The Japan Blog List

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sake, shochu and sushi

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日本語のブログ
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(Wakimoto Hiroyuki )

Greetings from Mishima,

Just coming back from California last week I once again realized how important the seasons play out in Japanese culture. Talking with my friends in San Diego most had no idea about how the
Japanese take the seasons to a poetic height, for instance changing vessels to match the seasons. Here autumn is in full swing and thus autumnal delicacies and fitting pottery are to be
seen everywhere. I can argue that no other Japanese pottery style fits autumn better than Bizen.

A month or so ago I did visit Bizen and selected works by Harada Shuroku, Wakimoto Hiroyuki and Kakurezaki Ryuichi.

Works by Wakimoto

and Harada are mostly listed in the gallery–some preview photos for Wakimoto–and after my return from California I started listing Kakurezaki’s works. All three are major figures, yet

Kakurezaki is surely *the* Bizen ceramic artist representing the *now* for Bizen. Four of his larger not yet listed works can be viewed here:
1, 2, 3, 4.

Today I’ll be listing a katakuchi pouring vessel as well as a smaller vase. All are museum quality works and please do view them when you have a moment, if for nothing else then to refresh
the senses in these surreal days.

Also, Ajiki Hiro’s son Jun is also now showing some of his fine chawan with us; they are very much in his father’s artistic realm. Quite a few potters here are now copying the Ajiki style, especially their checkered Basara style, blatant copying really.
I won’t name names, yet one is a very celebrated–shameless–potter here.

In May our gallery was featured on a NHK special on Bizen and since then a small book was published by NHK with additional photos and copy. All in Japanese though, if anyone is interested
in seeing a copy please email me.

Also, if you happen to be in Tokyo on Oct. 25th, John Gauntner and I will be hosting a Sake-Pottery Lecture Dinner; please email me for further details or see John’s web site noted above, the events page.

In any event, thank you for your interest in our gallery and wishing you all a pleasant autumn.

Cordially,

Robert Yellin
Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery