Author: kamys

How Future Traditional Craftspeople Are Trained at TASK

My visit to the campus percolated an idea

Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

The “Open Campus” program offered by TASK (Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto) gave me another surprising opportunity in addition to making my own wooden pencil case.

…

After a short presentation and a video introducing TASK, an instructor lead me and a teenage boy from the auditorium to the woodwork studio. 

Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

On the wooden table, two sets of small pieces of wood and tools were laid out.  A chisel, a saw, a plane, glue, and sandpaper… When was the last time I touched these tools, or have I ever used a chisel or plane?  The instructor was patient enough not to lose her cool until both of us completed the whole process.  I planed the lid too much so that it was a little loose.  Well, at least it looked decently rectangular of a pencil case.  I think I understand why I didn’t become a master craftsperson.

It was Sunday, but several students were at the studio working on their own projects.  According to the instructor, it was not uncommon to see students on weekends.  I asked one of them if she enjoyed studying here.  Her response of a powerful “yes!”

…

This campus visit convinced me to make a proposal to the school, that Five Senses Foundation, the non-profit organization I run, would sponsor two students to spend a week in Seattle.

Why?

The students at TASK reminded me of myself a long time ago when I was in high school.

I spent one year in a small city in Pennsylvania as an exchange student.  It was in the late seventies.   There was no Internet, but we had TVs.  I thought I knew the US pretty well, until I arrived. 

The houses and the cars looked enormous. The ceiling of the living room was so high, and I had never seen such huge walls in a house.  The dining table looked larger than the entire kitchen of my house in Japan.  In the US, everything was huge!

There were and still are so many differences in lifestyle between the two countries.  Seeing is believing.  No TV program nor the book is sufficient.  Firsthand experience is vital.

The domestic demand for Japanese traditional arts and crafts is dwindling.  The industry must create demand outside Japan.  The US remains the dominant economy, and it makes sense to market there.  The first step is to understand the customers.  I wanted the students at TASK to experience the US firsthand, as I did years ago.

How Samurai Made Use of Tea Utensils

Tea utensils as financial and political tools

Oda Nobunaga: Widimedia Public Domain

No, Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 was not crazy to forgo the opportunity to grab the whole state in return for the little tea caddy.

Oda Nobunaga was the first samurai warlord who unified Japan.   He took advantage of the valuable tea ceremony utensils and fervently collected them.  He either bought them for excessive prices or took them by force from other samurai.  Nobunaga’s tea utensil collection became enormous. 

At the same time, Nobunaga forbade his subordinate samurai to perform tea gatherings without his permission.  There were only six or so samurai who were granted this right.  Nobunaga gave away his tea utensils as remuneration to his subordinates. 

One time a samurai was granted a huge swath of land for his contribution, but he lamented that he was not granted a famous tea container instead.

For Nobunaga, the tea ceremony and tea utensils were useful tools, financially and politically, to achieve his ambition to eventually dominate all of Japan. 

Japanese Flower Arrangement Meets The Western World

Moribana: Innovation by Ohara School of Ikebana

Moribana Style of Ohara School Ikebana: Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

While Japan closed its doors to the world from the early 17th century until the late 19th century, Ikebana became prevalent among people in Japan.  Not only the ruling samurai class but also the general public enjoyed arranging flowers. 

Most houses in Japan had an alcove called Tokonoma, and people displayed Ikebana there.  Since the alcove’s platform was low, people used a rather tall vase for their Ikebana. 

Japan opened its country to the west in the late 19th century.  The new Meiji government began to construct western-style buildings.  Foreigners came in and started building western-style homes.  These western-style buildings didn’t have Tokonokoma but were furnished with tables and chairs. 

Ohara Unshin, the founder of Ohara School of Ikebana, realized that the way to display Ikebana arrangement needs to adapt to the new building style. Replacing the previously used tall vase with a small opening, he originated and actually designed the low, flat, wide-surfaced Moribana containers for the many colorful flowers from the West. 

This new container shape greatly enlarged the scope of expression available to Ikebana.  Moribana became the main style and contributed to the increasing popularity of Ikebana.

