Adventures in Japan - Part 1:
The Shimpo Ceramics Academy

Last year, my wife and I spent five weeks in Japan. One of my adventures was finding that

the Shimpo Ceramics Academy was within 2 blocks of our hotel in the heart of Kyoto’s : my
business district. We found this out by accident after picking up an attractive brochure where | J
everything was in Japanese except the name Shimpo Ceramics Academy. We asked one of the cae
receptionists at our hotel if she could tell us where the academy was located. After she made mea
a few phone calls, we had our directions. Then, off we went searching for the location. We

found the building but the Shimpo name was nowhere to be found. The address specified the

6th floor but this was an office building with “suits” going in and out. I thought we had the

wrong address, but my wife insisted that we get into the elevator and at least check out the

sixth floor.

The elevator doors opened and there at the end of the hall was a door with the sign: Shimpo
Ceramics Academy. We stepped inside and after a short conversation with the receptionist
and two pottery instructors in English (each spoke a little English), Japanese (I don’t speak
Japanese) and much pointing and hoping, I had arranged a three-hour lesson for later in the
week (two days before we were to return home). Because we had the brochure, the cost of an
introductory lesson would be $24 Canadian. I left a little confused and excited, hoping that I
got the date and time correct: Thursday at 10 a.m.

Thursday, just before 10 a.m., I found my way back to the sixth floor, not sure what I would
learn or if I would join a class of beginners. First I had to sign in, pay my fee and then was
assigned a locker, an apron and a sponge. The classroom area was quite large, with about
10 Shimpo wheels equally spaced around the centre of the floor. On one side of the room
was a large washing area complete with a clay trap sink and shelves with students’ work in
various stages of production. The receptionist who had welcomed me to my first class was
busy wedging reclaimed clay preparing for the lesson. I quickly discovered that I was the only
student, so I proceeded to help wedge up the clay.

Next, off to a wheel and the young lady asked me to centre and prepare to throw—well
actually, she sat down across from me and began to lead me through the centering process. I
leaned over the side of the wheel, flipped the switch that reverses the wheel rotation, centred
and began to throw a small bowl off the hump. The young lady looked a little confused
and asked how long had I done pottery; I said: “awhile”. She glanced over my shoulder and
nodded to some one behind me. I now discovered that I had three instructors: the young
assistant and the two gentlemen I had met the other day when I had arranged the lesson. Now
the work began, I was presented with one ttem after another and asked to reproduce tt.

After I had finished, I was gently shown that potters in the Kyoto area make that item a
little differently. I was introduced to the specialist; he demonstrated the technique, then I was
requested to copy his method. After I had managed to demonstrate that I understood and
could copy their motions, I was presented with a new shape and the process continued. Both
men corrected me constantly as I tried to copy their throwing positions and hand motions.

Iwill save what [learned fora later article but I will say that after three hours, I was on overload
and exhausted! I had been shown more, learned more, and been humbled by the incredible skill
demonstrated so effortlessly. After [had cleaned up my tools, the wheel and myself, I was offered
atourof the restof the pottery. Iwas shown their glazingarea, the hundreds of test tiles of various
glaze experiments and the kiln room. The kiln room had three kilns of various sizes all made
by Shimpo and all unavailable in North America. These kilns were in constant use, and despite
being 10-years-old, all looked brand new. One other observation was the total lack of dust, or
scrap clay or any other ttem that finds its way into any other pottery studio I have ever visited.

(Io be continued in another issue...) Lewis Kennett

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