Lest we forget

It was 65 years ago that the world changed and Hiroshima and Nagasaki almost ceased to exist. I find that Japanese people don't talk about the war much. A small minority have strong feelings and are quite vocal but most people never speak of and seem to only even rarely think of what happend. Japanese people seldom showing their emotions and me being a (American looking) foreigner means that I can still probably count on my hands the times I have had a substantial conversation about WWII.

But as this is the anniversary, there have been numerous specials on tv every night and people are more openly talking of the war than I can ever remember.

The other night I was having dinner at the home of a 70 year old pottery salesman and he, his family and I were watching one of these well produced and insightful specials. We all talked naturally of the horrors of war and even the thorny subject of where guilt should lie. But then, tongue loosened from shochu, the patriarch began to talk ... and remember.

I had always wondered how close to Arita/Imari the bombings came but this night, for the first time, I learned that they had been hit and hit hard. He told us of the lengths his Mother and Father went to to protect him as airplanes whizzed over head and bombs rocked the town. He told an amazing story about how one of the largets pottery companies in Arita was levelled when the Americans mistook it for a munitions plant.

It was as if, and if only for a few short minutes, he put aside his usually stoic demeanour and, with no prodding at all, gave me my first glimpse of a pottery town at war. Pushed by the knowledge that what he had to say was too important to be silenced by the years or the very human desire to forget, he carefully answered each and every question. It was moving.

The anguish, loss and pain that war brings is a curse on so many around the world. But no mater how uncomfortable, sad or even guilty it makes us feel, we must never cease to listen to their memories. Peace demands that we hear their stories; warnings of a dark path most of us are blessed never to have walked.

My little pottery garden

There is something I have been meaning to tell you about for some time now. For 3 weeks, maybe more. But it involves me spending some time outside and, in Japan, in the middle of rainy season, no one spends any more time outside than is absolutely necessary.

You see, loving The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael and fine eating, I have planted a small herb garden. Nothing particularly impressive, but it is mine and I am, never the less, quite proud of it. I have been wanting to put a picture of the garden up but also, more closer to the occasionally kept to theme of this blog, I wanted to show you some of the pottery I have been finding. You see, the garden is in the front yard of my house. A house that was built by the owner of one of the larger pottery shops on the main drag in down town Arita many years ago. Right up until literally the day before I moved in, hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of ceramics were stored here.

When I first moved in and started clearing the out of control foliage that I can still bairly call a “yard”, I would often find cracked or smashed pieces of “yakimono” laying on the ground. Mostly small fragments but many large items as well. Occasionally, I even came across ones that were still completely intact (I found a couple of my favorite sake cups clearing out a dead bush). I thought that I had removed most of the discarded porcelain, but now that I am digging and tilling the earth, I am stating to find hundreds more pieces. Digging a hole to shove a basil plant in often feels more like an archeology dig than farming. I try to keep that kind of fun mindset cause if I didn't, pulling a little piece of pottery out of my garden every 10 seconds would get really tired really quickly.

But it is fun ... sometimes I recognize a fragment as the work of a kiln or potter I know. Often I find myself holding a tiny piece and wondering what the original object was. Once in a while I even look at a design or pattern and wonder who would make/buy something so ugly ...

Mark

Sun Sun Sun ... Here it comes

Well we had our first rainless Monday since some time the Regan administration. The weather here in Arita was quite beautiful in fact. Never mind that it rained all day today (Tuesday), I'm just happy to have that nasty streak over.

It was a good weekend. On Saturday Dave and a few other friends came over for an evening of sumo, stories, poker and a VERY late night mountain top BBQ.

Sunday was the "undokai" (Sports Festival) at the Jr. High just down the road. While I, thankfully, have yet to generate offspring, it's a fun morning. Lot's of, screaming, not quite synced katas and neighborhood pride. Excited kids everywhere and half the town watching them.

After that I went to a wine tasting that ensured that I said "sayonara" to the weekend in style.

Mark

Tell me why I don't like Mondays

It was a beautiful weekend but the new week somehow brought yet another rainy Monday with it. How many weeks/months (years!?) can this unlucky trend last?

I had a small BBQ on Saturday night. Just a couple friends making Jerk Chicken and having a few drinks together. The weather in Arita is great right now. Warm in the days, but not oppressively hot like it will be in a few weeks. Then becoming cool and crisp in the evenings. Reminds me a lot of Canadian summers.

Mark

It Is Finished...

The heat of the day is over and the temperature is slowing dropping like the pink sun over Arita. A beautiful end to what has been a beautiful Ceramic Fair. I cannot remember tokiichi weather ever being as nice as this years was. I really don't think it could have been any better.

But it's over now. The horrific traffic outside my house is dissipating. Potters, ceramicists, sales people and vendors will all sleep long and well tonight.

"Otsukaresama" friends ...

Mark

Busy Weekend

Well, Sunday evening is drawing to a close and what a weekend it's been. On Saturday I spent most of the day at the Arita Ceramic Fair. On Saturday evening a collection of friends and weary pottery shoppers gathered in my yard for a BBQ/bonfire. This morning Dave and I were back into pottery mode, hitting some of the kilns who didn't set up a shop in the downtown area. This evening I have mostly been relaxing and wishing tomorrow didn't have to be as busy as it's going to be...

Most of the people in my area who are not working at Tokiichi seem to stay as far away from it as possible. I however still enjoy getting out battling the crowds. I think I may even be energized by it. I don't go to the to the fair to buy pottery as a rule, but it is a good chance to see the pottery that thousands of artists have been working on in a relatively short time. And it's a great oppertunity to catch up with the artists themselves. Some potters I see a few times a month, but in the past couple days, on the other hand, I have met SO MANY artists who I haven't seen since last years pottery fair (the 106th I believe).

So there are 3 days left. The weather (and therefor crowds) has been great.

I think Dave is schedualed to take some people on a tour of Okawachiyama tomorrow. I would like to pop by myself but I have a ominous feeling that I will probably be luck to have time for lunch tomorrow, let alone a leasurely stroll in Imari.

Mark

The storm has started

So Tokiichi started yesterday to great weather and what I hear was fantastic crowds. I was too busy to make it yesterday and today has been just as hectic but I will be spending the whole weekend enjoying the pottery and crowds. Can't wait! I'll be sure to put some pics up.

Mark

Rain, Rain Go Away ...

As if anyone needed another reason to hate the day!? It has rained in Arita every Monday for 2 months now. WHAT IS WITH THAT!?

Forgive more pics hastily snapped while I should have been concentrating on the road. But, for weeks now Arita has been in "Calm before the storm" mode. The streets have been almost empty. Restaurants and bars void of all but the staff.

The reason is "Tokikiichi". The Arita pottery fair. Many of Arita's potters sell the majority of pottery all in that one fun/crazy/busy/tense/sleepless week. So for months the artists have been creating and storing as much pottery as the can, cause they know come the 29th of April people will POUR in. I don't mean pour like your Mom's Ice Tea on a lazy Saturday afternoon. This is "pour" like, "What in the name of all things good and true is that?! How will we survive!?". That kind of pour. They say the population of this small town grows by 1,000,000 if you can imagine.

But the "calm" is done. The storm hasn't started so I guess this is the "brewing" phase. People are scurrying around setting up stalls and temporary shops and restaurants. Schools and non pottery related work are shutting down so EVERY possible hand, no matter how big or small can be freed up for Tokiichi.

Exciting!

Let's hope the rain stays away ...

Mark