Author Archives: mikio

The biggest fireworks at my hometown !

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Japanese enjoy fireworks all over the country in the Summer to the early fall. My hometown, Konosu had the fireworks at a flood plain along the Arakawa river a couple of weeks ago. The place is fortunately wide enough to display a biggest fireworks because it is the widest plain in Japan. So we could enjoy the biggest fireworks of 4 feet(or 1.3 meter dia.),which has been certified as the Guinness World Records.

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* eBay Store
* Twitter

Production center of Kasama-Yaki !

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Kasama-Yaki is one of “ Traditional Craft Products” designated by the Japanese Government. It started in the middle of the Edo period(1600-1868). Since the location is near Tokyo (previously Edo), a big market, it has been developed as a supply center of kitchen utensils. Compared with other pottery production areas, Kasama-Yaki is referred as “No feature is a feature of Kasama”at the present. On the contrary, it is full of unique and striking pottery due to many challenging potters moved in the area.
Kasama Inari Jinjya (shrine) is another famed touring spot, which is known as one of the three largest Inari shrines in Japan.
(Photo : one of Kasama-Yaki galleries with a clock tower and Kasama-Inari)

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

Nostalgic Japanese Izakaya (tavern) !

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Izakaya, tavern in Japanese style is very popular for enjoying good drinks and food, and chat with friends and working associate. Sake, Shochu and its cocktail, beer for drink and Sashimi(raw fish), Tempura of fried fish and vegetables and many Japanese cuisine for food. Prices are very reasonable and an atmosphere is at home.
This Izakaya has a nostalgic air with various antiques and a large painting on a papered sliding door painted by the former shop master. On top of the decoration, the izakaya carry many variation of sake selected from the famed sake brewing areas.

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

The northern-most pottery, Tsugaru Kanayama-Yaki

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Tsugaru Kanayama-Yaki is the northern-most pottery producing center in the Japan main land. It is rather new pottery established by Mr. Matsukawa at Goshogawara, Aomori 30 years ago. The pottery is produced by a group of many young potters uniquely in Japan. There are many kilns such as climbing kiln, hole kiln and the like in the big construction which is like a casting or forging factory. In this sense, it is unique.
Accordingly, the feature of products are unglazed pottery with interesting variety.

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

Traditional pottery of Kanazawa !

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In Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture) which is one of the popular sight seeing areas in Japan, there is Ohi-Yaki, traditional pottery with its long history. Nearly 350 years ago, the 5th lord of Kaga Domain, Maeda Tsunanori invited potters from Kyoto. Since then, the Ohi family has made pottery for the Maeda clan across many generation.
Ohi-Yaki is soft to the touch due to its characteristic “Ameyu”, or caramel brown glaze.
(Photo : A galley of the Original Ohi Kiln and a typical sake cup)
There is the Oyama Shrine nearby, which has an unique shrine gate in a western style in addition to the Japanese style.

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

Festival of Traditional Echizen-Yaki !

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Echizen-Yaki is one of the “Six Old kilns” , with a history dating back many centuries. The feature is its simple shapes and natural texture of the clay by firing unglazed in general. However, we can enjoy various ware fired with many variety of glazes these days.
On the end of May, “Echizen Togei Matsuri (ceramics Festival)” is held in the Echizen Ceramics Village, situated in a center of the Echizen-Yaki producing areas. Potters more than 60 display and sell their boastful products there. It is fun to meet and chat with potters who were got acquainted with before.

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

Onta-Yaki, the earlist remembered scene !

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Onta-Yaki is a quite unique pottery production village in terms of tradition and location. Only 10 potters’ family have handed the know-how of an art down from generation to generation within the family for more than 300 years. In addition, the village have kept un-modernized, meaning that they are still using water-powered mills (Karausu, or mortar) for clay making and pine for firing in climbing kilns. We feel the scenery between mountains at home.
The pottery made here are in folk craft styles, decorated with “Tobikanna”, or jumping marks, “Uchihakeme”, or tapping brush marks and the like, and applied with traditional straw ash-, iron- and celadon glazes..

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

Hosokawa-shi, a traditional hand-crafted paper !

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Hosokawa-shi, a traditional Japanese hand-made paper (washi), has been made at Ogawa Town in Saitama Prefecture. The Japanese government designated the technique of making Hosokawa-shi as an Important intangible Culture Asset in 1978. And in 2014, UNESCO listed hosokawa-shi to Human Intangible Cultural Heritage as “Washi, craftsmanship of traditional Japanese hand-crafted paper”.

Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

The Doll’s Festival !

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It is the Doll’s Festival, or “Hina Matsuri” in Japan on March 3rd. It was believed that the dolls would protecte people, girls in this case, from sickness or misfortune. We display a set of dolls wearing graceful court costumes of the old era on a tier of 5 or 7 shelves for the day. Konosu city, my home town is one of the well-known doll-making centers in Japan. The city display a large number of “Hina Dolls” in the city hall every year. This display has 7m high and 31 tiers with about 1,820 dolls, which might be the highest one in a pyramid in Japan.
Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter

Tanba old-fashioned sake bottles and new “TanbaStyle” !

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One of the traditional pottery making centers is Tanba-Yaki located at Konda-Cho, Hyogo-Ken. Potters’ family have handed down their expertise within the village from generation to generation. Because of the background, potters have the same family names such as Onishi, Ogami , Ichino, Shimizu and the like. We can still enjoy the traditional old-fashioned pottery like “Unglazed Tokkuri or sake bottle” here. In addition, we are very pleased to know that contemporary tableware is proposed by younger potters, celled “TanbaStyle”. Tanba-Yaki is one of the most active pottery center in Japan.
Other Mike’s Site Links
* Online Sake Cup Shop
* Amazon Store
* Twitter