tōdai-ji, the white earthen walls of Tōshōdai-ji — each one was born from an uncountable number of "that didn't work" moments.

The craftspeople of 1,300 years ago did not mourn their failures. Instead, each time something went wrong, they relit the fire, kneaded the clay again, carved the wood again. Every treasure in Nara that has endured the ages is living proof of what lies on the other side of failure.