Archive for the ‘Magazine’
Creating New Worlds with a Musical Instrument from Abroad: Kumiko Oguri’s T’rung Trio
There’s a Japanese woman who plays a traditional Vietnamese musical instrument called a t’rung. When she starts to play, a grand, soul-stirring sound emerges from around her small frame. She is at the core of a trio which is an ensemble somewhat jazz-like in nature, producing moisture-rich grooves. I paid them a visit and found out what kind of dreams the three of them are carrying forward on the palanquin that is their music.
A visit to a soap factory
One day in early summer, I got a summer gift in the mail from my friend Hiroshi Ozawa, and not long afterwards, he gave me a call. Ozawa is a father who works as a programmer while also enjoying a hip urban lifestyle. He was born and raised in East Tokyo. A kid from the rough side of town. “I sent you some soap a little while ago; did you get it?” “Oh, that stuff packed like an old-fashioned milk carton. It’s nice. I forgot to thank you for it. I know you called me, but thanks.” “What’s this “thanks” stuff? It’s alright. Oh, but, this company, why don’t you go interview them?” “An interview? That sounds good. By the way, where is this company? Sumida-ku? Ah, Sumida-ku. The workingman’s side of town. There’s a soap factory there, eh? Sounds interesting… All right! I’ll go check it out!” I got caught up in the excitement from our conversation and decided to go and do some research for an article, and that’s what you’ve got before you now.
Festivals on the Edge: Tsukimi-do
There’s a mysterious shop in a place called Suginuma that is run by a mysterious couple. I was drawn to them because of an improvised concert that was held on May 16, 2009 which was so beautiful, holy, and wonderful. It’s hard to express exactly what they are in just a word or two. You could call them avant garde musicians, and you could also call them shop owners. They’re clearly different from regular people, living in a way that we don’t encounter often.
Making Daydreams: Tetsuwari Albatrossket
Tetsuwari Albatrossket is a group of stage entertainers. Their performances are like a four panel comic in rock form . They don’t present any conclusions, and they don’t force anything on their audience. They seem to have a point to what they do and at the same time, no point at all. Short performances unfold on the stage one after the other in quick succession. The audience is never in agreement about where to laugh: everyone finds something different to laugh about. It’s comedy, but at the same time it’s not comic. They launched in 1997 and twelve years have passed since then and they are finally beginning to attract some attention. I spoke to Inui, the scriptwriter, Misao, director, and actor Murakami.
Spreading the Word about Pottery: Utsuwa Shoken
There’s a little pottery gallery hidden away near Kamakura’s Kataseyama Station on the Shonan Monorail. The name of the shop is Utsuwa Shoken. If you walk down the quiet residential street, you’ll find its little signboard there. Look past the signboard and there’s a lovely building situated up on high ground. This is Utsuwa Shoken. For some reason even on a weekday afternoon the customers come in a steady stream. Despite the tough economic situation and the less-than convenient location, people still gather here. The person behind this wonderful place is a multitalented woman. In addition to running the shop, she also writes and edits for print, as well as producing music. Her name is Tomoo Shoken. She’s got a remarkable ability to execute her own vision one after another. We discussed her secret over tea.
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.
Weaving Stories with Sake and People: Kameoka Sake Brewery
Whilst gathering stories at Ikazaki in Uchiko-cho, Ehime Prefecture, we happened to come across a strange rumour. “There is a mysterious man like a mountain sage here, who has a bizarre power to manipulate people without saying a single word. It’s really strange.” Now, what is this about? How could we possible resist wondering how this man can manipulate people without the sweet temptation of money, violence of an iron fist or a carrot-and-stick approach? However, the local people all nod in agreement to this story. “Yes, yes. There’s something black magic-ish about him.” Black magic!? If such a sorcerous person really exists, we’d surely want to meet him…. So we wound up meeting Mr. Toru Kameoka, the president of the Kameoka Sake Brewery (Kameoka Shuzo).
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.