The invention of Moribana-style ikebana is one example of how innovation enables tradition to survive and thrive. 

In 2019 in Seattle, the fifth-generation headmaster Ohara Hiroki performed an Ikebana demonstration wearing Microsoft Holo Lens.  It was the world’s premier of combining the traditional Ikebana installation and cutting-edge mixed reality technology.

This innovative spirit of Ohara School is still alive today.

Where My Indoor Plants Came from

Thanks to the global economy

Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

I enjoy the bright red foliage of anthurium in my living room.  Yes, nowadays many more people are interested in indoor plants as a way to bring nature into their homes. 

But I didn’t grow up with indoor plants at home in Japan.  That doesn’t mean my parents weren’t nature lovers.  Far from it.  They used to grow bonsai trees, most of them azaleas, for years.  Once in a while, my father would decorate the entrance with the beautiful bonsai tree, full in bloom.  But as soon as the flowers were gone he took the bonsai tree back outside.

Why didn’t my parents keep bonsai trees indoors? Since I had no knowledge about growing bonsai trees, I googled and found out its general practice.

Usually, a bonsai tree is taken from nature, and the growing environment should be closer to its original place.  In most places in Japan, there are distinct four seasons.  In the cold winter, trees become dormant. If the bonsai tree is grown indoors all year round, it can’t be exposed to the natural rhythm and it won’t survive. 

Nowadays we are living in comfortable conditions with temperature control all year round.  Japan’s native plants are not suitable for such a condition, but tropical or semi-tropical plants are perfect.

Anthurium is from Central America.  Monstera, another of my favorite indoor plant, is also native to Central America.  So are many indoor plants.  Without the advancement of global trade, the beautiful red foliage wouldn’t have reached my living room…

Visiting Kyoto?  Don’t Miss This Hidden Gem!

Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts

Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

You don’t want to miss Kyoto when traveling to Japan. What exactly do you want to see there? 

Yes, you can visit the impressive stage of Kyiyomizu Temple.  Yes, you can take a selfie in that famous shrine with so many red torii gates. And yes, you may encounter real geishas who are wearing beautiful kimono.

But beyond its buildings or beautiful komono, what really makes Kyoto so special is those master craftspeople who are trained to make all the things you may admire. 

For example, have you ever seen how those intricate Buddha statues are created?  How the colorful kimonos are dyed?  How the meticulous design of the bamboo basket is formed?  You can see real people creating these beautiful items firsthand in the middle of the city of Kyoto.

On the third floor of Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts building, students or alumni of Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto (TASK) take turns to demonstrate what they have been learning at school. 

When I visited the gallery, Ms Takako Nagasu was sitting cross-legged.  Her samue jacket looked comfortable.  On the right side of her laps were several wood carving knives with different shapes of tips.  On her left side were photos of wooden statues.  She was working on something, but when I approached her, her hands stopped and she greeted me with a warm smile. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m carving a small buddha statue.”
“Is this what you do for a living?” 
“Yes, I learned Buddhist sculpture in college, and now I usually teach there.  Today I’m here demonstrating how these statues are made.”

Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

This statue that she made for her graduation exhibition won first prize in 2016.  The Buddha statue is made of a single piece of wood (except for what he holds in his hands), the aureole of a separate piece, and the platform of another.

Carving Buddhist sculptures requires not only skills but also a wealth of knowledge of history.  Ms. Nagasu told me that one of her highlights during her college days was studying the details of Japan’s Buddhist art history. 

Her work is not merely a copy of old statues, however.  Based upon her knowledge, her understanding, and her interpretation, a new Buddhist sculpture is born.

Not only watch the students’ work, but you can also ask any question regarding his/her work.  The more you learn about the detailed process of how things are created, and how much precision and attention are devoted to creating the work of art, the more you appreciate their work.

Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts is open to the public from 10 am – 5 pm except for Tuesday and Wednesday.  I highly recommend visiting this place if you would like to enjoy a richer, deeper experience in Kyoto.

