new and Upcoming essays
Hans Karlsson started venturing into virtual worlds with his mobile phone in this simple cardboard box.
From tokyo to tajimi - part 2The author left mammoth city Tokyo to settle down in a countryside town. Now he travels back by VR. Not just to Tokyo, though, but to boundless real and imagined worlds.
Local cuisine in Tajimi is a pleasant discovery for foreigners who find the tastes of Japanese food to be too sublime.
the rich taste of the tajimi cuisineMiso is the secret to the sauce.
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Hans Karlsson meeting famed potter ... at the Tile Museum
from tokyo to tajimi - part 1After almost three decades in Tokyo, an old Japan hand settle down in countryside town Tajimi. It turned out to be a good move.
Warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi on a climb to take a Mino castle and towards a brilliant career.
The story of mino ware - Part 2The patrons of Mino ware pottery not only appreciated the tea bowls in themselves, but perhaps even more so as useful pieces in a political chess game.
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A polar bear pottery performanceHans is drawn into a stage performance and ends up in a place he didn't expect.
The suwa festival - OH, what a night!"I may not be around for the next year's festival," said the old man. "But you are here now," said I, "and so am I. Let's toast to that!" "Sure!", he said, and smiled.
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Mr. Watanabe is close to unstoppable when the topic of discussion is pottery.
The Story of Mino Ware - Part 1The story of Mino ware has more drama, political intrigue, blood and death, and obsession that you would ever think possible. In this first part of my series on pottery in Mino and Tajimi, we will explore how this culture of aesthetic perfection and political power play came into being.
The mama-san at local pub The Broken Umbrella is a great collector of Minoyaki ware.
fine pottery for the patronsThe Tajimi local pub Yaburegasa (The Broken Umbrella) is an immensely popular, rustic izakaya where you get friendly with people after a few cups of excellent Gifu produced sake. Drinks are served in fine Mino ware flasks and cups, collected by the jovial mama-san that runs the place.
Blessings in a CALAMITOUS year |
the STORY of mino ware - Part 3With the arrival of the 1600s Japanese pottery took a dramatic turn thanks to Furuta Oribe, a man obsessed with the aesthetics of tea ceremony utensils, and a warped sense of beauty. Like his master, he met a violent death, forced to take his own life in shame. Today both are viewed as geniuses.
Beginning with part 5 in this series, we will start looking into the future of ceramics in Tajimi. Mino ware is the tradition in the area, but ceramics in this town encompass virtually all aspects of pottery and porcelain as well as tiles production in Japan. We start we a very dynamic craftswoman - Yoshimi Tokuda
Flower viewing beyond the crowdsIn Japan it is a luxury to have a whole tree for yourself when you picnic in the flower viewing season. Here is how to enjoy that luxury in Tajimi.
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Rosanjin, one of the two modern potters who rewrote the history of Mino ware
The Story of Mino Ware - Part 04From the Edo era to the industrial age ceramics production developed in Mino from fine handicraft to mass produced products. Two potters make a discovery that connects the area back to the medieval age again. The two were up late one night, admiring Momoyama era pottery, when they noticed something odd on the inside of the takadai (foot) of a Momoyama era Shino ware tea bowl...
how to prepare the Japanese wild yamNEW STORY
This root is a symbol for long life and health because of its extreme viscosity and refusal to give in to the hard ground in which it grows. And it is super nutritious too! See the video on how to prepare and enjoy it!
the world of sake in tajimiThe world of sake, the Japanese rice wine, extends beyond just what you can drink. In this VR photo essay I will take you to a few such experiences that take place every year
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