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Japan
Dick Lehman's Japan Travelogue
JUNE 7, 2002
A Trip to Okayama
Visiting Matsukawa Hiromi and Kakurezaki Ryuichi
Piece by Matsukawa Hiromi
The Shinkansen pulled into Okayama station at dusk. As I descended
the platform, headed down the stairs and was scanning the far reaches
of the train station for my friends Chiaki and Hiromi Matsukawa,
I practically "ran them over" at the bottom of the stairs
as I was looking above the crowd in the station. We had a good laugh,
and headed for their car, enjoying the 30-minute drive to their
home in Oodoi, outside Okayama. Although the Matsukawa's home is
in the middle of "Bizen Country," Hiromi continues to
work in the Shigaraki tradition, for he completed his apprenticeship
in Shigaraki with Kanzaki Shiho.
(L to R) Matsukawa Chiaki and Hiromi, Dick Lehman
Matsukawa Chiaki and Hiromi, with Matsuura Minoru, outside Hiromi's
kiln
My intention in visiting Matsukawa Hiromi was to complete the "third
leg" of a series of interviews that I had been conducting for
an article entitled "Three Generations of Contemporary Japanese
Master/Apprentice Relationships." I'd already spoken with Matsuyama
Suketoshi, who is in his late 80s, and to his independent apprentice
Kanzaki Shiho, who just turned 60. It was now turn for 42-year-old
Hiromi-san, an independent apprentice to Master Kanzaki.
While I stayed near the Oodoi-gama with Hiromi and Chiaki, I was
treated to four days of the most generous hospitality. They invited
me to share in the meaningful content of their lives -- cooking,
eating with friends, visiting with neighbors, celebrating a wedding
anniversary, sharing the first eggplant of the season, making an
anniversary-prompted visit to the cemetery, visiting the Oodoi-gama
kiln site, and observing Matsukawa-san make some chawan. My stay
included a day of traveling to some of the Bizen highlights in the
area. We visited some galleries and I got a nice overview of the
contemporary work being produced and sold in the Bizen area.
For me, a highlight of that day of travel was a warm and gracious
meeting with Kakurezaki Ryuichi, a remarkable contemporary potter
working within -- and extending -- the Bizen tradition. We'd met
before, during the 1999 International Wood-fire Conference in Iowa
City, USA. But this was my first visit to his home and studio.
Kakurezaki Ryuichi and Dick Lehman
The hospitality was wonderful. Tea and sweets and relaxed conversation.
Among other things, Kakurezaki spoke of the progression in his thinking
during the past years. He spoke of a time when he was 35 years old.
It suddenly dawned upon him, he said, that his life was likely half
over -- that there was only "half a life left to work."
From that point on, and for many years "I worked hard and kept
on running," Kakurezaki said. Although now at post-50, he admits
that some of that compulsion has changed. But what hasn't changed,
he said, is his sense about what is the most important thing to
do. "If you make the pots that you really want to make, those
pieces at the very center of your interest, those pieces which are
for you a passion -- this is the most important thing! It is fine
if these works are accepted by others, but if they are not, it is
still important to make them. After all, if making lots of money
is the most important thing to you, then you should probably do
something other than work with clay. But for me, I live for this
work, it is so exciting and so moving each time I open the kiln.
I live for this moment, to feel this emotion! I want to continue
to make these 'works-of-my-passion' for as long as I can. It is
right to do your passion while you can!"
Bizen pieces by Kakurezaki Ryuichi
Lehman and friends outside Kakurezaki's kiln
I also enjoyed the opportunity to see Kakurezaki's studio and kilns
(he was beginning to fire his anagama, or single-chamber kiln, on
that day), and view some of his finished works. I will especially
treasure the little ochoko (sake cup) that he gave to me as a gift,
and the tokkuri (sake bottle) that I purchased. And I will always
remember his important words, and his encouragement to always follow
one's passion.
Above story and photos by Dick
Lehman © July 2002 All rights reserved.
Further reading: Kakurezaki
Ryuichi
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