Adventures on a trip to Japan - Part 2
The Shimpo Ceramics Class, continued:

The re-education process at the Shimpo Ceramics class began with centring; I was shown
that, in Kyoto, they centre by pushing the clay away from you. This results in a tall column of
clay being bent away from the thrower at quite an extreme angle and worked up and down
until the clay is well mixed and centred. I had told them that I wanted to learn how they threw
off the hump, so next I was shown that they opened the clay with both thumbs and lifted the
outer wall all in one motion. Throwing and shaping was done with very little water and by
working the piece from the inside out. Next, I was shown how they removed the finished ttem
from the base of the clay using a small piece of string. This last process wasi’t difficult but
getting the one handed pulling motion to result in a flat bottom without a list from one side
to the other took some extra focus. After several different size bowls and mugs I was asked to
throw a sake container. They were quite amused by the process I used to collar in the clay to
form the slender neck. Amused, because they do it differently: the opening and throwing of
the beginning shape are pretty universal but the narrowing of the neck was combined with a
throwing motion that resulted in the narrowing and shaping happening in one motion.

One thing that was evident in each of these demonstrations was economy of motion,
combined actions, no wasted activity and no pause to check the work. I was told that the
studio had recetved a panic call from a local gallery; the scheduled potter was unable to make
the show date, could they help? The Shimpo Ceramics Academy specialist threw 500 gallery
quality pieces in one day to meet the deadline.

Economy of motion and extreme skill! I left that day humbled and exhausted: humbled
by the demonstration of skill and patience, exhausted because I think I had experienced a
compression of normal time.

During my stay in Japan I saw many examples of how this culture respects and honors the
crafts person in every field. One of the regular monthly craft shows in Kyoto, held in a huge
temple area, helped me redefine what I will forever consider a well-attended show. At this
show, the line-ups of people started blocks away from the entrance to the temple grounds and
line-up is a loose term for crowds of people. Once inside, you could see the booths, but not
the work; you had to wait until the layers of people between you and the pieces moved along.
At the beginning, the booths are ordered and laid out in neat rows, but very soon the booths
become groups of little islands leading everywhere. The diversity of the crafts was endless,
and after hours of looking, touching, talking (or communication in any way possible), buying
and taking lots of photos you are still not sure that you have seen everything. However,
eventually the flow of the endless crowd moves you gently or not so gently to the exit and it
is time to go.

Japan has a reputation for being very expensive and yes it is possible to go into a restaurant
and find that a glass of Coke costs you $12.00 but it 1s also possible to go to the vending
machine just down the street and buy a large can of Coke for $1.20. Shopping at the local
markets, finding food and fruit that is common to the area and looking through the food floors
in the department stores provides you with a bewildering array of choices all at reasonable
prices. Wandering down the little side streets will also lead you to unexpected inexpensive
local restaurants where you have the chance to taste local food at local resident prices.

This holiday re-confirmed what we learned the last teme we were in Japan: it is possible
to go adventuring without a guide, without a translator and make amazing discoveries. An
example was meeting a volunteer at a restored historical Japanese village and discovering he
is a retired prmecipal of a local school district and that he used to teach English. Then, after
exchanging business cards, we were asked if we wanted to visit a local potter. The answer,
of course, was yes. Off to the parking lot and then a short drive in his rmported English
car, to visit an old student who happened to be a third-generation potter, who was very well

continued on page 9

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A Potters Studio Shigaraki Ware

Craft Market Cronds