Oct. 23, Tue.
Beauty in the Everyday Mashiko
Hamada workshop
Irori
Teapots
Mashiko, surrounded by gentle hills and fields, is north of Tokyo. It is well known both at home and abroad as the production center of Mashiko-yaki ceramic ware. The rustic, sturdy pottery features rich brown and black glazes. Most of it functions as tableware, such as rice bowls, plates, cups, and vases.
In this edition of "journeys in japan," narrator Deirdre Ikeda visits the studios of three ceramic artists and also meets an innkeeper and farmer. Mashiko is a great getaway from Tokyo with ceramics, nature, warm people and great food!
Mashiko Pottery Fair (Autumn 2012)
Dates: November 1 - 5
http://blog.mashiko-kankou.org/ceramics_bazaar/index.shtml
Mashiko Town Tourist Association
Download useful maps and guidebooks from the URL below:
http://kir018242.kir.jp/english/index.html
Hijinowa Café & Space
The community café, in a renovated old home, is popular for dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients and served in Mashiko-yaki wares. It also
showcases the work of Japanese and overseas artists. Not surprisingly local creators are habitués of the café.
Access: 4-minute walk from Mashiko Station
Address: Mashiko 1665, Mashiko-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture.
Jonaizaka Street
The main street, lined with galleries and ceramic shops, is about a 10-minute walk from Mashiko Station. Most shops display reasonably priced tableware though ceramic artist's works, such as Shu Wakasugi and Matthew Sovjani, can be found here. Mashiko-yaki Kyohan Center-midway along Jonaizaka street-offers pottery workshops. Many pottery studios are also open to the public for workshops.
Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum
The museum is dedicated to the late, great 20th century ceramic master Shoji Hamada. On display are his masterworks, older pieces and Hamada's own private collection of ceramic works from around the world. The museum, the artist's home and studio, is worth a visit alone. Don't miss the café there where you can sip tea from Hamada Mashiko-yaki.
http://www.mashiko-sankokan.net/index.html
Kominka Furuki (Mashiko Ceramic Art Club)
The inn -in a renovated 250-year-old traditional farmhouse- provides a link to Japan's past. It is a warm place where the owner places an emphasis on "slow food" cooking and community. Many locals stop by to dine. Pottery workshops are available here, too.
Accommodation: 7,500 yen ~ (1 night stay with 2 meals) / 5,000 yen ~ (1 night stay with 1 meal) / 3,800 yen ~ (1 night stay only)
http://mashiko-tougei-club.jp/stay.html
Access:
From Tokyo, take a Shinkansen to Oyama Station and transfer to a local line to Mashiko. The journey takes just over 2 hours and a half.
Date :
Sep. 23-Sep. 26, 2012
Traveler :
Deirdre Ikeda, Narrator (USA)
I had a wonderful time in Mashiko. It was a total treat to be out of Tokyo. The blue skies, with gorgeous puffy clouds and the refreshing rain so typical of Japan, were a lovely background for a few days in the country. I stayed at a 250-year-old Minka or Japanese farmhouse. The proprietor and potter, Furuki-san had moved it to Mashiko some 40 years ago. The huge wavy beams that greet you as you enter held more history than I could fathom. I met a lot of interesting local people there and enjoyed a lovely communal meal around the central hearth - irori in Japanese.
Mashiko is known for its pottery and I was astounded to hear that over 400 potters work in the area. I was lucky to be able to meet three of them. It was an honor to visit, Hamada Tomoo, the grandson of Hamada Shoji, who was instrumental in putting Mashiko on the map two generations ago. I was struck by how his work at once honors his family lineage yet is imbued with his own personal vision. Sitting beside him as he applied wax to newly fired pieces and then dipped them in the glaze was truly a special experience. I was also fortunate to be there when he opened his climbing kiln. It was like being a child on Christmas waiting to see what was under all the wrapping!
Witnessing Wakasugi-san throwing all the different parts of a teapot in his lovely studio surrounded by greenery was also very special. Talking with him I learned so much about how clay is actually made and was fascinated to see the 15 different colors he creates simply with clay alone and no glaze at all. His teapots felt so deliciously smooth to the touch.
And of course as an American it was especially fun to meet Matthew Sovjani and his wife, Hiromi. It was so impressive to see the life they've created for themselves. The house and studio that he built with the help of local friends and family visiting from America was so different than anything in Tokyo. I love that he used the wood from his own land. His pottery was a joy to hold, carved in swirling patterns that reminded me of waves and that fit your hand like an old friend.
From everyone I met I got a sense that Mashiko is an open and welcoming place. Artists come here from around Japan and all over the world to live in a community that values pottery and the land that supports it. This trip was truly a very special vacation and I look forward to returning again in the future with friends and family!
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