| Mashiko |
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September 9-10, 2009 |
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| The bullet train in Kyoto that will take us to Tokyo, there we
will transfer to another train to Utsunomiya |
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At the bus stop in Mashiko, 1 hour bus ride from Utsunomiya. |
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| The bus stop is by the "P". Just past the silver car
is Akira gama, the pottery shop where Mitsuko rescued us. Our hotel
was closed and she found us other accomodations, much nicer that
the original. |
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We walked downtown to visit the Shoji Hamada Museum. Mitsuko held
our luggage in the pottery shop until we could check into the hotel
later that day. |
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| Mitsuko, her daughter and Denice in front of the pottery shop. |
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The sign for Akira Gama pottery shop. |
Mitsuko and Akira at a table out front of their pottery shop, Akira
is the potter, he speaks no english. Luckily Mitsuko spoke english
pretty well. |
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Akira throwing tea bowls in his studio just up the hill from the
shop. We were fortunate to meet them, in two days we became friends. |
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| The sewer lids in the streets of Mashiko have pots depicted on
them. |
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| The Pottery Museum in Mashiko |
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The anagama kiln had just been fired, we saw the heat sill radiating
at this end, note the black suit covering this end from the wood
used to fire it. |
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| Side view of the kiln. |
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Center in the distance is Shoji Hamada's house which was moved
to the museum property. |
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| Here is where Mitsuko booked a room (one of only 10 available). |
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There are the entries to the 10 rooms. A forest across the street
and an observatory ont he property made this our finest accomodations. |
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| Shoji Hamada |
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The dedication sign in front of Hamada's compound at the other
end of town from the museum. The sign in in both Japanese and English. |
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| My heart started racing as we approached the entrance. This was
to be my anticipated highlight of the trip. |
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There were several galleries of Hamada's work and work he collected
during his life travels. |
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| Hamada's work |
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Hamada's work |
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| Approaching the dwelling on Hamada's property |
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Walking from the house to the potter work studio. |
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| 4 pottery work stations |
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Behind the pottery wheels |
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| Thinking about where I really am, over 30 years after being guided
by Shoji Hamada's spirit, I am sitting at one of his wheels. Ahhhh,
doesn't get much better than this. |
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The doorway from the studio area to the kilns. |
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| The bottom of the hill where the fire is built and maintained during
firing. |
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Side view, the head from the bottom of the kiln travels up the
hill and heats all the chambers. This kiln holds hundreds of pots.
Maybe only fired 4 times a year. |
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| After investigating a kiln chamber. This is a happy day! |
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Here is our favorite gallery in Mashiko. |
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| The first piece we bought here. |
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Then I found a private viewing area, with all the pieces made by
Shoji Hamada. They were for sale! I would never have believed this
possible. |
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| This is the piece they alowed me to touch. |
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We had a great lunch next door, all the while we discussed making
a Hamada purchase. |
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| We ate out back by the garden. |
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Had a brew before lunch arrived. All dishes in this restaurant
were hand made by potters of Mashiko. There are so many pottery shops
in town. Mashiko has been a pottery village for centuries. |
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| On our way to find an ATM machine we ran across a rice field that
had been harvested. |
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Close up of rice stalks drying in the field. |
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| Women's restroom sign |
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Men's restroom sign |
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| This is the Hamada piece we bought. So excited. |
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Here is the wooden box it was put it, Shoji's signature is in the
lower left. Folk artists do not sign their work, but each piece has
a wooden container depicting who made it. |
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| With purple suitcase packed and ready to leave Utsunomiya for Sapporo. |
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