Archive for the ‘Craftsman’
Gracious Heirs to a Gentleman’s Kiln: Chotaro-yaki Pottery
Kagoshima is famous for its shochu liquor. Kurojoka are teapot-like vessels used for holding and pouring shochu. I was already in Kagoshima, so I decided to pay a visit to the Chotaro-yaki Kiln, home of this iconic symbol of Kagoshima’s shochu culture. But what’s this? It seems there are several places all named Chotaro-yaki Kiln…I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I picked one and knocked on the door.
Looking for Grandma’s Comb: Kita Factory
There must be a lot of women out there who are on a constant search for the perfect comb. However, the world today is flooded with cheap plastic combs. I don’t mean to criticise man-made materials, but surely there’s something better! Of course the modern gentleman also has an interest in finding a good comb. After all, it seems like it would be better for the scalp… yes, baldness prevention! I remembered a special woman in my life who has always had beautiful hair, and asked her where she got her comb. My grandmother doesn’t always remember things well, but she was very sure that her comb was a tsuge kushi comb. With these words in mind, I paid a visit to Kita Factory, a tsuge kushi maker located in Ibusuki, on the southernmost tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, in Kagoshima prefecture.
Ashes to Dishes: Ougaku Tougei
Sakurajima has a special place in the hearts of the Kagoshima people. It’s an active volcano located in Kagoshima Bay, just off the coast from Kagoshima City. The volcano has minor eruptions on a regular basis even today. Sakurajima-yaki is a local pottery made from volcanic ash and natural hot spring water. It’s completely unique to the Sakurajima area. The pieces themselves have a primal quality that speaks of the dynamic source of the materials. The makers of Sakurajima-yaki run a little kiln at the base of the volcano called Ougaku Tougei. The kiln they run isn’t a traditional one with several generations of history. It was in fact established one generation ago by a man who managed to make his passion a success within his lifetime.
Tradition, Electrified: Shamisen Katoh
Last week we brought you the story of a pair of electric guitar makers, and we’re continuing this week with a story of another musical instrument manufacturer. We wanted to contrast a modern stringed instrument, the electric guitar, with a more traditional one, the shamisen. As a result, we wound up paying a visit to Shamisen Katoh. The shop is in an old-fashioned part of Tokyo called Arakawa-ku, where an old streetcar is still in service. The twang of a shamisen can be heard echoing through this faintly nostalgic world. But that sound is a little different than a regular shamisen. It’s got electricity running through it! An electric shamisen? Hmmm sounds kind of exotic! Not only that, but it turns out some of the biggest names in the shamisen world are patrons at this very shop.