“In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun”

A 20th-century feminist in Japan declared

Photo:
Amaterasu cave – large – 1856. 19th century Japan. Public domain image.

March is “Women’s History Month” in the US.  Several major institutions join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

I would like to take this opportunity to learn more about women in history, especially in Japan. Contrary to what is commonly understood, I sense that women in Japan once enjoyed much more freedom, equality, and even power than modern day.   

Hiratsuka Raicho 平塚雷鳥 (1886 – 1971) is well-known as the founder of Japan’s first all-women literary magazine, Seitō (青鞜, literally Bluestocking).  The opening of the first issue of Seito was also a very famous line, “In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun .（元始、女性は太陽であった）”

When Raicho wrote this statement in 1911, women in Japan didn’t have voting right.  Much stricter social norm was imposed upon women than on men. Starting a magazine company run by all women must have been epoch making.

What is more intriguing for me, however, is her declaration.  She reminded us of what the Japanese took for granted, that is, in Japanese mythology, the sun was a goddess, not a god. 

Ancient Japanese people paid pretty impressive respect to women, don’t you think?

This Little Tea Caddy Was Worth The Whole State

How samurais utilized tea utensils during the civil war in 16th-century Japan

A tea caddy: Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

No, not this one in the photo above. (I use this for my everyday practice.)  The real tea caddy in this story is now housed in Seikado Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan.  You can see the photo on their website.   

The tea caddy is small enough to hold in a palm. What’s a big deal about this tiny object, you might say.  Well, it was really a big deal to possess it in the 16th– century Japan.

Known as “Tsukumo-nasu,” this eggplant-shaped tea caddy was made in the Southern Son-Yuan dynasty in China, 12th – 13th century. 

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu 足利義満(1358-1408), the 3rd shogun who built the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, used to own it. His grandson Ashikaga Yoshimasa足利義政 (1436-1490), the 8th shogun, gave it to one of his subordinates Yamana Masatoyo 山名政豊. One story says that Masatoyo was Yoshimasa’s lover.

It is said that Murata Juko 村田珠光 (1422 – 1503), the person who introduced the “wabi” concept to the tea ceremony, purchased this tea caddy from Yamana Masatoyo.

It is unknown how this tea caddy ended up in the hands of Matsunaga Hisahide 松永久秀 (1508 – 1577), a warlord who was ruling the state of Yamato. 

When confronted by Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 (1534 – 1382), a powerful warlord who later became the first unifier of Japan, Hisahide presented this tea caddy as a gift to Nobunaga.

By giving up a little tea caddy, Hisahide saved both his own life and the state he ruled. 

Was Oda Nobunaga crazy to forgo the opportunity to grab the whole state in return for the little tea caddy? 

Ikenobo: Flower Arranging that Reflects the Harmony of Nature

The oldest school of Ikebana

Ikenobo Style Flower Arrangement: Photo by Author Akemi Sagawa

Among so many different schools of Ikebana that exist today, Ikenobo池坊 is by far the oldest with over 600 years of history. 

The spirit of Ikenobo, therefore, is the spirit of Ikebana as a whole.  Even students of other Ikebana schools benefit by learning the spirit of Ikebana that Ikenobo teaches.

What is Ikenobo’s spirit?

Flowers are not only beautiful but also reflect:

  • The force of nature with which plants live in harmony.
  • The feelings in our own hearts, and
  • The passing of time.

In traditional styles of Ikenobo flower arrangement, branches represent mountains and flowers, water.  Nothing exists in separation, but everything in nature exists in harmony.  The arrangement is an expression of nature in an abstract form.

We humans are part of nature, and our feelings are also expressed through the arrangement.

With not only the flowers in full bloom but also hard buds, the arrangement expresses the impermanence of life. 

The photo above is an example of an Ikenobo-style arrangement.  I hope you enjoy it.

How Nature Inspired Japanese Waka Poetry   

The preface of the first imperially-commissioned anthology of Waka poetry in the 9th century explains

Photo by may yue on Unsplash

In ancient Japan, the ability to create wonderful poetry was indispensable for emperors and aristocrats to be politically successful.

