OSAKA -- Known for their resolute adherence to time-honored styles and techniques, the craftspeople and manufacturers of traditional products in the Kinki region are beginning to embrace the digital age.

While still refusing to compromise on production processes or quality, they believe the use of innovative marketing techniques may help keep their heritage alive.

"Manufacturers must reach out from their world" to market their goods, said Takashi Yamato, a 54-year-old manufacturer of "tsukudani," a Japanese delicacy made up of preserved vegetables, fish and shellfish boiled in a sweetened soy sauce.