"A Day in Tajimi"
commentary by Hans O. Karlsson
Tajimi city has just produced a new PR-film - "A Day in Tajimi" that is gaining popularity on YouTube. We have a massive international ceramics festival in autumn this year. What else will you find when you visit?
I have picked some of the scenes that flash by and add background information in this first article of 2020.
I have picked some of the scenes that flash by and add background information in this first article of 2020.
Here below is a list of places and people that appear in the film. Find a scene of interest and click to scroll to the commentary.
the painter
The best way to present Yasunori Kimata, a painter and ceramic wall artist, is no doubt by showing his art. The artist performs live paintings, and here is a time-lapse example. This dragon painting - a common theme in Kimata's work - was done here in Tajimi at Manabi Park. There are several other videos as well as a wealth of artwork to enjoy on the artist's web site.
Kimata graduated from Nagoya Institute of Design (currently Aichi Institute of Design). He began his artistic career at the age of 20, under the name of KAT. He has held exhibitions and live painting performances in various places in Japan and overseas, and has collaborated with multiple other artists.
In the Tajimi PR-film, he appears in front of the Tokurin-in temple in Tajimi.
Kimata graduated from Nagoya Institute of Design (currently Aichi Institute of Design). He began his artistic career at the age of 20, under the name of KAT. He has held exhibitions and live painting performances in various places in Japan and overseas, and has collaborated with multiple other artists.
In the Tajimi PR-film, he appears in front of the Tokurin-in temple in Tajimi.
the temple
The Tokurin-in is a beautiful Buddhist temple in Tajimi. The small temple garden is a lovely, peaceful place overlooked by a Gingko tree. We visited the site last fall with our 360 camera rig and managed to capture a breathtaking scene of yellow leaves from a giant tree completely covering the ground . It is one of the prettiest sights in our virtual tours of Tajimi, which we have performed monthly during the past year.
I particularly remember a tour when a crow Indian living in Arizona joined and was utterly blown away by the scenery. "My God, I wish I could sit here quietly by myself and smoke a Gandalf [style] pipe!" he exclaimed. It was quite a weird and wonderful feeling, guiding a group of one American Indian, a South Asian Indian, and a couple of Americans and Canadians around the temple area in virtual reality.
I particularly remember a tour when a crow Indian living in Arizona joined and was utterly blown away by the scenery. "My God, I wish I could sit here quietly by myself and smoke a Gandalf [style] pipe!" he exclaimed. It was quite a weird and wonderful feeling, guiding a group of one American Indian, a South Asian Indian, and a couple of Americans and Canadians around the temple area in virtual reality.
the museum
“The once-thriving town of Kasahara was facing dire times. The town was close to becoming incorporated into neighboring Tajimi, but people wanted to keep the identity of the tile town alive and try to reinvigorate its industry and community again. Could a museum help with that effort?”
In spite of concerns that the idea of a Mosaic Tile Museum was too far fetched, the museum finally opened its doors and has attracted large crowds ever since. I interviewed one of the most distinguished people in the industry last year. “I think the museum must have come at the right time and in the right shape,” says Masaki Mizuno, the CEO of Ceramesse, a large tile maker in Kasahara. “The design is radical,” he says, “but it is gentle and melds building and nature.”
There are many places around the mountains in Tajimi that have a similar shape, after decades of carving clay from the hillsides. The earth is laid bare on one side but the top still has vegetation. “There is a romantic feel to it,” Mizuno says, smiling. “It is even cute in a way”. Cute, or kawaii in Japanese, is a concept loved by many young Japanese women, and they form a distinct segment of the visitors to the museum. In particular, you will find many enjoying themselves in the DIY workshop corner on the first floor.
In spite of concerns that the idea of a Mosaic Tile Museum was too far fetched, the museum finally opened its doors and has attracted large crowds ever since. I interviewed one of the most distinguished people in the industry last year. “I think the museum must have come at the right time and in the right shape,” says Masaki Mizuno, the CEO of Ceramesse, a large tile maker in Kasahara. “The design is radical,” he says, “but it is gentle and melds building and nature.”
There are many places around the mountains in Tajimi that have a similar shape, after decades of carving clay from the hillsides. The earth is laid bare on one side but the top still has vegetation. “There is a romantic feel to it,” Mizuno says, smiling. “It is even cute in a way”. Cute, or kawaii in Japanese, is a concept loved by many young Japanese women, and they form a distinct segment of the visitors to the museum. In particular, you will find many enjoying themselves in the DIY workshop corner on the first floor.
THe artist
Tomonari Kato lives just a stone's throw from our house up on the hill in the neighboring village Takata. It's quite a steep climb on a very narrow, meandering road. Not even the locals can navigate it safely. Some time ago a small truck fell half-way off and got stuck with two wheels spinning in mid-air. Anybody unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost, but by the time you arrive at Kato's factory, it's easy to tell an artist must be working there. Strange objects sit here and there around the place.
Kato was the winner of the Gold Prize for his work "Topological Formation" in the Ceramics Category at the 11th International Ceramic Competition Mino in 2017. In 2020 this massive Ceramics event will be held again, to celebrate ceramic design and art. People from all over the world will compete for a USD 45,000 Gold Prize, and a multitude of events and exhibitions will take place in the area. There will be something for everyone, and if you ever wanted to go to Japan to enjoy ceramics, this is the time (more information here).