What does poetry have to with politics, you may wonder. So do I!  By learning ancient literature, this mystery might be solved. 

Compiled in the 9th century, Kokin Wakashu 古今和歌集 was the first of 21 imperially-commissioned anthologies of Waka poetry.  The fact that the imperial court officially commissioned it tells you how highly the ruling class in those days thought of Waka poetry. 

The preface of this epoch-making anthology shows up in the 9th-grade textbook in Japan.  I remember I hated memorizing it.  Now I’m reading anew, and quite impressed.  

Here I will share with you how the preface explains the relationship between nature and Waka poetry. 

The English translation is by Helen Craig McCullough.

やまと歌は、人の心を種として、万の言の葉とぞなれりける。

Japanese poetry has the human heart as seed and myriads of words as leaves.

世の中にある人、ことわざ繁きものなれば、心に思ふことを、見るもの聞くものにつけて、言ひ出せるなり。

It comes into being when men use the seen and the heard to give voice to feelings aroused by the innumerable events in their lives.

花に鳴く鶯、水に住む蛙の声を聞けば、生きとし生けるもの、いづれか歌を読まざりける。

The song of the warbler among the blossoms, the voice of the frog dwelling in the water – these teach us that every living creature sings.

力をも入れずして天地を動かし、目に見えぬ鬼神をもあはれと思はせ、男女の中をも和らげ、猛き武士の心をも慰むるは歌なり。

It is song that moves heaven and earth without effort, stirs emotions in the invisible spirits and gods, brings harmony to the relations between men and women, and calms the hearts of fierce warriors.

Source: Kokin Wakashu – The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry: with ‘Tosa Nikki’ and ‘Shinsen Waka’ Translated and annotated by Helen Craig McCullough

Why My Father Used to Buy Fruits by a Whole Box

In response to Dancing Elephants prompt 23 of 52

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Fruits! I grew up with lots of fruits all year round!

Bright red strawberries in the spring were sour and I used to sprinkle sugar. Nowadays, most strawberries are so sweet that no sugar is needed.  I guess the process of selective breeding has advanced so much in the last half a century.

Summer started with seedless grapes.  Delaware cultivar was the most common.  Did you know that people in Japan don’t eat the skin of grapes?  And watermelons –  my favorite! I could eat watermelons for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Late summer to fall was fig season, although I didn’t care for it much… My tongue just doesn’t accept that texture.  Persimmons followed figs.  Our Pomeranian dog liked persimmons better than anyone else in our family. She could not stay still while my mother was pealing the skin. 

Then apples and oranges in winter.  My hands would turn orange by peeling the skins of so many oranges. 

In our family, it was not my mother but my father who brought fruits home.  Only four of us were in our family, my father, my mother, my younger brother, and me.  But my father would always buy fruits in a whole box from the wholesaler.  In a box, at least three dozen of apples were neatly lined up and stacked.  We tried to eat them all before they went bad, or simply gave some away to neighbors.

When my father was not at home, I asked my mother why he was so wasteful.  Granted that wholesale price was better than retail, but if he bought only as much as we could consume comfortably, we would appreciate the taste much better rather than shoveling in.

Then my mother started.

“When your younger brother was born, your father didn’t look excited but rather worried.  I asked him what was the matter, why he didn’t look as happy as when you were born.”

“Your father was afraid that now he has two children, those children would have to share one apple half.  You know, your father had eight siblings.  He never had an opportunity to eat the whole apple, but only one-eighth. Before your brother was born you used to have the whole apple.  Your father was afraid he could only give you half from now on.”

My father was 6 years old when World War II ended.  He grew up poor, not having enough even to eat.

Fortunately, my father could afford to buy a whole apple each for me and for my brother.  And more.  Maybe his urge to buy a whole box of fruits was a defensive reaction to his childhood trauma. 

After my mother told me this story, I stopped criticizing my father as being wasteful.  I simply thanked him for getting us abundant fruits.